Canine Robinson Crusoes

This week’s story about Australian cattle dog, Sophie, is most definitely the ultimate feel good story for the Bank Holiday Weekend.

Sophie was a castaway for 4 months on a remote island in Australia before she was found by rangers who reunited her with her owners. Read the full story here.

This dog’s saving grace was down the fact that she loved and knew how to swim very well. The super pooch swam in up to six miles of shark infested waters before landing on the island where she fed off goats to stay alive.

But the burning question is, can all dogs swim? Milo for instance hates bath times and like him some dogs are genuinely afraid of the water, so don’t assume that your dog will naturally be able to swim.

The good news is instinctively all dogs have the ability to swim when and if they need to, but some are much better at it than others. This comes down to a dog’s body shape and physical ability. How much your dog enjoys contact with water is another matter and depends on his or her confidence.

The risks for canine swimmers are the same as for humans: deep, freezing waters or fast-flowing rivers and high banks can easily pose a danger. Even if your dog is an excellent swimmer whatever you do don’t leave him/her unsupervised when they are having a paddle.

Here are some swimmingly fantastic stories and tipsters for you:

Baywatch buster - Bilbo the Newfoundland has been patrolling the beaches of Cornwall for years. He has a track record for diving into the foaming depths, warding off swimmers on rough days and showing bathers they should only swim between the safety flags. Read more about the Baywatch dog that puts Pamela Anderson and the Hoffman to shame here.

Lucky pooch - A Cairn terrier with a phobia for water nearly drowned in the freezing North Sea. The lucky pooch escaped thanks to two fishermen who spotted the furry mutt and pulled him from the sea. Freddie had become confused by the fog while walking with his owner Jean and ended up in the water where he swam off in the wrong direction. Read more amazing animal survival stories here.

A swim a day keeps dysplasia at bay - Swimming has proven to be an excellent exercise for dogs with joint problems such as hip dysplasia. Read about the German Shepherd Nat who benefitted from her weekly dog hydrotherapy sessions after she was diagnosed with common health problem called hip dysplasia. Click here for the full story.

Doggy paddlers - American Water Spaniels, Golden Retrievers, Portuguese Water Dogs and English Setters are just some of the most comfortable swimmers. If you want to find out more about breeds that were born to swim click here.

How to introduce your dog to water – There are right and wrong ways to do this, one of the wrong ways is to throw your pup into the water unexpectedly one of the right ways is to find a pool or pond that isn't rough and allow your dog to explore the area first and get his bearings. Read about how you can teach your dog to enjoy the water here.

Click here to watch some super cute swimming pooches in action.

Happy Easter from Milo & Lisa at Pooch and Mutt headquarters and dont forget to enter April's prize draw to win a bag of Bionic Biotic. Click here.

Pooch & Mutt: Egg-citing Easter Pooches

Pooch & Mutt: Egg-citing Easter Pooches

Egg-citing Easter Pooches

Bunnies, eggs, daffodils and that magic word...chocolate! That’s what Easter is all about, but don’t forget that whilst chocolate is harmless to us, it is like poison for our four legged friends.

Be sure to remind friends and family about the dangers of chocolate to your dog this Easter and ask everyone to take extra care to keep all those tempting treats out of your dog´s reach. If you are organising a kids egg hunt make sure that pooch is kept on a lead and well away from any tempting hidden chocolate eggs. Chocolate contains a substance called theobromine, which is a stimulant related to caffeine and it can cause vomiting and diarrhea, restlessness and hyperactivity, excessive thirst and increased urination, a rapid heart rate and excessive panting. If ingested in large quantities it can even be fatal. Although it takes larger dogs longer to be affected by a helping of chocolate the severity of it depends on the dogs's weight, the type of chocolate and the amount consumed. For more information about chocolate and dogs see Chocolate Toxicity - Toxic Amounts of Chocolate. We thought we would lend a paw at keeping those powerful noses in check over Easter and giving you a few ideas about other things you can do to distract your pooch from all that chocolate mania! Hide n’ seek - once you have enjoyed your human egg hunt your dog can join in the fun later on Easter Sunday, try hiding a few dog treats from him/her around the garden and let your mutt do the sniffing! Dog friendly Easter treats – Present your mutt with a rawhide easter egg treat or check out the latest doggy gadgets to distract him/her from all that egg-citement – Top ten pet gadgets. You could even get a Carob Dog Easter Egg, a healthier alternative to chocolate. If you’re feeling very generous or guilty perhaps, Holly and Lil is offering Pooch and Mutt fans 10% off its ranges of colourful and egg-travagant collars. Visit Holly and Lil and enter ‘poochandmutt’ on checkout to get your discount. Easter Fairs and dog days - If you fancy getting out for the day you can visit the Easter Fair and Dog Show at Gables Farm in Plymouth on 11th April. The Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter is also holding an Easter Fun Day on Easter Monday 13th April at their Benton Farm Shelter. The Americans never cease to amaze us with their crazy love for dogs, check out the Long Beach Pet Parade which takes place in California this Easter. Take a day trip out to Norwich and visit the Pooch & Mutt stand at the East Anglian Game & Country Fair which takes place 25 and 26th April. You can enjoy displays of Dog Docking and even meet the Horse Whisperer, Gary Witheford!

