Life's a Beach!

Paul & Eva Daley were having a great time on the beach at Wittering with WT Gertie.

I love going to the seaside with our two. Beaches look so much better with a Welsh Terrier or two on them! Gertie, you look adorable!

Weekend Topic and Comments

I was perusing last weeks Sunday Times supplement and was interested to learn that Lorraine Candy, Editor-in-chief, had written a piece on dogs. Turns out she’s always been around dogs. For twelve years she’d owned a giant Airedale called Duke, who was diabetic. She once ended up in A & E after injecting insulin into her thumb instead of the dog. It wouldn’t have harmed her though. Apparently Duke’s energy and wanton disobedience were a bigger threat to her wellbeing!!

Not learning her lesson, she now owns a two year old Welsh Terrier who is so naughty she thinks her name is PixelNO! She adores her.

However she goes on to say that she does not humanise her dogs, is quite happy to love them as they are. No licking of faces allowed and no dressing up in clothes or popping into fashionable bags or being her plus one to a party invite! According to scientific studies, dogs don’t really know who you are (so will go off with anyone who shows them affection) and found pigeons to be more intelligent!!!!

She also remarked on all the whacky diets we give our dogs when they’d just as easily wolf down a stale old piece of bread. (I have heard that vets are now saying that dogs should eat grain)

Her piece ended with something someone once said : “Dogs are not our whole lives, but they make our lives whole!”

Karen Over writes:

Thanks Pat, I enjoyed that!

Jan Chamberlain writes:

Seems like I might get on with Lorraine and her choice of dogs (Jan owns an Airedale and a Welsh Terrier) plus the fact our son Darryl is working on the Times newspaper as an Editor at the moment. it's a spooky small world sin't it?

Someone stopped us this morning to enquire after Willow and Welshies in general. I must say at 6.50am it was a little early but I did my best.

Chris Amos writes:

I was interested in the article regarding grain in dog food. I too have heard/read that feeding grain free can have a detrimental affect on the cardiac function of dogs, only I can't remember where I read it (age is a terrible thing)

Editor's Note: You can google it and it will tell you all about it. I have since done this and am now quite sure that dogs should be eating grain unless they are very allergic to it. Apparently it is very rare to find a dog who is allergic to grain.

Chris continues: I reintroduced grain into both Tallie's and Jasper's diet a few months ago and my vet has remarked on how their condition has improved...without knowing about the change in diet. Coincidence or not, I don't know, but it never did Bracken (my previous WT) any harm and she had grain in her diet all her life (naturediet) and was nearly 17 years old when she died!

Jane Price writes:

I remember reading Lorraine Candy's weekly piece about 'family life' and used to enjoy them. Her husband at that time, was the real dog lover and he adored Duke. I remember reading all about Duke and his failing health. Being diabetic, Duke lost his sight and had a few little accidents.

Editors Note: That's the trouble when our dogs start to age. You never know what's round the corner, so make the most of them while you can. I'm sure she's got her work cut out with Welsh Terrier Pixel.

Stephen Warne writes:

"According to scientific studies, dogs don't really know who you are"

What a load of nonsense. lol. In that case why do some dogs:

1. Suffer separation anxiety?

2. Mourn the death of their owners? (Eg Greyfriars Bobby)

At the dog rescue (where Steve helps out) the scared or previously abused dogs are very choosy who they will trust. They are extremely aware of who everyone is and whether they consider them trustworthy. That can, but often doesn't, change but takes a lot of time.

IMHO they have not applied enough rigour in their research and have been duped by, for instance, the food driven behaviour of dogs and made a huge leap of logic.

Editors Note: I wondered when someone was going to pick up on this! What about finding pigeons more intelligent? How the heck did they work that one out?

Another Beach photo:

Karen Over writes:

See Bruno having a ball in Liverpool and enjoying sandy beaches. There is a Lakeland next door on the campsite. It made me smile as the owners have been taking this male dog training for over a year and nothing works! He is plain stubborn!

We had a night out in Liverpool without Bruno and he was such a good boy. No barking or accidents in our absence.

Editor's Note: Well done Bruno! I love Liverpool. One of my favourite cities.

The famous Iron Man

Bruno at Canal Boat Museum where they let dogs in.....which is unusual for a museum!