Terror Tour!

Woof!

Last night I had a fantastic night out trekking the streets of the East End of London on the trail of Jack the Ripper! How scared does Igaboo look?! It was very, very dark in some of the lanes, so it was hard to get a picture of me during it, but couldn't resist shaming my owner with her look of terror!

It was a walking tour around all the streets of Whitechapel exploring all the locations the Ripper struck and did his nasty things, we learnt all about the theories of who it could of been and about the lives of the victims. There were a few spooky places for me to investigate and I had a good sniff and snuff to see if I could crack the case myself, I even had a bark at a few shadows just in case the Ripper was still lurking there! The tour lasted about 2 hours and was all walking so not only was it interesting, it also gave me some good exercise, until it got too cold and Igaboo snuck me under her coat and scarf and then we stopped off at a nice warm coffee shop and her friend, Spencer, gave me some yummy whipped cream and warm milk whilst all the staff there gave me many much attention! Igaboo weren't that impressed with what I was drinking but couldn't stop laughing when I re-emerged from my treat with a face full of cream and attacked Spencer with puppy kisses!

All in all it was an awesome night out for this pup! It's good to explore new places and interact with new people, and I love riding the tube! It's all important stuff for building up my confidence and making me a sociable pup, I just love all the attention I get when I'm out, everyone thinks I'm soooo cute! Although I didn't crack the case and don't know who Jack the Ripper was, I still had a lot of fun and enjoyed trying to solve the case, dogs aren't normally allowed on the tour but they made an exception for me, so if you fancy going on one yourself with your pooch make sure they can go first.

Anywho, I'm off to do some more investigating now, see where that smell of sausages is coming from... must probe Igaboo on this matter! Elementary my dears!

Puppy Kisses and Love

Dexy Do Dah Dog

x x x

Puppy Farms

Woof!

Hello, no story about me today, instead I'm having a nose about the growing concern of puppy farms. These are horrible places where poor mummy dogs are kept in disgusting conditions and forced to bear litter after litter of puppies to supply to people, and more worrying, a large majority of pet shops. The Welsh government has announced plans to revise the Breeding of Dogs Act of 1973 to ensure all breeders in Wales are responsible, and more importantly that the dogs and puppies in their care are treated fairly and humanely, this is fantastic news due to a large proportion of puppy farming taking place in Wales.

A puppy farm is one of the worse places a dog could be in, most are dirty, damp, and also provide no outside living space, some farms have even been found to keep the poor animals in complete darkness all day and night long. Due to living conditions in these vile places disease and infection is rife, puppies are forced to live in cramped conditions, normally in small concrete cells, they live, sleep, and eat around their own filth as they have nowhere to escape it, this of course causes illness and many pups may not even survive their time there. Sadly, many puppies do die whilst in these horrid conditions, and if that wasn't awful enough, the lonely little bodies are normally left in the cells, that's right, not only do other pups have to deal with the filth, but they also have to comprehend the lost of siblings and live with their dead bodies in the tiny cages.

The puppies born into a farm really do not have much chance of a happy life, if one is lucky enough not to die or get very poorly from the conditions it's more than likely they will have psychological issues. This could range from severe aggression to complete fearfulness because the puppies are not use to the real world and have trust issues with humans as they have been treated so badly. Many farmed puppies also have underlying genetic health problems as the importance to ensure healthy breeding from the parentage is lacked and many genetic problems occur due to this. Some farms have been found to have over 150 animals on the premises, and once a mummy dog can't have any more pups they are usually abandoned or even worse, killed by the breeders, and that is not always done by putting them to sleep, I'll let you imagine the worse the breeders could do to kill a dog they don't want any more.

The most tragic thing of puppy farming is that it is not illegal. Anyone can start one up, and with clever administration run one of these evil places. Hopefully the Welsh assembly will pass the new legislation that would govern all breeders in Wales to register, have their dogs microchipped and also to have no one person in charge of more than 20 dogs. These are only small steps of course, but it's a start. It should announced in the next few days if their plans are going ahead, and if successful will be in practice by March next year.

Hopefully this has explained a bit about the horrors of puppy farming, and one day I'd like to see it banned completely, no pup should live like that and it makes me feel very lucky to have the life I have. Things we can all do to help it along is to not buy from these breeders or pet shops, if you want a puppy find a small breeder or rescue centre, if buying from a breeder always see the mummy dog with her puppies, and if possible their daddy dog too, also check the Kennel Club to ensure that if you're buying a pedigree then that is what you are getting. I've added a link to this blog biscuit to the Puppy Love Campaign who are a charity fighting the puppy farms, it has a lot of information and news on the subject, it also includes leaflets and posters for you to pass around to others to spread the word of this heinous world of puppy farming. As their campaign motto says- We have a choice, they don't.

Puppy Love and Kisses

Dexy Do Dah Dog

x x x

Puppy Love Campaign- http://www.puppylovecampaigns.org/

Please help in anyway you can, thank you :)

Dexy Does... Walkies!

Woof!

Hello! Sorry it's been so long, been a busy pup! So I return with a new Dexy Does.. all about the art of walkies. Igaboo, my owner, was very silly when she first got me and thought as a dog I would naturally walk happily on a lead, well, she learnt that's not true, walking your pooch is a skill you need to teach us pups, and the key to happy walkies is the key to good exercise and stimulus for me.

