The DogCast Radio blog

We got more great material recorded at the second day of Crufts. We spoke to TV vet Marc Abraham, who is the co-founder of ThePet.net. He and co-founder Andrew Seel are using the power of the Internet to let pet owners tell one another about businesses that are pet friendly. If you have a business you'd like to recommend, check out their awards. Marc is also the veterinary adviser to the Kennel Club, and you can find his blog on the Crufts site.

Marc was helping Jill Moss promote the right messages about MRSA and other serious infections on the Bella Moss Foundation stand. We caught up with Jill and she had some useful advice for dog owners worried about MRSA.

I was just too blooming tired to post anything yesterday, as we got back very late and I had batteries to charge and so on. We had a great day though. We bumped into Mic Martin, from Dog Borstal, who was there at Crufts raising money for Support Dogs. He gave us a great interview that covered not only what he was doing at Crufts, but the training classes he offers. He didn't swear once, and he was not half as frightening as he is on Dog Borstal. Which was a relief!

We got lots of breed profiles recorded down in

You know the saying about if you want the best seat in the house move the dog? Well in our house it's often if you want to work at the computer move the dog. Star has tried out most possible resting places in our house, and because she's such a small dog, she can squeeze herself into spaces you wouldn't think possible. She is less adventurous these days, but when she was a tiny puppy there were many times we carried out full scale searches, only to find her blissfully asleep in a cupboard.

She certainly has a knack for getting comfortable, and

Do you have a favourite pet friendly business? If so you could nominate them for an award with ThePet.net. The winners will be announced at The Ultimate Pet Show at the NEC in May. I've only just discovered The Ultimate Pet Show, and it looks like a great day out for pet lovers. If you think you have Britain's Most Talented Pet (doesn't have to be a dog) you can enter them into a competition. I'd love to see some Shire Horses entered into that one!

I've just come across this brave - or foolhardy perhaps - woman who is planning to walk from John o Groats to Lands End. That's the length of Britain; that's some dog walk! Her name's Sophie Easterbrook, her dog is called Patch, and you can follow them on Twitter, read Sophie's blog, and help them to raise money for Dog's Trust along the way.

Take care

Julie x

So we know we have to scoop the poop, but what should we do with it then? And how can you perform the whole task in an environmentally friendly way? Muksak (love the name!) has some ideas:

Answering the call of nature with muksak at Paw-things

I was listening to the British comedian Alan Davies telling a story about his Alsatian dog, and I noticed that he spoke of the dog as referring to him as Alan rather than Dad. This is something that becomes apparent about dog owners once you've been around them a while - some refer to themselves as their dog's mom or dad, others imagine the dog using their Christian name. I don't think there's anything wrong with either one, but I don't actually think that's how our dogs relate to us.

Sue Cole is a teacher at at a school in Norwich. She's also the leader of the SOFA Club, which is running a Dog Microchipping Campaign. Their aim is for all dogs to have to be microchipped by law, and I have to say I support the idea. A microchip is the best way to identify your dog, and gives you the best chance of being reunited with him if he is lost or stolen. I also think it will encourage more responsible ownership in a variety of ways.

If you agree and would like to support the SOFA club's efforts, you can sign their petition. I'm hoping to catch

Episode 83 of DogCast Radio is now available, and has some really interesting content.

Jerrie Wolfe of Rose Croft has some intriguing thoughts about raising puppies with great temperaments. She talks about show allows her dogs space to behave naturally, and how this contributes to the emotional health and development of her gorgeous Cairn Terriers. At her website you can read her article outlining her approach in more detail.

I'm fed up again. I walk my dogs every day, and I scoop every single poop, so that's several scoopings daily, and has the media ever featured me and recommended me as a responsible dog owner?