Pet Insurance – Is your dog covered for life ?

Paul | blog | 14 hours ago

Did you know that Lloyds TSB & Halifax are both pulling out of the pet insurance market in the UK ?

Pet owners will now have to pay significantly more to arrange alternative cover, and in a lot of cases will not be able to get cover for existing illnesses or injuries.

Some of these owners had paid huge premiums for what they considered “Lifetime” cover, but this will now cease.

The thing is, pet insurance is an annual contract, and if you need to switch companies for one reason or another, it may be difficult to source an new pet insurance company if you have already made numerous claims.

Some policies offer the option of resetting the benefit limits each year, based on previous claims etc, so you have cover for existing conditions, but if the company decides to cease trading in the pet insurance market, you have basically paid an elevated premium for something that you may have been led to believe as lifetime cover for your pet.

These two companies are not the first in the UK to exit the stage re pet insurance, as some have already ceased offering the service after their underwriters pulled out, and if a new underwriter was found more often than not they refused to cover dogs and other pets if they had previous claims on their policy.

An independent financial research company in the UK advises that there are 86 pet insurance service providers in the UK offering over 400 different policy options.

The last few years has seen a few companies withdraw from the market, and spiralling veterinary fees has been quoted as one of the reasons.

How long will it be before insurance companies offering pet cover in Ireland, decide to bail out ?

We have Blogged about Pet insurance here before on Pedigree dogs, but I think the message to be taken from the above is that “Lifetime” cover does not guarantee cover for the life of any pet, and like all insurance make sure you read the small print in relation to policy limits and what isn’t covered, and maybe more importantly what is covered.

(“oh yes!” and Churchill above has nothing at all to do with Lloyds banking)

283 total views, 36 today

Another Crufts Competiton

Paul | blog | February 20, 2012

Pet Expo in conjunction with pedigreedogs.ie are delighted to announce we have 4 x single day tickets to give away for Crufts 2012 being held in the NEC Birmingham UK from the 08th – 11th March

In order to be in with a chance to win a ticket please answer the following questions

1: How many years will Pet Expo be running including this year’s October event* (*Details to be announced soon)

2: On the advert posted on pedigreedogs.ie on the 27-01-12 for Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen pups for sale what is the Nickname for this breed outlined on the ad ?

3: What is the title of the blog on www.pedigreedogs.ie/blog dated 09-02-12

Please email your answers to info@pedigreedogs.ie

Competition closes midnight 26-02-12

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Crufts Competition – Pedigree Dogs – Answer

Paul | blog | February 20, 2012

The Kennel Club (London) has been very kind in offering Pedigree Dogs 5 x 1 day any day tickets to this years Crufts, being held at the NEC, Birmingham from 08th to the 11th March

If you would like to be in with a chance to win the first pair, please email the answer to the following question to info@pedigreedogs.ie

Please also share this post on your Facebook page.

Closing date for this first competition is Midnight 19-02-11

Question: In what year was Sean Delmar first elected as Irish Kennel Club President.

20-02-2012

Thank you to everybody that entered the above competition. The answer was of course 2002 and the lucky winner of a pair of tickets to this year Crufts is Lisa Sweeney

For those that still would like to win some tickets to Crufts, head on over to the Pet Expo Facebook page later today for another chance to win.

235 total views, 5 today

Dog Laws & Horse Manure – Here’s the connection

Paul | blog | February 17, 2012

As people living in Ireland will already know, we are great at making up new laws, but can be found a bit wanting when it comes to actually enforcing them.

There are enough laws in place regarding responsible and general dog ownership to make your head swim.

It seems that horse ownership is heading down the same route according to this piece

This new piece of law, like most dog related ones, puts the onus on the owner to comply, the same as having to have a licence for your dog, picking up after your dog poops in a public place, not letting your dog roam freely, not to mention breed specific legislation.

With all the above laws in place, you’d think that with the amount of dogs in Ireland, and offending owners, the local authorities, who are responsible for the control of dogs, would have bank balances that are bursting at the seems.

Funny (or not) then that the dog warden service in Ireland loses about 3 Million Euro per annum.

