The DogCast Radio blog

I recently interviewed vet and author Nancy Kay about her book Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life. This is a terrific book with lots of information dog owners will find useful. There are issues for you to consider, advice on how to approach visits to the vet, and a fascinating chapter on the latest treatments available for pets. After talking to Nancy, I wish she was my vet. (If my vet is reading this, you're great too.)

The Bella Moss Foundation support pet owners affected by MRSA and other serious infections. Bella Moss's story is incredibly touching, as told by Jill Moss, who loved and lost her beautiful dog to MRSA. You can hear her tell their moving experiences in Episode 58 of DogCast Radio.
That episode also has excellent advice about avoiding MRSA from Dr Harley Farmer. Harley manages to take the panic out of the situation, and leaves you knowing that three are many steps you can take to protect your pet and yourself.

Just noticed an article on the American Humane Association website, singling out films that feature animals.
It's a salute to those films who earned the Association's ‘No Animals Were Harmed’® End Credit. Much more interesting than all the analysing that goes on about who wore what at the real Oscars.

Here's some news from CAPS, which is the Companion Animal Protection Society. I interviewed the founder of the society Deborah Howard, which you can hear in Episode 57 of DogCast Radio. I love what the society stands for, and I love the fact that it was the experience and vision of one individual - Deborah - that started it all. Don't listen to anyone who tells you that "just one person" can't make a difference!

Would you know what to do if your dog had a medical emergency? Apparently April is National Pet First-Aid Awareness Month in the US, and I've been contacted by Denise Fleck, an
Instructor/Free-lance Writer at
SUNNY-DOG INK who runs pet first aid classes. Now she is organising a huge CPR event to educate pet owners. You can find out a lot more about the event, classes on offer, and Denise herself at her website. Sounds like a good idea - just too far for me to travel!

You can't watch Crufts on television this year, so if you can't be there in person, you can't see it at all right? Wrong - the Kennel Club is taking to the Internet. You can watch as it happens, or subscribe and watch a catch up service. It's the main arena that will be the focus of the online streaming, but there will be segments on the showing and other events outside the arena.

I was recently asked what was the best dog related advice I had been given. It was quite an easy question really, because something Graeme Sims said sprang straight into my mind. He said that the secret of good training was to love your dog so much that they can't resist you. I think that applies to life with a dog in general, not just training, but certainly if you apply that to life in general with a dog, I think you get better training results.

Just a quick post to let you know that you can now follow us on Twitter. Our ident is DogCastRadio, and I'll be keeping you updated about shows, blog posts and so on. If you're on Twitter, come and say hello and we can follow one another. See you there.

Take care,

Julie x

We had our day at the beach yesterday, and it was marvelous after the winter we've been having. The dogs had a great time; as soon as I opened the boot and let Buddy out, he was leaping about, quivering in excitement that he was going to get a run on the beach. Star takes it all a bit more in her stride, and her passion is digging. What was really enjoyable was that the beach was not crowded, so although we had the leads with us, we didn't have to attach them once. Bliss!

As I type this, Star is lying in a patch of sunlight in front of an open door. This is one of her favourite positions. She likes it best with the door open, so that should the need arise, she can potter out into the garden, but she will accept a door closed situation. Eventually. Today though, the door stands flung open, because on opening it a lovely spring day, complete with warm sunshine, was waiting for us. (It had been waiting an indecently long time in fact, as we tend to lie in on a Saturday morning.)