…Huh, Not Me Mate!
12 November 2007They say a photo says it all! This is the reaction I got from Daisy when I tried to get her interested in going for a walk with Ronnie.
She simply turned her back on me and ambled out the door as if to say, “You must be joking!” If she physically could have given me the finger, I’m sure she would have!
Terry Didcott
For Dogs
Dogs and Chocolate
7 November 2007Whenever I have some chocolate (which can be more often than is good for me) the dogs crowd around like all their birthdays and christmases have come at once!
That doesn’t mean to say they’re going to get any!
That’s because I’m well aware that one thing that you should never give to a dog is chocolate. You might think that just a tiny piece is ok and they seem to go crazy for it, but even a tiny piece could send your beloved friend into doggy heaven quicker than some poisons. It is NOT for dogs!
Why?
Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine and even small amounts can cause vomiting, restlessness, and seizures in dogs. Larger amounts can be fatal.
This is becausea dog’s digestive system cannot metabolise the theobromine in the chocolate. Different doses will affect different sized dogs. Also, different types of chocolate contain varying levels of theobromine. The dark chocolate used for cooking and baking contains roughly six times as much theobromine as ordinary milk chocolate.
So if your dog manages to steal some chocolate when you’re not looking, you need to get him to a vet as soon as possible as by thinking he’ll be fine may be just the kind of thinking that’ll end up getting him killed.
For reference purposes, here’s a rough guide as to the amount of chocolate that would be fatal in different sized dogs:
Between 4 and 10 oz. of milk chocolate, or only ½ to 1 oz. of baking chocolate for small dogs such as Chihuahuas, Yorkshire Terriers or Toy Poodles.
Between 1 and 1-1/2 lbs. of milk chocolate or 2 to 3 oz. of baking chocolate for medium-size dogs like Cocker Spaniels, Staffordshire Terriers and Basset Hounds.
Between 2 to 4-1/2 lbs. of milk chocolate or 4 to 8 oz. of baking chocolate for large dogs such as Collies, Retrievers and Labradors.
This is only a guide and the best rule of thumb is to never give your dog chocolate from the word go and be vigilant about leaving any chocolate around the house where he might be able to get at it.
Although specially adapted “doggy chocolate” is safe for dogs to eat, because all the theobromine has been removed, it is still best not to give them any as it creates a taste for chocolate and they will be more likely to try to steal some if it’s within their reach when you’re not looking.
So if you want to treat your dog, give him a propiety doggy chew or dog biscuit instead. You’ll be doing him a great favour and avoiding any unnecessary risk to his health or even his life.
PS: Alexa today: 867,047
The Hermit Dog!
30 October 2007Recently, our strange dog Ronnie has been hogging a lot of the limelight in this blog, so now it’s Daisy’s turn to steal some space in the For Dogs blog!
Daisy is a ten year old full pedigree Yorkshire Terrier (I might have mentioned this before) and is still as lively as ever - except in the mornings. Lately she has taken to hiding when I get up early and want to walk the two of them before breakfast while it’s nice and cool. Ronnie is his usual crazy self and can’t wait to get his lead on and get out the front door. But Daisy?
Nowhere to be seen!
I’ve caught her some mornings hiding in one of the many doggy beds dotted about the house, so I try to gee her up with the usual enthusiastic “Who wants to go for a walk?” routine, but it’s plain from the look she gives me that her answer is “Not me, mate!”
She even slinks off in a mood and goes outside through the cat flap and into her little dog house to escape an early jaunt round the deserted streets. I sometimes wonder who is the strangest of the two of them?
If I leave it for a couple of hours until the sun is well and truly up and life has returned to the streets, she’ll quite happily come for a trot around the block with Ronnie and me, so there’s nothing wrong with her physically - she really is a moody character in the early morning!
I bet if she was a person, she wouldn’t tolerate a nine to five job!
Terry Didcott
For Dogs
PS: Alexa today: 899,702
Dogs, What Are They Thinking…? #2
24 October 2007Dogs! I couldn’t help it after the last post - I had to follow with another one of these after what I’ve just seen!
Ronnie, our manic Yorkshire Terrier cross has just defied gravity with his latest stunt!
Most dogs like to have a “mad half hour”, where they run around like crazy, chasing their tails and doing all sorts of wacky stuff. Well, Ronnie just had one of his better ones.
He’s extremely agile for such a small dog and can do things most cats would struggle to copy, like jumping vertically onto the back of the sofa and landing so softly you’d barely know he’d done it if you didn’t see him in action.
Well he’s just been running around the room, then out into the hall and back through the main room like a demented banshee yipping and yapping like a mad thing, whilst Daisy (out pedigree Yorkie) sits in her bed and watches him with a look on her that says “I’m not with HIM!”
You have to appreciate the scene here.
The floors in our place are marble and pretty slippery at the best of times for little paws to gain purchase, but Ronnie manages very well. He’s funny when he starts to run as his paws slide for the first few running steps so he resembles something out of a Bugs Bunny cartoon. But when he gets up a head of steam there’s no stopping him as he charges from room to room. Every time he has to hit the brakes as he careers towards a wall, he just locks up his legs and slides, does a quick mid-air 180º turn and starts running while he’s still sliding in the opposite direction until he gets some grip with his paws and then he’s off again!
