Different countries allow pets to travel in and out of them without having to stay in quarantine, under the ruling of the Pet Travel Scheme for dogs.

However, to be able to take your dog abroad you need to apply for a dog passport. This can be time consuming, so preparations should begin at least 6 or 7 months ahead of your planned journey.

The main requirements for a dog passport are:

1. Micro-chipping your pet. This gives him his own unique identity number. His personal number will be used on all relevant travel papers; a vet will provide this service.

2. A local vet will give your dog a blood test to check that his antibodies are high enough to protect him against (more…)

When you have puppy that has a beautiful white fur coat, the water from their eyes can show up as a pink or red stain on their fur, usually more noticeable just under the eye area.

‘Tear stains’, as it is referred, is more noticeable when a dog has wet fur; it looks unsightly and can also cause a degree of irritation to your dog.

If a puppy show early signs of tear staining it is essential that you take him to his vet, a vet will check him over for stains and give more information on ways to treat visible tear stains.

A balanced diet and regular checks on a dog’s tear pigment, and watching out for any signs of ear infection, will keep your pet in good health. A dog’s diet can at times be the cause of the problem; food colourings and certain additives, such as corn, wheat and soya, are known to increase any symptoms of allergies. One of the symptoms of allergies is (more…)

Recall is a lesson for dogs that gives your dog freedom; you have control over your pet with a simple vocal command so that they can roam around in the parks and woodland free of a lead (in some parks and woodland at least, not all allow it).

When training a dog, this exercise is worth taking your time over. It requires patience and hard work from both parties, dog and owner. The result is well worth the effort, walking in a wood or playing in park without the restriction of a dog lead is sheer happiness for any dog.

Recall your dog

Basic principle in recall dog training:

1. Think about the command word you are going to use in training, short words that can be repeated are best, such as ‘Come, come’, if preferable you can use a (more…)