The first thing you need to consider is the lead, I have a puppy lead and collar, but there are many varieties of leads out there and also harnesses; which can be better with larger breeds. Make sure the lead is safe and secure and wont snap, and also is not too long that your furry friend can get away from you at a distance. When placing a collar on, ensure there is a gap between my neck and collar, about enough to put a couple of fingers between. A great idea to get me use to my new collar is to make me wear it all day around the house, once I'm use to it, you can leave it off.

The important thing to consider with walking your do is the pack mentality we have. It's all about being alpha, so is that you or is that your dog? To provide you with the status of top dog, you need to lead the walk, so start off right by leaving the house first and letting your dog follow you out. By letting a dog lead you in any capacity will lead the lil pup to think they are the alpha to your beta and try and take over your pleasant walk. The pack mentality will compel me to explore the area and also look out for danger, and the more I feel that I am the alpha the more tense and anxious I will be to ensure I am keeping you safe, and ergo, not enjoying of benefiting from my walk.

When out walking, choose a trick word to get me walk, my word is 'come', say it in a pleasant voice and spur me on, never drag me if I don't walk at first because this will only cause me to resent or fear walkies. Keep the length of the lead so I can heel to your ankles, like I said before, I should not be leading the walk because then I will be too preoccupied to benefit, keep talking to me and try not to stop too often, I may be naughty and try and jump at you and wrangle your legs with my lead, but persevere with discipline and verbal cues, and eventually you'll have a pup walking along happily alongside you.

Spatial awareness is very important to consider when out walking your pup, you must look out for hazards and potential dangers for my safety. The big one is roads, train me to stop at all roads, regardless of traffic conditions, and one thing my owner has taught me is when we are crossing a road she uses the word 'quick' to make me walk faster over it whilst picking up her own pace. Also be aware of other dogs being present when out on an adventure, most dogs you will meet will be friendly, but it is important to make sure first. Beware cyclists on paths (very dangerous if you ask me!) and also children, as their behaviour can be scary or exciting. Another thing to be alert to is litter on the streets, I have had many great finds removed from me as some things I find on the street are dangerous to me, so be vigilant to what your pup picks up along the way!

Walkies are an essential contribution to your poochy's health, it provides excellent exercise to keep me fit and all my joints get a good workout, it also provides mental stimulation that I may not receive whilst at home, it's a great way of interacting me with other people and dogs so I'm a nice sociable pup and best of all it provides a real good bonding experience between us. My owner loves going for walks with me and we walk about 3 miles everyday at least! I was a nightmare to walk first and it was frustrating but now I am a happy pup that skips along with my owner and love going on my many adventures with her!

Hope that helps with walkies! On my next Dexy Does... I shall be looking at the art of training stay. I have just mastered it myself to the point where I return to a specific spot when I have to stay in particular places, at this rate I'm going to need a doggie diploma! Tail wags for now!

Puppy Kisses and Love

Dexy Do Dah Dog

x x x

Indoor Fun & Games

Woof!

Hello everyone! Today Igaboo and I are going to suggest some indoor games to play with your puppy to keep us occupied since we can't spend lots and lots of time outdoors anymore. My owner is needing to keep me entertained because I've been rather naughty lately and been having fun shredding anything through the letterbox, choosing to scratch at things I shouldn't and trying out for the X-Factor with my glorious singing voice at the strangest times at night. I also have to be careful because my owner has hurt her wrist again, and the bandage is so tempting to gnaw on but it hurts her and could cause an infection. So here are some games to play indoors, that will keep me entertain, uses my brain and also gets some extra exercise in.

Ball Of Wool

This game is great fun, all you need is a ball of wool that has some wool loose but the rest secured into it's ball. Ok, sit on the floor and using the loose piece, start spinning the wool around you and I'll start spinning around you too! Once you have me chasing, change the direction you go round, and then speed it up until I can't see it anymore but assuming it's just around you. Once you have me chasing the shadow, wait until I'll behind you and hide the ball on your lap, I go round a few times without realising I'm not chasing anything anymore! Let me find it, give me love and start again!

Hide & Seek

A super simple game involving any of my toys-especially great if you have to leave me at home by myself. All you need to do is hide some of my favourite toys or treats about the house, could be anywhere from behind doors, behind the sofa, and/or up high on the stairs. I love going for an investigation and I eventually find all my things, it's a great way to hone my sniffing skills and keeps me occupied whilst you're gone, and when you get home, I'll proudly show you all my finds!

Indoor Fetch

As it says, like fetch, but indoors! Ping pong balls are great for this game as they can't damage anything they strike and their bounciness is super awesome to chase around and try to catch. My owner throws them all over the place and gets me running around like a fruit loop all around the house, she even confuses me by throwing two balls at once, or only pretending to throw it, fetch is one of my favourite games in the whole wide world!

Hide The Treat

This is a great way to test my mental ability, all you need is a few plastic cups/boxes and some treats, and all you need to do is hide a treat under one of them and let me try and find it! Mix it up and play along yourself like you are doing a magic trick, swap the cups over, try and distract me, but then see how quickly I can find it-I always do!

So there are four of my favourite rainy days games. Of course, my owner plays with me in a lot of different ways and is always getting me different toys to play with too. Rainy days are no fun for anyone, so maybe instead of just playing, use the time to train me some obedience tricks, just as long as I am kept entertained and feel loved I will be one happy pup!

Puppy Kisses and Love

Dexy Do Dah Dog

x x x