Is your Dog Crazy ?

Paul | blog | January 3, 2012

Firstly, let me start by wishing everybody a happy and healthy 2012, and let’s hope that we and our dogs get all we wish for this year.

I am sure we are all sick of over eating and being stuck in front of the TV over the holiday, and it’s time to get right back out there, and shake the cobwebs off.

Having said that there were some good films on TV, and it amazes me the amount of dogs that are used in the making of these films, mostly portrayed as man’s best friend.

One film I watched, and really enjoyed, wasn’t about a Dog but a Beaver, starring Mel Gibson, and titled, no prizes for guessing this one…..The Beaver

In this film the main character is suffering from a breakdown, states that “Crazy is pretending to be happy”  and if this is the case, then I suppose we are all a little bit crazy.

That’s one thing then that our dogs can never be called, as they never pretend to be anything but themselves. The human equivalent would be the not too common person that speaks their mind, stands on their own two feet, doesn’t go along with the crowd and stands up for the values they uphold.

You often hear people say that such and such a dog is crazy, but most of us know that in fact it’s the person on the other end of the lead that is responsible for any one dogs actions through lack of socialisation, training, correct diet, and not fulfilling the dogs needs by way of exercise requirements for the breed.

Maybe one of our New Years Resolutions should be to become more like our dogs, as pretending to be anything different from who you really are, surely is Crazy !

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Dogs, your Vet & The Demon Drink !

John | blog | December 19, 2011

Just a reminder at this time of the year before it gets too crazy, check with your veterinary practice re opening times and emergency numbers.

Like most Bank Holiday week ends, your Vet may rotate emergency cover with some other practices in the area, so check out where these are now, so you are sure where you have to go should the need arise

The Christmas holiday can be a very busy time for Vet’s so please try and keep your Dog away from festive plants Christmas trees and decorations,  presents, batteries, etc.

Keep your pets safe, and though it may sound obvious, never allow them alcohol….

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Pugs – A very versatile breed !

Paul | blog | October 14, 2011

Now I’m sure PJ Collins and his daughter Adrienne advised the massive amount of visitors to the Pug breed stand at last week ends Pet Expo, that Pugs are a very versatile breed, but I’m sure they would even be impressed by the current Citroen TV ad shown below (In French, couldn’t find the English version on Youtube)

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Dog registrations down 5% – Kennel Club London

Paul | blog | May 5, 2011

The Kennel Club notes the 5% drop in registration figures for the first quarter of 2011 as compared to 2010, but is not surprised by it.

“As we have always warned that the difficult economic climate and the unpredictability which the economy is causing for many people on both a business and personal level, was bound to make serious breeders think twice about breeding litters.”

The difficult economic climate was bound to make serious breeders think twice about breeding litters.

My blog on the 08th of Feb was also about this topic, where I stated that if “it were a case that less dogs were being bred in Ireland, I’m sure we would all agree that this was a good thing, but I’m not so sure”

Is it a case now where a responsible dog breeder will only breed, if they have a large waiting list and then some, for the resulting pups ?

People will always say, why buy a dog when the rescue centres are full to overflow as a result of the economic crisis?

Found on the Why Advertise section of Pedigree dogs website we advise people that if they are not buying a registered pedigree dog, then rescue a dog from their local shelter.

Pure bred registered dogs, bred from health tested parents from a responsible breeder, will give, IMO the new owner a better chance of succeeding with a dog than any other circumstance

This responsible breeder will carry out home visits with potential new owners, and will also get them to sign a contract, where one of the points would be, that for any reason the new owner is unable to take care of the dog any longer, they should contact the breeder, so that a suitable home can be found.

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Dogs and The Internet / WWW

Paul | blog | April 25, 2011

When the Internet was first launched back in 1969 and then the world wide web in 1990, I’m sure Tim Beners Lee (pictured left) whom is credited with the invention of the latter, didn’t have what the www has become in mind.

I think it was around the time that he was being knighted by the Queen that he said he was of course very proud of his achievement, but not of what it was being used for in current times.

I have talked about the above title a few times since we started this blog over a year ago, and after spending a fair bit of time at my laptop over the W/E thought it would make for another good blog post for today.

The reason I was at my machine was that there were 2 big events in the Irish Dog Show Calendar being held over this Easter week end.

The first being the Combined Canine Club International Dog Show held at the IKC National Show Centre in Cloughran Dublin, and as is usual these days the video of the BIS showdown was up on the social networks within 24 hours. The second event the Pup Of The Year final, was held last night, and the results were nearly instantly available, a fact that a lot of enthusiasts were very welcome for, not being able to attend the event in person.

This is the internet / www being used in a positive way in the hobby of showing dogs in Ireland. I’m sure Tim Beners Lee would have no problem with this.

However, the same tools are being used in a far from positive way, with the welfare of dogs being the loser, when it’s used in this way.

I am of course referring to certain advertisements on the general classified web sites, where bitches that have been recently mated are being offered for sale.

This has of course caused an uproar by the dog loving people of this country, some of whom are constantly trawling these sites,and bringing ads like these to the attention of the wider audience.

When enough huff and puff has been caused / created the owners of these sites then decide to take down these ads.

It’s an area that has been in the spotlight over the last few weeks on the social networks, and has even come to the attention of Sean Delmar the President of the Irish Kennel Club.

The question is though, what can be done ?

I must say I am delighted with the response to my invite re the Pet Expo Breed Village being held on the 08th and 09th of October in the RDS. This as I have said before is a perfect opportunity to promote responsible dog ownership, promote the positive attributes of your breed, and educate the captive audience re things such as breed specific health tests / screening.