In order to try and claw some of this back, the dog licence has increased to 20 Euro per dog, penalising, in my opinion, the people that already support and conform, instead of going after the vast majority of people that “own” dogs who laugh in the face of these laws and law makers.

I just hope that the department of Agriculture, Food and Marine has factored in additional staff to cope with the onslaught of people rushing to register their premises with the Department.

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South-East Mushing – Pedigree Dogs

Paul | blog | February 16, 2012

New group set up to facilitate the get together of people interested in running and hiking their dogs.

Open to all and about the dogs not the politics so everyone is welcome to join.

Hopefully we will all find it easier to arrange meeting up for runs and hikes etc with our dogs.

Please feel free to add members and post details of any runs or hikes you’ve planned so others can join you if available.

Click the Link to their Facebook page and request to join !

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Pet Expo 2012 & Pedigree Dogs

Paul | blog | February 15, 2012

The team here at Pedigree Dogs are delighted to announce that we have been invited and accepted the invitation, to organise the Breed Village at this years Pet Expo

This years event will be held on the 06th & 07th October, at Punchestown Event Centre

More details to follow once available, but breed representatives from last year will have first refusal regarding representing their breed / breeds at this years event which based on our recent meeting with the event organisers plans to be bigger and better than last years huge success.

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Guard Dog – Shyness or viciousness very highly undesirable

Paul | blog | February 13, 2012

As a lot of people are aware of, there has been a spate of dog thefts happening in Ireland at present, and recently two show kennels have had this heinous crime inflicted upon them.

We have Blogged about this before here at Pedigree Dogs, and let’s hope that the huge campaigns that started after these 2 show kennels were affected, result in these owners being re united with their beloved dogs.

I have also written about my particular dogs, Standard Smooth Dachshunds, where I advise that his bark is worse than his bite

We all agree that temperament is paramount when we go to breed a litter of pups, and make sure we only breed from dogs with a sound temperament. The dictionary states that temperament is a person’s or animal’s nature, especially as it permanently affects their behaviour.

Looking at the Dobermann and the Kennel Club London Breed Standard it states “Bold and alert. Shyness or viciousness very highly undesirable”

Now the Dobermann was developed by, Louis Dobermann,  a German tax collector, in the late 1860s. He needed a dog that would both protect him and ‘encourage’ slow payers,

Like most things, dogs have developed over time, and in most cases are not used for their original purpose anymore, and some of the more desirable traits at the development stage have been bred out.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that, society dictates that our dogs should have a sound or bomb proof temperament and not be shy or nervous, and not wary of strangers, but wouldn’t you sometimes wish that the traits that were bred into certain breeds were still evident today. Maybe then these scumbags that are targeting dogs as a highly profitable commodity may think twice about entering a persons home or property, with the intent to turn this loyal and faithful family companion into easy money.

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A man in a pub once told me….

Paul | blog | February 9, 2012

A man in a pub once told me “There are three different types of people in this world, the one’s that can count and the one’s that can’t”

He also told me that it’s OK to :

Breed from dogs that haven’t had the breed specific health tests

Sell pups out of the boot of a car on a by pass and never invite people to view their mother at home

Cross 2 different pedigree breeds of dogs and sell the offspring as hypoallergenic designer breeds

Breed from a bitch on her very first season and then every time she comes in heat

Leave bitches well alone at the time of whelping, as they can take care of things themselves

Sell a bitch in heat or one that is in pup, for the right money

Feed poor quality dog food and never give the dogs any exercise

Tell the prospective buyer that the pups have been wormed from 2 weeks every 2 weeks until they are ready for sale at 6 weeks old, even though they haven’t

Give vaccination certs signed by a vet, even though the vaccination was never given or the pups never seen a vet

Keep up to 15 or so different breeds, and add and switch between a few of the latest fashionable ones

Advertise them for sale on one of the general classified web sites as well socialised even though the only person they have come into contact with is him

Tell the prospective buyer that the will receive a lifetime of support, and then change your mobile number straight after the sale

Sell them as Pure Bred Non Registered or IKC registered for an extra € 200 !

I told this man he was drinking in the wrong pub, as it was called the Dog & Bull,

not the Dog & BullSh1t !!!

