Saturday 31 January 2009

Puppy power! Superdogs that come to the rescue



They can fetch your slippers, bring you the post and rollover amongst other things, but could you ever imagine your dog rescuing someone from danger.


With the release of Bolt , the new Disney Pixar animation about a dog who thinks he is a real super hero (pictured above), we sniffed out a few of our amazing dog ‘tales’ to prove that when danger strikes it’s not always the humans that come running first. Here are some super dogs that surprised their owners with their antics when they came to save the day.

Last year a dog saved a toddler by shielding him from a venomous snake and taking a bite in the neck. The tot was playing with his grandmother's terrier, Pickle, in her garden when he was confronted by an adder. The dog jumped between them but the snake bit Pickles who was saved by emergency treatment. What a hero. Click here to read the story.

In Argentina, an eight year old working dog saved the life of a premature baby left abandoned by his teenage mother in a shanty town in Buenos Aires. Shaggy dog La China managed to pick up the tiny baby without inflicting any injuries to him and carried him 50 metres to place him alongside her own puppies and care for him. You can watch the super nanny dog here.

But dogs are not only out to save us; they will even risk their lives to save other dogs and animals.

In this video clip a very brave dog crosses busy motorway traffic to try and drag the body of another dog to safety. Onlookers are astonished at the antics of this lost motorway mutt.

Another terrier down under risked his life to save a litter of newborn kittens from a blazing house fire. When firemen entered the house to search for remaining people they found Leo standing guard over some kittens despite thick nasty smoke filling the room. Leo, who lost consciousness and stopped breathing outside, was revived by the firemen using dog CPR. Click here to read this amazing story.

Back in the UK, a ten stone Newfoundland called Whizz was hailed a hero after rescuing a drowning pooch in Somerset. Topper’s owner was walking in a wood near Clevedon when her pet disappeared. She hadn’t realised that mischievous Topper had fallen into a disused water tank close by and couldn’t get out. That’s when friendly giant Whizz came along and grabbed the red setter by the neck to haul him to safety. Read the newspaper clipping here.

You never know, your dog could be the next hero so to help maintain a healthy and happy dog you can add Pooch & Mutt’s dog supplements to their diet daily. Bionic Biotic helps Digestion, condition, weight, skin & coat and Mobile Bones, with Glucosamine for dogs, is excellent for mobility and joint problems. To win a bag of Bionic Biotic try our prize draw here.

Spiderdog? - Last but not least this is a dog who really has been reading too many super hero comics. Click here to watch this exclusive video of spider dog!

Saturday 24 January 2009

Amazing dog tails. Sometime’s man’s best friend needs a hero too...


Its seems we can never be too careful when out walking our dogs these days and it’s not traffic or aggressive dogs we need to worry about but icy water, balls, fire and even sharks!

If you encountered a pooch in distress, to what lengths would you go to save him/her?

Here are a few feel good real life stories about pooches who lived happily ever after thanks to brave humans heroes who risked their own lives to drag them out of danger.

Last weekend an ex Royal Navy serviceman risked hyperthermia in freezing temperatures when he leapt into an frozen river to save a woman’s two pet Cocker Spaniels. The shocked pooches, who helplessly sunk into the ice in Hampshire, were rescued by Steve Williams who without thinking slipped off his jeans and broke into the ice to pull both dogs out. Click here to read the full story. Also last week another brave man rescued a Labrador from a burning house fire in Jersey last week. Click here to read more.

Across the pond, Jake, the Rat Terrier from Florida Keys escaped from the jaws of a shark last year. Whilst out swimming laps off the dock Jack (as pictured above) was attacked by a large Lemon shark who took a bite out of the little mutt’s belly. You can see the news clip here. Jake’s owner Greg dived into the water giving the shark a sharp blow with his fists which released the dog from his grip. Thankfully the dog escaped death with just a few stitches but next time swimming will be likely to be confined to a swimming pool.

Also in the states a woman stopped her vehicle when she noticed a small Pit Bull pup lying in the middle of the road. The caring lady, who unlike other drivers who swerved passed the severely injured dog, took the dog into her arms and took her to a local animal hospital. She has now adopted the puppy named Angel as her own. Read more about the story here.

Finally here is a tear jerker movie clip about a Dalmatian who got a small ball lodged in his throat whilst playing at home - see clip here. Willy escaped miraculously with a help of a canine cop who knew how to perform dog CPR. If you want to prepare yourself for any nasty surprises have a look at Stan Rawlinson’s page of canine first aid. Worth a read - you never know when it may come in handy.

Do you know anyone who became a hero for their dog? We’d love to hear your real stories too.

And don’t forget, if you are looking for an easy way to give your dog a helping hand there is no better way than Pooch & Mutt’s dog supplements; Bionic Biotic for Digestion, condition, weight, skin & coat and Mobile Bones, with Glucosamine for dogs, for mobility.

Next week we will be looking at amazing dogs that save humans and other dogs!

Friday 16 January 2009

January sales to keep tails wagging



Happy New Year to all Pooch & Mutt blog readers!

Milo and I have been hibernating under the covers for most of Christmas resisting the cold icy weather in fact it's been difficult to drag him out to the park at the best of times.

If the cold weather is beginning to get you down there's no better way to shake off those winter blues than to start the year off with a nice helping of retail therapy – for you and your mutt. And the good news is you don't have to worry about getting cold, you can just sit where you are and click away!

We've picked out some of 2009's must have gadgets and accessories and a few for yourself as well as some good deals in the sales that we think will really cheer you up.

Happy clicking!

For the wardrobe – accessorize your pooch's collar collection. hollyandlil.co.uk are having a barking mad January sale with up to 50% off some of their chicest collars available in a range of sizes, colours and patterns and made for both small and large dogs.

For the diet – treat your dog's diet to some Pooch & Mutt natural joint supplements. Mobile Bones which includes glucosamine for dogs that help loosen up those stiff bones, especially in working dogs and older mutts. The supplements are now available in larger bags of 1.5kg with three times as much in a bag for less than twice the price, saving you money and lasting longer.

For the kitchen - we love this discounted bone bowl available at posh pet shop kyraandluna.co.uk. If you're finding that your pooch is eating too fast then the pause bowl is designed to slow his speedy eating habits check out dogpausebowl.com.

For the dark – the afternoons are still short and dark so next time you have trouble making your way home Rex can lead the way with a dog leash torch from lazyboneuk.com. If you want to be safer on your walks kit your dog up with one of these flashing lights tags from woofnwhiskers.co.uk which attach to your dog's collar.

For warmer walks – here are some warm jackets to keep pooch nice and snug on those long cold walks barkingmadclothing.co.uk and Countrymun.com has a selection of winter coats to fit breeds including Greyhounds, dachshunds and whippets which are often hard to find clothing for. Don't forget to wrap up too waterproofclothingcompany.co.uk.

For bedtimepetlondon.net is offering 50% off their exclusive petarrari, not bad for a furry sports car. If that's not enough then get your paws on the trendiest pet bed on the market, the sleepy pod. Pet fashionistas will be itching to get their mitts on this versatile dog bed which can be used as a car seat, pet carrier and static bed all in one - sleepypod.com.

And for youhottrendypetshop.com fashionable bone wristbands for the jewellery box and if you fancy some interior deco to add character to your sofa to a few dog print cushions check out k9byigloo.com kitsch cushions. You can choose from boxer, dachshund, jack Russell or bull terrier. Very fetching!