11 Photos from Paws in the Park

For those of you who didn't manage to get to Paws in the Park this weekend here are a few photos to show you a little of what you missed:


3 Cutest Puppies

Here is a gorgeous Vizla puppy, who was in the front of me in the food queue:




Two Husky pups... If you'd like to see pups of a similar breed look at Mia & Blue, Malmutes on poochandmutt.com



And this puppy is just a huge ball of fluff!





2 Best looking cross-breeds

This is a Vizla / Spaniel cross, who looked a bit like a minature Pointer. We thing they should introduce these dogs as a new breed, like a 'labradoodle'... maybe it should be called a Spizla.



Another great looking cross-breed below. He is a Bull Mastiff crossed with a Rhodesian Ridgeback, who looked like a smaller, slender Dogue de Bordeau (AKA a French Mastiff)




4 Ways to exercise your dog

You can let your dog pull you on a scooter - like the Labradoodle below



You can let your dog pull you on a bike, like this Husky... The dog is supposed to be in front!



You can compete in agiltity like the Collie below



This is not a dog, as you may have guessed. It is a photo of a very interesting relay sport where a dog does an agility course, then the horse in it's team does a similar, but scaled up, course.




2 Photos you should get

You can get professional photos of your dog, like the ones below done by the people from www.eleganceweddingphotography.co.uk





And you can get a photo taken with a Siberian Husky (like I did), with the proceeds going to

The Siberian Husky Welfare Assocation (UK)

www.huskywelfare.org.uk

P&M’s best of the best working dogs

It’s a well known fact that our dogs give us unconditional love but it's also obvious to us that they lead a life of leisure. That’s probably why they talk about ‘a dog’s life’. Our pets only ‘job’ in life is to make us happy, however what most of us don’t appreciate is that there is a large population of hard working super pooches out there who are happy to put a full day's work into a day just like the rest of us.

Man’s best friend can be trained to carry out the most incredible working and life saving tasks most of them using their powerful noses. Some dogs are even used a therapists for autistic children and elderly people who respond well to a furry cuddle and the joyful presence of a dog.

We have looked at some examples of the most popular pooch professions and amazing stories.

The GI fido - Police dogs can be trained to carry out a variety of death defying tasks and can even be trained to charge at criminals on command. A police dog must make it through endurance and agility training. This includes rigorous tests to prove he can jump over walls, climb stairs and is fully accustomed to busy situations where there are lots of people around. A well trained police dog can also sniff out anything from firearms and pirate dvds to drugs and bombs in situations where an officer would spend hours searching and putting themselves and their team at great risk. Click here to watch this amazing police dog training video to see what some dogs can do!

The Sniffer - Without a doubt the most powerful tool a dog possesses is its nose so it comes to no surprise that ‘sniffing’ is a dog’s gifted talent. Trained sniffer dogs can work in many different fields from police dogs who help during drugs raids to customs and export search dogs who sniff out parcels and packages for anything suspicious. Springer Spaniels are one of the most recognised sniffer dogs as well as Border collies and Labradors. Dobermanns, Weimeraners and German Pointers are also used in other police work. A police force in Fife, Scotland recently recruited a new member to its team, an 18 month old cocker spaniel called Rocco who has the amazing ability to sniff out cash! The dog's super-sensitive nose is able to seek out the Euro and Sterling notes which may be linked to crime. He has also been trained to detect drugs and firearms.

The Rescuer - Dogs used in search and rescue work are trained for specific tasks. Air scenting dogs are used to search for missing walkers or climbers, even missing people. Depending upon the conditions, these dogs can pick up a scent in the air over a quarter-mile away. Tracking dogs can follow the tracks of a human by following where they went. These dogs are used to find suspects for criminal investigations and are named Mantrackers. Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service’s newest recruit is a 10 month old black Labrador called Hooky who will be helping fire fighters sniff out danger in rescue situations. Hooky is being trained to find people trapped in collapsed buildings or transport accidents and help the Urban Search and Rescue Team (USAR) with other rescue work. Read more about this amazing dog here.

The guider – These dogs are bred and trained to assist disabled owners (often blind or deaf) in everyday activities from walking them and taking them to places by foot or on public transport to picking up the phone, turning on the lights or opening doors. Every year Guide Dogs for the Blind breed over 1,000 guide dog puppies. The most widely used breed for guiding is a Labrador/retriever cross, but other breeds like the German shepherd are used. Guide Dogs also works with Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and Dogs for the Disabled to train 'dual purpose' dogs. One superstar Labrador Retriever in Hampshire helps his owner withdraw money from ATM machines and was nominated for Lifetime Achievement Award by Dogs Trust Honours 2007.

The therapist – Dogs have the magical ability to make us feel happy, in fact Pooch & Mutt’s recent studies show that 59% of people share their problems with their dogs by talking to them. National charity, Pets As Therapy provides therapeutic visits to hospitals, hospices, care homes, special needs schools by volunteers with their own friendly, temperament tested and vaccinated dogs and cats. Every week these calm friendly pets give more than 126,000 people, both young and old, the pleasure and chance to cuddle and talk to them. Therapy dogs were also used in the US during the World Trade Center tragedy in 2001. The Delta Society brought therapy dogs to the Red Cross respite centers so workers and volunteers could have a friendly (and furry!) face to help relieve some of the stress of the rescue efforts. Read more about this amazing story here. And if you want to unload your worries try talking to Drs Pooch and Mutt they are great listeners.

