When we took Star, our Bichon Frise puppy to the vet for her vaccinations, the
vet made a comment which although it was said with affection brought me up
short. After her first injections, she screeched so violently, a quick return
visit to the surgery was necessary for painkiller to be administered. On this,
the second bout of shots, she yelped and struggled as the needle broke through
her skin.

"You're not the bravest are you?" the vet questioned as he ruffled her fur.

Watch what you eat this holiday season, particularly if you're a dog. Most of us now know that chocolate is dangerous for our dogs, it contains theobromine and caffeine, which can kill a dog. The effects may not be apparent immediately, but if you suspect your dog has eaten a significant amount of chocolate, get them to a vet to be checked out. The smaller the dog, the smaller the amount of chocolate that is dangerous for them. A guide is around half an ounce of chocolate per pound of body weight, but this varies according to the make and type of the chocolate.

Things are hotting up on the great new show for dog lovers on UK television. The Underdog Show currently running hidden away on BBC2 on Tuesday evenings is presented by Julian Clary, and will hopefully do a lot of good for dogs. The show is now reaching its climax - with only three teams left. The remaining pairs who all have a shot at winning are Huey and high-spirited Casper, Julia and feisty Cookie, Selina and enthusiastic Chump.

The faithful nature of dogs is a big part of their appeal. There are many stories - some true, some myth - that illustrate the devotion dogs feel to their people. Historically many dogs have become well known thorugh their faithful natures, but does that sort of thing happen now?
Yes it does ......

What's you dog training philosophy? We all have one even if it's only grin and bear it. To achieve a well trained dog who is a pleasure to be with, how does one make sense of all the training methods on offer?
More to the point, is shouting really the best way to approach training a three headed dog?

Is life with a dog all brushing up hair, mopping up muddy footprints, and having to arrange dog sitters? What do we get in return for all this effort?
Do we give or get more from our dogs? Ultimately, do we make the most of our all too short time with them?

Illustrated by Ron Hevener

Funny, how we never seem to know what's just around the corner. We go
about our lives: working, laughing, loving . . . and we never know how
our life is going to turn out. I know this doesn't sound like the
goal-oriented thinkers that I encourage people to be. I encourage animal
lovers to be their best and to reach as high as they possibly can. After
all, if we don't reach for the stars, how can we ever touch them? Yes, I
know ... Childish words .

Once upon a time, I was your average dog owner. I felt guilty when I spoiled my dog with "people food". This concept was reinforced during my veterinary training, with terms like table food gastroenteritis. Oh, the horror of clients feeding table scrapes to their dogs! After the reprimand, instructions to feed only commercial dog foods were made and the deal was done. Poor Fido was banned from the family dining room and forced to eat the same boring dog food everyday.