Needless to say I didn’t leave him my contact details here at Pedigree Dogs.ie

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Your Dog – To vaccinate or not ?

Paul | blog | February 8, 2012

Blogging about dogs can in fact be quite easy. I think that after some more adult themed searches, dogs rank well up there in the more popular topics searched for on the www so information is easy to get your hands on.

An awful lot of dog blogs pander to the masses, and are often an online advertising site for the magazine behind it. Most of these dog magazines spew out the same old stuff month in month out and year in year out. They feature the latest dog products, whether it be a new training device, set of bowls or bedding for the active dog or pampered pooch.

On a blog I wrote back in September last year, after flicking through some old editions of a popular magazine that were given to me I wrote ” I am trawling through same at the moment to see if there is any good material that I can use for the blog, and at the moment can say, that not an awful lot has changed in the 7 years since these magazines were hot off the press.”

Well, I came across a blog recently, that is the online face for a published magazine, but I can safely say that it 100% doesn’t pander to the masses.

Here is an excerpt from a recent blog:

1. 28% of vaccinated puppies still get Parvo
2. Parvo kills more vaccinated puppies than unvaccinated

So here are your choices;

1. Vaccinate him. If you do, he may possibly be less likely to suffer from Parvo. If he does get it however, he is more likely to die from it and is more likely to suffer detrimental long-term health effects.

2. Don’t vaccinate him. If you don’t, he may be more likely to get Parvo, but he is also more likely to survive it – without expensive vet bills and with less risk of long-term consequences.

The rest of the article can be found here and I would love to have your feedback re same.

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Pedigree Dogs – Featured Kennel – Hotratz Black Russian Terrier & Russian Toys

Paul | blog | February 7, 2012

Ch Hotratz Camarillo Brillo _ Annual Ch 2011

We are Stephen & Debbie Long, and we were very honoured by Paul’s invitation to introduce you to the Hotratz Kennel, home of Black Russian Terriers and Ireland’s first IKC registered Russian Toys.   We use the term “kennel” lightly as our dogs are not kennelled outside… our dogs are our friends and our family and as such we are firm believers in sharing our home and lives with them.

Being an animal lover from early childhood, with my greatest devotion being to dogs, upon leaving school I studied science and trained as a veterinary nurse.  This led me to a number of interesting jobs and experiences including working for the SPCA and involvement with a number of societies and groups related to animal health, welfare and genetics… always with my dogs by my side.  Ultimately I was very lucky and found a wife who shared my sentiments!  So for the last twenty years we have always been a multi dog household.  Over the years we’ve shared our lives with various breeds including Irish Terriers, Staffies, Yorkshire Terriers, Great Danes and a very special JRT, all of whom lived long natural lives.

Today we are fortunate enough to share our lives with two very special breeds, the Russian Toy and the Black Russian Terrier.

We discovered the Russian Toy six years ago when researching our ideal toy breed.  We wanted a healthy natural little dog with terrier personality wrapped up in a tiny body.  We couldn’t find good representatives of breed available in the UK and none in Ireland so not doing things by half did our homework, spoke to well respected breeders World wide and eventually imported our foundation Russian Toys from Russia, Belarus and Lithuania.  While we were involved in showing intermittently over the years the arrival of our first RTs spurred us on to register our affix “HotRatz” with the Irish Kennel Club and FCI and formalise our involvement in Dogdom.

Over a period of 18 months we suffered the sad loss of our two Great Danes aged 11 and 12.  Our home seemed empty without our larger than life girls, but with that dark cloud came the silver lining of welcoming into our home a breed that I fell in love with over a decade before and had never forgotten… the Black Russian Terrier, a breed that I will never be without.  Our first BRT came from the “Kalaslane” kennel here in Ireland sired by their now breed record breaking multi-BIS winning Tsar.  Our second BRT “Franz Josef “ came from Austria’s “Of Berryland” Kennel, record breakers in their own right with outstanding health results being the only BRT kennel recorded in which every litter is HUU clear.

