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R.I.P. Otto

You may have heard the interview with Lynn Jones in Episode 101 of DogCast Radio. I met Lynn, her husband Peter and their lovely dog Otto just before Christmas. Otto had been officially recognised as the oldest dog in the world, and they were all at Roden Dogs Trust to help raise funds for the charity.
 

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So what do you think of the Independent Inquiry into Dog Breeding?

Okay, this one is going to cause disagreement and discord, but will it do any good for dogs in the long run? Enforced microchipping is controversial, but I can't help thinking it would solve many problems - dog theft not the least of them. It would of course also allow the tracing of dogs back to breeders, so if health issues keep cropping up with dogs from a particular source, it will be evident and provable. Puppy farms are an obvious evil and must be stamped out one way or another.

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How not to buy from puppy farms

Puppy farms or mills exploit dogs and inflict dreadful suffering on them in the process. There is no justification for buying from a puppy farm - it doesn't rescue dogs, it just lines the pockets of unscrupulous people. So how do you make sure you don't give your money to a puppy farmer? Dogs Trust has advice:

CHARITY WARNS PUBLIC IS BEING DUPED INTO BUYING ‘FARMED’ DOGS

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Battle the bulge and bamboozle the brain too

Your dog can lose weight and have fun:

The Company of Animals’ Wins Award for Battling the Bulge in Dogs

Underlining The Company of Animals commitment to help battle the bulge in UK’s dogs its multi-award winning Tornado interactive dog ‘brain-teaser’ recently scooped another award as one of the “Top Pet Fitness and Weight Loss Products of 2009” by the Association for Pet Obesity in the USA. 

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A seasonal message from Dogs Trust

It's a slogan that is repeated each year, but sadly it needs repeating:

CANINE CHRISTMAS AT DOGS TRUST RODEN
A reminder that “A dog is for Life, Not just for Christmas®”
Thirty one years on from the birth of its famous slogan “A dog is for life, not just for Christmas® Dogs Trust, which has 18 Rehoming Centres in the UK and Ireland, is bracing itself for another busy Christmas. 

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Meeting the world's oldest dog

Well I met Otto the world's official oldest dog today at the Dogs Trust centre at Roden today. When I phoned my Mom and mentioned that, she asked what he was like, and it made me think for a moment, because he was a dog, what did she expect? She clarified - "Was he like an ordinary dog?" I laughed, because yes he was just like an ordinary dog!

He wagged his tail and ran up to his "mom" when she came into the room, and he had a fuss from anyone who wanted to fuss him, and he was generally great -

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I'm going to meet golden olide Otto

I'm hoping to meet the oldest dog in the world soon, and if you're anywhere near Shropshire you can too - just for the price of a donation! Here's more info:

WORLD’S OLDEST CANINE, OTTO, VISITS DOG RESCUE CENTRE

- Shropshire’s most famous doggy resident (and Guinness World Record Holder) pays a visit to Dogs Trust Roden

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From service dog to SURFice dog

Watch this video to see the wonder of what a dog can be.

Amazing!

Take care,

Julie x

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Painting Pekingese and Two Great Danes

You may remember in Episode 91 of DogCast Radio we ran a competition to win Ziggy the painting dog goodies. We announced the winners in episode 94 and you can see Elizabeth and Ziggy's video blog about it and show what the prizes were above. Thanks to them for putting up the goodies, and I hope Ziggy is inspired to paint many more masterpieces. Elizabeth was wonderful to interview, and if you'd like to know how Ziggy started painting and what his working methods are, do give that interview a listen.

In Episode 50 of DogCast Radio there's an interview with Angela Mitchell about her book Your First Great Dane. This book was inspired by her experiences with her own Great Danes, and now she's written another book about the breed she loves. Here's what she says about it:

"'Two Great Danes' is the follow-up to my successful book 'Your First Great Dane', and is once again a humorous 'tell it like it 'is' account of life with, this time, 2 Great Danes in my house. And along with some more handy hints and tips, because of Bob's hugely different character to Hovis, there are many more laugh out loud moments which I hope the readers will enjoy. Although it is very much a 'stand alone' book, it does read better after having enjoyed 'Your First Great Dane'."

So if you are a Great Dane fan, or you know someone who is, check out Two Great Danes at the Parapress site.

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Clever strays in Moscow and bye bye Buster

I've just read a fascinating article on stray dogs in Moscow entitled Smartest Dogs: Moscow Stray Dogs . Apparently a growing number of dogs who have to fend for themselves are developing impressive and effective new ways of "hunting" down their food, courtesy of unwitting humans!

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Sharing

273 - dog parkour and dog news discussion

Dog trainer Emma Hendy explains how Dog Parkour can help your bond with your dog, and give you both a new mindset. Julie gives her opinion on some dog news stories which caught her attention.

189 - The Dog Healers and War Dogs Remembered

In this episode you can hear Mark Winik talk about his debut novel, The Dog Healers, and listen to Julia Robertson explain why she founded the charity War Dogs remembered. Plus there's the DogCast Radio News, and what Mischief the German Spitz puppy has been up to.

188 - Service Dogs UK and Roxie the Doxie Finds Her Forever Home

In this episode you can hear about Service Dogs UK, a fantastic charity which trains assistance dogs to support veterans of any service - military personnel, police, firefighters, paramedics and the coastguard - who develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder due to their job. Also, listen to Dr Jody A Dean, a clinical psychologist talk about how her book, Roxie the Doxie finds her Forever Home, is helping children understand and talk about adoption and other family issues. Plus the DogCast Radio News and some thoughts on the alpha dog myth.

187 - Muffins Halo and Chorley Fun Dog Show

In this episode you can hear about Muffin's Halo for Blind Dogs, and what motivates people to enter their dog in a fun dog show. In the DogCast Radio News, listen to stories about the latest dog related research. Plus there's a new member of the DogCast Radio team!

186 - Maxwell Muir on wolves

In this episode you can hear trainer, behaviourist, writer, broadcaster and wolf expert Maxwell Muir talk about what wolves mean to him personally, their plight in a modern world, and his hopes for their future. Plus we have the DogCast Radio News.