Take your dog on holiday - You don’t have to leave your dog home alone this Easter why not take your pet with you? Check out the Dogs Trust listing of dog friendly cottages. A percentage of your holiday will also go to the charity. Go to www.dogstrust-cottages.co.uk or have a look at the Mirror’s guide to taking your dog on holiday here.

What to do if your dog does swallow chocolate! - If you think your dog may have eaten a harmful amount of chocolate, call your Vet or take your dog to an emergency animal hospital immediately! Symptoms will usually begin within two hours but sometimes it could also take as long as 24 hours. Delaying treatment could be a fatal mistake. Contact the PDSA for advice or contact your local vet via Yell.com

Delaying treatment could be a fatal mistake. Contact the PDSA for advice or contact your local vet via Yell.com

There is only three days left to vote on our blog! We would like to know if the credit crunch has affected your spending on you and your dog.

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Give a dog a home

Could you help a homeless dog?

Last year a painful number of dogs were abandoned. Part of this sad fact was blamed on the sudden clawing effect of the credit crunch which has forced thousands to give up on their faithful four legged friends whilst other cold hearted pet owners claimed that their pets didn’t match their furniture!

As the British attempt to save money during the recession, their pets could even be heading straight for the pot as, shockingly, self-sufficient Britons target animal sanctuaries for food!

Fortunately for every irresponsible pet owner and petivore out there there is a handful of people prepared to take on a new furry friend. In January alone this year the Dogs Trust re-homed a record 1,384 dogs – way up on 170 last year. It seems that in spite of tough times many of us can still find the room and spare cash to give a dog a forever home.

The web has really lent a paw at helping rehome thousands of dogs all over the world. Read about Dogs Trust adoptee, Yogi the Boxer, who astonishingly found a home in Merseyside via a Twitter.

Here are some tips on where to look and, if you adopt, what to look out for in your new paw friend.

Rehoming a dog can be a tough ordeal so before you take the plunge ask yourself are you ready? Are you strong willed? And are you patient? Understanding a dog which may have had a hard past is a hard task and can often leave people shocked or disappointed. If you are not prepared to take this risk rethink.

Where to go - Check out Battersea Dogs Home and Dogs Trust Rehoming websites for updated profiles of dogs needing a new family.

Step by step - Choose a quiet time to bring your dog to its new home and introduce each family member slowly. If you already have a dog, introduce them in neutral territory like a park or field. You may want to keep both dogs on leashes at first to avoid problems with protective instinct.

Get a schedule - Dogs love routine, so make sure that you begin introducing a regular schedule for your new mutt this will help him/her get used to a new environment better. Feed, walk and play at the same times every day.

Pawly dogs - It’s easy to figure out if your dog is feeling unwell however this may be harder to notice in a new dog whose personality may still unpredictable. Although most dogs are checked and vetted before being rehomed many can bring with them common health problems such as prolonged gradual weight loss or stress induced vomiting & diarrhoea. If you notice these problems you can introduce a daily natural supplement like Bionic Biotic, which can help improve the dog’s overall condition and help boost the immune system. Take Ivy, the German Shepherd who was treated with a daily dose of Bionic Biotic in conjunction with her treatment. After a few months Ivy’s health had improved ten-fold and she now lives a healthy life. Benson is another lucky dog read here about his story.

Train, play and love - Give your dog your undivided attention, this can be hard at the best of times but it’s important to give your new friend as much love and affection as possible. This quality time is fundamental to your rapport and will help you gain more confidence in each other. Make sure you balance training and exercise with down time such as grooming and playing.

Dog Walking - Daily exercise is very important to your dog’s wellbeing. If you work during the day or don’t have extra time to walk your dog then employ a local dog walker. A tired out dog is a happy and healthy dog.

For more advice on rehoming a pet download the RSPCA’s guide online here.

It's getting towards the end of the month now, so time for our next monthly prize draw. If you haven't entered already click here.