In the last year we have had great fun and success on the show circuit; the highlights being our BRT boy becoming a Junior Champion within a matter of months of arriving in Ireland, and our very special home bred Russian Toy “Hotratz Camarillo Brillo” becoming an Irish Champion and being awarded the title of annual Champion 2011.   We breed occasionally, and given both breeds are still in relative infancy outside Russia we feel a moral duty to only produce future generations whose health, temperaments and type make them good ambassadors.  We are very careful about vetting any prospective owners and while we feel our breeds are the perfect dogs great and small, they are not for everyone.  For the future happiness of our puppies and their would-be owners we always welcome questions, and are happy to share the pros AND cons of these very special breeds.More information can be found on our BRT Web site and our Russian Toy web site

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Dog – Free to a Good Home

Paul | blog | February 6, 2012

Our house was broken into last night by two robbers who locked me in the bathroom, and proceeded to steal all they could carry.

Our watchdog ‘Killer’ did not alert us at all, and for this reason we are giving him away.

We no longer want this dog. We’ve decided on installing an electric fence and detection devices with alarms.

They’re cheaper to maintain and definitely more reliable. For those interested in adopting the dog please send an e-mail immediately.

‘Killer’ is fun to hang out with.

A recent photo of ‘Killer’ is included below:

Continue reading »

267 total views, 7 today

Crufts – The Canine Academy Awards

Paul | blog | February 2, 2012

February is the month for the Academy Awards.

It is also the month for the first Golden Collar awards for Best Dog in a Theatrical Film, which follows on of course from the Palm Dog which happens at the Cannes Film Festival each year, and this week Film4 are showcasing films directed by people they see as the top in their industry.

In film making it seems that you can have a fantastic cast, great screen play & huge budget, but if you don’t get the right director on board, you can kiss goodbye to box office success and any chance of walking away with a golden statue.

It’s much the same in the world of dogs, and dog training, because if we relate the above to a more familiar topic to most of us, responsible dog ownership, then without the right owner, you can kiss goodbye to a well socialised, dog and human friendly canine companion, and any chance of coming away with red ribbons or a good citizen dog award.

As Caroline Kisko from The Kennel Club states – “Any dog can behave aggressively if not trained or socialised correctly or responsibly, just as any dog can be a wonderfully calm and loving pet if trained and socialised in the proper way”

Next month the Canine world has it’s Academy Awards in the form of Crufts which takes place from the 8th  – 11th March 2012 at the NEC, Birmingham

If you feel like brushing up on your directional skills why not swing by, and see dogs compete in areas such as confirmation shows, agility, obedience, flyball, heelwork to music, and The Kennel Clubs good citizen dog award.

Then call on over to the Discover Dogs section, where you can come face to face with over 200 breeds, and find out all the breed specific information you could possibly want to know from some of the top people in their breeds in the UK and further afield.

Feel free to don the tuxedo or evening gown, but my advice, wear comfortable shoes, purchase your tickets in advance , and then with your Free Crufts showguide Digital Edition, plan your day well in advance

Who knows, maybe after this years visit, next year it might even be you stepping out on the green carpet !

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Dog owners being hounded out of rental market.

Paul | blog | January 31, 2012

We have blogged many times here at Pedigree dogs, that when you commit to owning a dog, you are making a life long commitment to the dog, which could last up to 20 years.

A regular question used by job interviewers is,”Where do you see yourself in 10 years time” and maybe this is a question that people who breed dogs should add to the List of questions they ask potential puppy owners, and one that the potential puppy owner should have asked and answered themselves before contacting you.

As the recession that is biting hard right across Europe, tightens it’s grip, more dogs or “household pets” are being offered for sale or surrendered to the pounds due to a change in the families income / circumstances.

People are having to walk away from family homes and move into rented accommodation, a lot of which do not take dogs or animals, or don’t have a suitable garden etc.

It seems that if you are looking for a rented property and the owner of a dog you are looked upon as a social pariah, and landlords that are willing to accept dogs or pets are rarer than hens teeth.

For us humans a character reference from a previous landlord or employer will normally suffice in alleviating any doubts the prospective landlord may have about you, but it’s not that easy for our dogs. Some people suggest that producing evidence that you and your dog have attended dog training classes or your dog has passed the Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme or The Puppy Foundation Award may stand in your favour, and that owners of unfurnished houses are more open to letting to a dog owner than others.