I think the task of stopping people from carrying out unbelievable acts, like selling a bitch in pup etc, will be extremely difficult, although if they don’t have a platform to advertise, they may think twice before creating this situation, but our most powerful tool is educating potential owners, as to what is considered by any decent human being, as being acceptable or not.

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Crufts 2012 needs new sponsor

Paul | blog | April 22, 2011

As I blogged about during and after Crufts 2011, the coverage by More4 at this years event was superb

The records show that in total, almost 2.5 million viewers tuned in to watch, and the figures were almost 50 per cent up on 2010

DFS the sponsor for the last two years are bowing out, after a mutual beneficial working relationship with The Kennel Club (London) and the door is now left open for brands and businesses to take up the invitation from the KC to sponsor next years show.

Figures show that a total of 22 per cent of households have a dog, with more with 40 per cent saying that their dog is their best friend, so it is no surprise that Crufts strikes such a chord with the general public.

It’s one of the annual events that families look forward to watching each year on the TV

As I mentioned here on the 14-03-11 I was personally delighted with the amount of times that Pedigree Dogs was mentioned at this years Crufts by Frank Kane (BIS Judge for Crufts 2012) and the other panellists…..if only I could get them to add the .ie at the end !!

Anyway, I’m off now to send in my submission…Crufts 2012 sponsored by Pedigreeedogs.ie…Has a nice ring to it !

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Dogs on Film

Paul | blog | April 6, 2011

I went to the cinema the other day and in the front row was an old man and with him was his dog. It was a sad funny kind of film, you know the type. In the sad part, the dog cried his eyes out, and in the funny part, the dog laughed its head off. This happened all the way through the film. After the film had ended, I decided to go and speak to the man.

“That’s the most amazing thing I’ve seen,” I said. “That dog really seemed to enjoy the film.”

The man turned to me and said, “Yeah, it is, because he hated the book.”

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Fermoy Signs & Abi Titmuss

Paul | blog | March 31, 2011

We have added a new link under the useful links heading on pedigreedogs.ie

It’s for a local company called Fermoy Signs, who carry a large range of Pet ID tags including the popular Designer Pet ID Tags.

William the owner advised me that they will have an add in next months K9 Magazine, when they are having a celebrity interview features with Abi Titmuss and her rescue dog Danny, & they are planning on using one of Williams Tags on Danny.

Let’s hope that brings them lot’s of new business

Check out the site on www.fermoysigns.com

If you would like to exchange links with us, please send an email to info@pedigreedogs.ie

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Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really

Paul | blog | March 28, 2011

I read an article last week in relation to a 15 year old Jack Russell Terrier that is blind, deaf, and diabetic

In the article by Cindy Bruckart the owner, she said that they have to carry him out to the garden to pee, and compared him to his early days when toilet training and therefore called him a 15 year old puppy.

One of paragraph’s reads as follows – We sometimes feel frustrated by the amount of time it takes.  We then feel very guilty for feeling frustrated!  We have argued about who is doing more of the work and who needs a break.  Travel plans have been difficult, delayed or simply cancelled because it’s too hard to arrange for alternative care.  We’ve secretly wished that it would come to an end and hated ourselves for it.

On most days, however, we are simply grateful to have another day with our beloved little dog.

We have a very good friend in West Cork who has an 18 year old Jack Russell Terrier, who at 15 years old had her front left leg amputated, and is still going strong.

Tilly, grew up with all the children, and has been a constant in that household since she arrived, and is still battling on

I think that sums up what dog ownership is like, as Dogs don’t live as long as us unfortunately, but they make such a huge impact on our lives

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Dogs & Heaven on Earth

Paul | blog | March 23, 2011

Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring — it was peace.

I came across this statement the other day, and I can definitely relate to what the author is saying.

We are lucky enough to get to walk our dogs on some of west corks finest dog friendly beaches on a regular basis. During the colder months, these beaches can some times be deserted, and we let our dogs run free. Time spent on the beach with our four legged friends can be up to two and a half hours. During this time, at some point, we will sit in a secluded spot far away from the noise of traffic etc, and watch our dogs do what dogs do.

I’m not sure what heaven is, but this is my idea of it.

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Doggie Style (In Amsterdam)

Paul | blog | March 21, 2011

No,No,No, it’s not what you are thinking…

As regular visitors to the site may have noticed, a few days went by without a blog being posted..

Josephine, my better half, celebrated a significant birthday on Saturday, so we took off to Amsterdam to celebrate same.

We stayed at a fantastic Bed & Breakfast, owned and operated by Peter Boogaard www.boogaardsbnb.com

Peter is a Doggie Fanatic, and you will be met at the breakfast table by Pépe & Curly two beautiful Jack Russell Terriers, as well as other guests of the 2 legged kind.

We stayed in the Jack Room, but there are other’s named Pug etc.

If you are a planning a trip to Amsterdam (Highly recommended) maybe for the winners dog show held each year, I would highly recommend staying with Peter, Tomasz and the dogs.

And normal service will resume re the blog tomorrow.

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Hair of the dog that bit me

Joe | blog | December 10, 2010

Following on from yesterday’s blog…and the Christmas party scene is well under way…

I’m sure that a lot of people will wake up with the hangover of all hangovers.

There are plenty of remedies to soothe the same on offer, some home made and some off the shelf or over the counter..

Maybe we should take a leaf out of our ancestors book and try the “Hair of the dog that bit me”

Fighting a hangover by drinking “the hair of the dog that bit you” may have originated in an ancient belief that ingesting the hair of a dog that literally bit you could guard against infection.

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