Do you have any amazing dog stories? Tell us about them and dont forget to enter Pooch & Mutt’s monthly prize draw.

Pooch and Mutt at Crufts: Celebrating the wonderful world of happy, healthy dogs

The theme of Crufts 2009 is happy, healthy dogs. The show takes place at the Birmingham NEC next week, 5-8 March and will showcase a central exhibit where you can gain advice from vets and experts about latest research and knowledge on dog health.

Pooch & Mutt are pleased to be present at Crufts (in hall 4, stand 80) and hope to introduce even more people to the natural way to prevent and treat common dog health problems such as diarrhea, weight loss, joint stiffness and arthritis.

The great news for anyone not able to attend the dog show of the year is that the main arena exhibits will be streamed online for the first time at cruftslive.tv

For those of you who will be showing or visiting during these four dogtastic days there will be plenty of fun and entertainment for you to get your paws into. Here are some highlights you shouldn’t miss out on.

Good boy - Over 22,000 dogs are competing for the world class title of Crufts Best In Show, the arenas will be packed with displays and competitions including the Obedience competitions organised by the Good Citizen Dog Scheme training, the UK’s largest dog training programme. Here is last year’s Best in Show: Philippe the Giant Schnauzer.

Who let the dogs out? - If you missed Discover Dogs last year, there will be a dedicated area at Crufts where you can familiarise yourself with over 200 pedigree breeds such as favourites like the German Shepherd (or Alsatian) to rarer breeds like the Portuguese Water Dog - President Obama's choice for his first presidential pooch. The adopted dog will be arriving to the White House in April.

Action dogs - Daring doggy lovers can visit the Dog Activities Ring, where you can learn how to unleash your dog’s full potential- From Working Trials, Agility, Flyball and lots more, the Kennel Club can tell you how to get started or how to become more involved.

Shopaholic caninophiles - If you just want to enjoy some straight forward retail therapy there are over 400 trade stands including Pooch and Mutt with special show offers and exciting new products for you and your furry friend!

Cream of the crop - Discover the Best In Show competitors right through to the vibrant Young Kennel Club; young dog lovers competing in their own ‘junior Crufts’. Be exhilarated by the fast paced Agility and watch in awe at the precise work of Obedience dogs.

To catch the main arena shows here is the schedule of days:
Thursday 5th March 2009 – Terrier and Hound
Friday 6th March 2009 - Toy and Utility
Saturday 7th March 2009 – Gundog
Sunday 8th March 2009 – Working and Pastoral

If you want to try your luck with our monthly draw to win a bag of Bionic Biotic enter now here!

Cesar, Emperor of dogs?

I am tucking into the first few pages of my new book, Cesar’s Way, written by none other than America’s Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan and I am pleasantly surprised at his passionate views on dog psychology and the way in which he approaches the subject of dog training.

Cesar, who is to me the dog’s answer to Oprah Winfrey, explains in his book that more often than not the root of any dog dilemma is its owner, and I must say that I agree. After all it is easier to smother your best friend with treats and cuddles than act as the dominant pack leader put your foot down on those common dog habits which creep up from time to time.

But if the US answer to dog psychology is all a bit too much for you, Bruce Fogle’s New Complete Dog Training Manual, which is also RSPCA approved, is equally as impressive. It provides a straight forward and illustrated read to give you a step by step guide in dog training using food rewards and verbal praise. Bruce also helps you cure bad habits and learn useful bonding exercises such as retrieval to keep your dog happy as well as obedient.

As I continue my quest into improving my canine companionship I learn that to create a better bond with my dog is to go beyond teaching him to sit and stay. I have learnt that reading into his behaviour and responding in the correct way to his actions is the key to a successful relationship between us.

It remains for me to say that at some point we may all encounter or have encountered a dog behaving badly, pulling on the lead, chewing our antique furniture or even excessively barking at the neighbours.

However before you decide to visit a pet shrink, here are some British alternative ways to help you avoid visiting dog borstal if the going gets tough.

• If your dog is picking up destructive behaviour around the home or is overly active try and channel that energy into something positive like a dog sport. You may discover your dog has got a hidden talent like dog agility or field tracking.
• Join a social dog club. This is a great way to socialise your dog and interact with other dog owners facing similar problems as you. You can find many meet up groups over the internet and on social networks like Facebook.
• If you don’t have time to invest in attending any training classes, give online training a go, you may find out that the answer to a happier dog is at the click of your mouse.
• If all fails then seek the tailored services of a dog listener like Stan Rawlinson. A dog behaviourist will work individually with both dog and owner to get through common dog problems.
• If you can’t help being a bookworm there are plenty more dog books out there check out Dogwise which lists other bestselling titles. Remember that its never too late to build that pawfect relationship between you and your dog.

If you have spotted any useful online tips or blogs on training your pooch then send your comments or links to us.

Dont forget to enter this month’s Pooch & Mutt prize draw