Small dogs are also looked upon more favourably than large dogs, don’t ask me why, as both are as capable of staining an expensive carpet or tearing up a comfortable sofa,  which can also be achieved by renting to careless teenagers or drunken adults.

Some insurance polices can cover / protect you against any damage that may be caused by your dog whilst renting, and this may or may not be a good thing to point out to a landlord when searching for a property for you and your dog.

So the message is, the house where you are planning to bring your little fur bundle home to may not always be the place where you both reside, and based on the above, you both could end up living in the dog house if you haven’t planned ahead for both your futures.

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Pedigree dogs – 2 years old today

Paul | blog | January 29, 2012

Can you believe it ? Pedigreedogs.ie is 2 years old today !

We launched the site on the 29-01-10 and are still here to tell the tale (Tail)

I’d like to thank every single one of you for dropping by, but it would be our third birthday before I’d get that finished

Special thanks to the regular visitors (you know who you are)

Stay tuned for some site improvements in the next month or two, and remember if you have any interesting articles relating to your dog / breed or details regarding the breed club you may be a member of, we would be delighted to receive same.

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Smells of Pups – an aerosol enhancer

Paul | blog | January 26, 2012

Is there anything as nice as the smell of a puppy or puppy breath ?

The reason I mention this is that yesterday I came across a product called “Smell of Books” which is an aerosol e-book enhancer.

Technology is advancing everyday, and more an more people are switching over to reading their books on electronic devices, such as the Kindle / iPad or smartphone. As you know when we come across a good dog book here at pedigreedogs.ie we feel compelled to share our experience with our dog loving community. All of these have been devoured in the old fashioned way

One of the gripes that people have with this new medium is, that although these devices save on paper, are lighter to carry, and you can carry your library around on your person, there is nothing like the smell of a book. Whether it is a new book smell or musty smell, these new devices at present just can’t cut it. Hence the development of “Smell of Books” an aerosol e-book enhancer. (It’s not a joke..Go on..Google it.)

Now I am quite happy with the way our four dogs smell at the moment, but along with all the real reasons for breeding a litter of pups ,there is nothing that compares to the smell of young puppies, and dare I say it puppy breath.

Maybe there is a market out there for “Smells of Pups” an aerosol enhancer that can be sprayed in your house or as a deodorant for your dog, that helps you transport yourself back to when you first laid eyes on your four legged friend for life.

“Smells of Pups” ® A sub division of Pedigreedogs.ie is currently taking bookings for Crufts and Celtic Winners 2013 !

179 total views, 5 today

Paris Hilton to decide fate of Otterhound

Paul | blog | January 25, 2012

I came across the following statement on a dog blog today -

“we, dog owners, decide on the dogs that are popular and we do it for a whole range of different reasons”

It was in response to the Kennel Club (London) trying to highlight the plight of certain British pedigree dogs in regards to dwindling registrations in these breeds, to the point where if nothing is done about it, soon these breeds will be no longer.

The author of the above statement thinks that it should be up to Joe Public to decide on what breeds survive and which ones don’t. S/he thinks that these endangered breeds are in this predicament due to their own fault – basically they are not appealing enough to today’s potential dog owner.

If Joe Public is to decide on what breeds of dogs survive and which ones don’t then I hope that they have been in receipt of a standard education, and can write by hand, in plain English / their first language, and maybe even spell the breeds of dogs they are interested in.

You see, if we left it to the people that go for so called designer breeds to decide on the fate of the Dandie Dinmont Terrier or Otterhound, these breeds wouldn’t have a chance. These same people would have no problem shelling out over 1000 euro or sterling for a dog of mixed parentage, not having a clue as to the real requirements of both breeds, or where the pup came from, temperament of both parents or the conditions it was raised in. All this just because a Hollywood star or A list celebrity was spotted with one peeking it’s head out of a designer handbag, and is now splashed across some glossy magazine cover.

