Your Dog November 2023

Your Dog Magazine brings you a trio of heart-warming real-life stories this month. For starters there’s Lydia Ruffle (see page 16), the little girl who first dreamed of getting her own puppy when she was just five years old. Now aged 11, Lydia and her family recall her determination and commitment to realising that dream, how she achieved it, and overcame lots of challenges in the process. It’s an inspiring read, particularly when you consider that Lydia was only eight years old when she set about reaching her goal. Agility competitors Susannah Chalmers, who suffers from spinal stenosis and arthritis, and her Papillon Arran, recently returned from the ParAgility World Championships in the Netherlands with two individual bronze medals and the individual overall reserve world champion title. Having heard good…

CANINE CRUELTY ON THE RISE, SAY SHOCKING STATS Heartbreaking RSPCA figures reveal cruelty to dogs has increased for the second year running, with one dog being abused EVERY HOUR. In 2020, the animal charity received 7,691 reports about intentional harm to dogs, rising to 8,176 in 2021 and reaching 9,776 in 2022 — a rise of 27 per cent in just three years. These statistics include dogs who were poisoned, beaten, mutilated, or killed. When neglect and abandonments are factored in, the overall number of reports increased by seven per cent, from 39,797 in 2021 to 42,690 last year. The RSPCA has released these figures as part of its ‘Cancel Out Cruelty’ campaign, in a bid to raise funds to help dogs like Terry (pictured). He was left with life-threatening…

• Milton Keynes University Hospital has become the first in the country to allow a trained assistance dog into a labour ward. Two-year-old Staffie, Belle, supported owner Amee Tompkins, who has autism and anxiety, in the ambulance, intensive care, and during the birth of her son, Olly. • ‘Wolfdog’ Chinook was rescued from a 600ft cliff edge near the summit of Am Bodach in the Scottish Highlands by the seven-strong Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team, who located her via her GPS tracking collar. • Canine Cottages has teamed up with behaviourist Joe Nutkins to show dogs can form emotional connections with each other. A cutting-edge PetPace heart rate monitor collar revealed an increase of up to +69 beats per minute when dogs met their favourite furry friend. • Aberdeenshire libraries are…

“Talk to the paw coz the dog ain’t listening” — how many times do you see other dogs (and sometimes your own) ‘saying’ this when out on a walk? Here are 10 ways in which you can improve your communication. 1 Avoid wittering on. There’s a difference between chatting to your dog (which all of us do quite harmlessly and which most dogs enjoy) and producing a constant barrage of irrelevant noise. While you can’t communicate using ears, noses, coat, and tails, you can share body language. Dogs feel much more confident about this than they do about human chatter, where the same sounds can mean several different things or sometimes nothing at all that requires a response. A change of tone when giving a command is much more likely…

I am not a natural runner but I do run with my dogs. In fact, I love running with them and will happily cover several kilometres with my little spaniel team. It keeps me sane and reasonably fit, and the opportunity to run is something my dogs benefit from too — they also love it and get super excited when all the kit comes out. Are we fast? No, and you don’t need to be. My dogs definitely could be much faster but they are slightly hampered by their handler and her less than perfect knees. But we run as a team, and it is a great addition to our activity portfolio. Do we run for fun? Yes — we have even taken part in races — not to compete…

• Advice typically suggests not starting to run seriously until your dog is fully physically grown and matured. For most dogs, this is around a year to 18 months of age, although you can start doing short, straight runs, teaching essential cues and all about wearing the equipment earlier. • Start slowly and gradually build up your distance and speed. This is important for the health and welfare of you and your dog. Don’t be afraid to intersperse walking and hiking with little runs. • If you or your dog have had any health issues, check with your doctor and vet first before starting a new running routine. • Running with your dog on roads and pavements isn’t ideal and certainly not for prolonged periods as it can be bad…