Well this last run was the best as he came charging out from the hall through the living room at full pelt straight for the double patio doors and wham! - straight through the cat-flap without even breaking his stride… onto the balcony and leaped into his little doggy house at the far end through the small hole at the front without touching the sides… and landed on the cushion inside in the curled up snoozing position!
Now that was a slick move!
Terry Didcott
For Dogs
PS: Alexa today: 946,025
Dogs, What Are They Thinking…? #1
18 October 2007Here’s something about dogs to make you think long and hard about. Or maybe not, depending on how ridiculous you think this might be!
Let’s take a light-hearted look at what might be going through the thoughts of our dogs in different circumstances. This being the first of what I’ll make into a mini series dotted through the more serious posts, I’ve chosen a subject that I think a lot of dog owners will associate with.
What are dogs thinking about when you take them for a walk?
More particularly, boy dogs who just love to pee all over the place.
Well, we probably all know that 99% of a dog’s peeing habits are down to instinctual territorial marking, ie “I’m walking down this road and… Oh, that lamppost is mine!.. That tree is mine… hey, that car wasn’t here yesterday - it’s mine now!” Well, maybe they do think that way, maybe not.
But what gets me is the antics of one scruffy little bloke who has it in him to want to get to where he’s going, wherever that might be, as fast as he possibly can. Every now and again, he has to mark his boundaries, which is normal as well actually pee for the sake of peeing!
But what goes through his chaotic little head when faced with a choice of cars to pee on?
Why does he always choose the most expensive looking one?
Or failing that, how does he know which one belongs to the guy just coming out of his house and to pee on it when the guy can see him do it?
Or if there is a choice of car owners within view of their cars, why does he pick the one that belongs to the biggest, meanest looking guy?
You have to remember that as small as he is, he can run a hellavalot faster than I can…
When the days arrives when he’s figured out how to give the doggy “finger” to the all-in wrestler who’s about to pummel his owner, then I’ll know for sure he’s not as stupid as he makes out!
Terry Didcott
For Dogs
The Yorkshire Terrier Dog
12 October 2007Following on from my last post, I decided to write about some breeds of dogs - I’ll probably stick to the popular ones and throw the odd one in every now again so as not to turn this blog into a Dog Breeds manual.
So lets kick off with my first breed post!
The Yorkshire Terrier
Yorkshire Terriers are little bundles of fun to have around the house. They seem to have boundless energy and are surprisingly tough for their small size and “handbag dog” label that they seem to have acquired rather unfairly. This is probably thanks to their being a favourite with older women who love to pamper them. I’ve seen plenty of these little rascals trotting alongside their owner who has carefully brushed their locks to perfection and tied a little bow in the top of their heads!
Ok, pets can be pampered, but a bow in the hair?
Hair being the correct word here, as Yorkies don’t have true fur like most breeds of dog, it is more like our human hair and doesn’t moult in summer. This means it’s good news for houseproud owners who don’t have to go chasing around behind them with a vacuum cleaner to pick up all the dropped fur! The downside is that the hair keeps growing so has to be cut regularly, meaning lots of trips to the doggy hair stylist - all of which goes toward the unfair image that many people have of these dogs.
In fact, they are very tough, having been originally bred to catch rats and chase rabbits out of their burrows. Once one of these dogs gets a rat in its jaws, it will shake it’s head violently until the rat’s neck is broken. They are also themselves great burrowers and once they get into their heads that they have to dig out a rodent, they will dig furiously with their front paws without stopping until they have caught their prey - even to the point where their paws will bleed and they still will not stop.
So not such prissy pets after all!
They are, however incredibly fussy eaters. What to them may be a gourmet meal one day with have their noses turned up at the next. They do like variety and generally won’t eat regular tinned dog food, at least not for very long (see my previous comment!). They are, however very partial to whatever their owners are eating: So if you have problems feeding your Yorkies, just make a little more of whatever you’re having for your meal and give them the extra! Works like a charm.
Being such small dogs, most owners don’t bother with training, but this can be a mistake and lead to unruly behaviour and narky, ill tempered little scamps when taken for a walk. Training only need be basic just to make sure your dog knows that you’re the boss and will respond to basic sit, down, stay and heel commands.
Yorkies that get it into their heads that they are the alpha (male or female) of the family pack can be unbelievably naughty. Bad behaviour can start with ripping up shoes and anything else of yours they get their teeth into, to dragging you down the road on walks (they are stronger than their diminutive size belies) and trying to attack every other dog they encounter (no matter how big and ferocious). So stamp out any such behaviour as soon as possible by using some of the techniques I wrote about in my previous posts under the mini-series entitled “Tales From The Pack”.
Yorkshire Terriers make good family pets as they are good with children and small enough that they are unlikely to hurt them even when playing boisterously, unlike some larger dogs who wouldn’t knowingly hurt a child but accidents can happen due to their sheer size.
Finally, spend time playing with your Yorkshire Terriers, as they love to be the centre of attention and will reward you with hours of entertaining play (if you let them). Enjoy them as they are great little dogs to have as pets!
Terry Didcott
For Dogs
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