People that make a breed choice based on the above surely should have no input into the future of the breeds the Kennel Club are trying to highlight, or any breed for that matter, as the lack of proper education that they clearly show by making these designer breeds popular should send alarm bells to anybody with half a brain, and that maybe the Kennel Club are worth listening to. They were after all founded in 1873, so you’d think they would have a bit more to go on when it comes to dogs than the majority of Joe Public !

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Chinese Dragon means rough year for the dog.

Paul | blog | January 23, 2012

Happy Chinese New Year, and welcome to the auspicious year of the Dragon! or in other words 恭禧發財

There are 12 Chinese year-based horoscopes, starting with the Rat and continuing through the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and finally the Pig

Now I was born in the year of the Dog, and according to one Chinese astrologer, the Dragon always means a rough year for the Dog.

However with his nose to the ground, the Dog can get a lot out of 2012. This same astrologer also predicts the Dog will discover who his real friends are, and he recommends that the Dog stand up to challenges in his career. Although the Dog may suffer anxiety this year, he will make it through with meditation and thrift,

I wonder what this astrologer would predict for the thousands of dogs in Ireland, that through no fault of their own are going to be dumped, surrendered, or just generally mistreated, as the recession that has taken a grip of this country gets worse, with the family dog usually the first to suffer.

Let’s hope that if they too keep their noses to the ground they can get a lot out of this year, and discover who their real friends are, and even if the year started out with anxiety in their lives that they not only make it through this year, but have plenty more happy years in the future, Dragon or no Dragon !

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Dogs love Postmen’s legs

Paul | blog | January 19, 2012

My Brother is a postman, and has had his fair run in with a lot of unruly dogs, but more so with the dogs owners over the years.

Like me, my brother was brought up around dogs all his life, and can tell the difference between a dog that just wants to interact, and one that wants to cause harm. In the case of the latter, he refuses to deliver the post, and leaves it at a designated collection point.

Based on the lack or reminder letters that he has to deliver to the residents regarding dogs license renewal, the majority of houses he calls to with dogs, don’t actually have licences.

Wouldn’t you think that An Post who issue dog licences in Ireland, would ask their staff that are delivering post to all the private residents in Ireland, to conduct a census on their route as to the households that have dogs, and then cross reference this against their database ?

Anyway in the UK the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) are currently looking into a loophole in the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act

They are planning to amend dangerous dog legislation to make it an offence for pet owners who fail to control their animals within their house or garden.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) estimates that over 5500 of it’s members are attacked each year, and current laws leave their members vulnerable when visiting houses where so called dangerous dogs are kept.

Under the amendment Local councils will be able to issue a kind of ‘DOGBO’ on a Dog – an animal version of an ASBO. This could result in the offending owner having to muzzle the dog when it is not in the house, including the garden.

Tackling the problem of irresponsible dog ownership is high on DEFRA’s list.

Just as well, as we all know that it’s very seldom the dogs fault when it comes to biting / attacking us humans, but the irresponsible dog owner that has either trained the dog to react in this way, or through lack of socialisation and training turned the dog into a dangerous menace that can impede on the vital services that ambulance / police personnel provide, and stop then from gaining entry to a premises.

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Dogs – We owe them their life !

Paul | blog | January 18, 2012

Today marks the first anniversary of Ir Ch Doppelganger Joe Day

We blogged about Dempsey the following day after his premature departure from this life

When us humans experience or hear something that shocks us, like the untimely death of a person close to us etc, we always say that we will learn from it and change our ways and start to really live our lives, as life really is too short, but we all end back in our rut three or four weeks after the event, and continue as if nothing happened.

Dempsey was only 8 years old, which is far too young for a dog of his breed, and I have Dempsey to thank for opening my eyes to an awful lot of what really goes into keeping a fit and healthy dog.

We have posted blogs on the site since, dealing with new and not so new information on over vaccinating our dogs, and choosing the right diets, to ensure that we meet our dogs requirements 100%

Our dogs should mean so much to us, as they offer unconditional love and many other things, in return for very little, and when we take on a new puppy we are taking on a life long commitment to this pup, to ensure that we cater for this very little all the time.

My advice ? Spoil them a little as like all of our loved one’s you never know when they are going to be taken from you.

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