The DogCast Radio blog

We had a wonderful day at the beach today. We had fun, the dogs had fun, and we made sure that the dogs didn't stop anyone else having fun. That may sound an odd thing to say, but I love being able to take Buddy and Star with us on a day out. They both adore the beach - having a paddle, enjoying a dig in the sand and so on. I am convinced that if dog owners allow their dogs to spoil the good time others are trying to have we will be banned from more and more places.

Today is a "guest appearance" in the blog, with a post by Jenny.

Now I know Border Collies are different from many other breeds, and need occupying, but I'm really not sure this is the way to go about it. Here you can read an article about Kirin who has been taught to do squat type exercises on command. All very well and good, except I'm not sure how good it is for her back legs. I always worry about dogs who are required to even walk upright on their back legs a lot, but standing on them and raising and lowering herself must be putting a ton of unnecessary strain on Kirin's legs.

She wags her tail as she's doing it, and do like the clever way she tries to find a handy wall or piece of agility equipment to lean on for balance.

Is it clever training? - yes it is. Is it good for the dog? - I wouldn't have thought so, but if any vets or other health experts reading can shed light on the subject, please do.

Take care,

Julie x

Dogs Trust do an incredible job in the UK rehoming dogs and making those in their shelters as happy as possible. At my local shelter there are a mother and son looking for a new home together. They look lovely and I hope they are soon happily settled with a new owner. Bless 'em.

MUMS THE WORD AT DOGS TRUST RODEN

Mother and Son, Duke and Sheba, desperate for a home together

Believe it or not there are people in my life who don't like my dogs.

What do you do when you want to eat out with your dogs? We are often out and about with Buddy and Star when we want to grab a bite to eat. Far too often the cafe or shop we buy from will not allow dogs. I was surprised to discover that, in the UK at least, there is no law banning dogs from venues that serve food. There is legislation banning dogs from food preparation areas, that's all. So why do so many places ban dogs? It's annoying to say the least.

The few places we have found that welcome our dogs we return to again and again, and recommend them to other dog owners.

Dogs Trust has a new offer out. Dogs Trust promise to never put a healthy dog down, and I have seen firsthand the lengths they will go to not only to find dogs a new home, but to enhance the lives of those they look after long term.

Here's the offer:

Are you or someone you know a pet owner? Becoming a member of Dogs Trust means you'll get all these great benefits for just £20 a year (or only £10 if you are aged 60 or over).

Apparently Training dogs the Woodhouse Way 'makes them more aggressive'. Researchers at the University of Bristol have studied dogs at a Dogs Trust centre and re-examined footage of wild dog behaviour. They have found that heavy handed treatment of dogs leads the dogs in turn to become aggressive to avoid that treatment.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Kate Nicholas this week. Kate and her gorgeous dog Gin were thrown into the spotlight when they made it to the finals of Britain's Got Talent. Since then their popularity has grown, and Kate and Gin have continued to develop as a partnership. They delight crowds with their displays of doggy dancing, and Gin is a whiz at flyball.

So when the time came to add another member to their pack, how did Kate go about it? And how has the newcomer - Ice - settled in? You can hear Kate answering those questions and more in this weekend's

If you're in the UK on June 30th why not go along to the Macmillan Dog Day at the Royal Chelsea Gardens in London?

Here's more information:

Join Equafleece at the Macmillan Dog Day and help raise funds for cancer care

Equafleece, the outdoor clothing specialists for dogs and their owners, will be presenting Macmillan Cancer Support with a cheque at the charity's 2009 fundraising Dog Day.