Friday, 26 April 2013

                                       Your dog’s star sign

If you know your dog’s sign you can see if they relate to any of these descriptions. However, there are so many mixtures of breeds nowadays that one particular star sign will not apply.  All these descriptions are a bit of fun and taken from my own personal observations.

ARIES DOGS:  A butch type, strong and full of energy. Motto is "Me First". and there will be no please about it.  Easily bored, they like  a challenge. Activities such as agility classes or playing frisbee is their thing. They appreciate going to new places and walks that gives them a chance to read new blog sites and pee mails.They tend to like to play alone or with you, rather than hang out with other dogs. Bit of a trail blazer. Once they pick up the scent of a fox, squirrel or cat, they are off into the unknown. A bit short tempered and often clumsy, banging into trees and other objects, or tripping over their own front paws.  Strong willed with a mind of their own.  Sometimes will dislike another dog for no reason and pick a fight. Intolerant of any other dogs and constantly tries to dominate other canines and humans.  Don’t sleep that much. Hates being ignored and can get grouchy when hungry. Houdini is their middle name and if you enclose them with fences and gates, you can be sure they will find a way out.  You worry that your pet is a  closet psychopath.

TAURUS DOGS: Ploddy. Salt of the earth types who are great with children, the elderly, small dogs and puppies. Doesn't mind having his ears and tailed pulled by human toddlers or puppies. Likes to sleep on your bed, or at least be as close as possible to you on the sofa. Slower and less energetic than most of the other dogs. It is not unusual to leave them in one place for hours and come back to find they havent moved an inch. Is not that keen on walks, especially in bad weather but prefers riding in the car with the window down. This dog will sit for hours listening to Beethoven, Elgar or Poochini in fact, anything soothing that calms the savage breast. Hates head banging or thumping heavy metal music played too loud. They will show their disapproval by covering their ears with their paws. Very loyal and a fervent sloppy kisser. Security is necessary in their life so if you start moving the furniture around in the home, it unsettles them and makes them very clingy. They then show their displeasure by peeing on the curtains and furniture.  Be prepared for the Taurus dog to sit and stare hungrily at the fridge until you get the message.

GEMINI DOGS:  Yappers for Europe.  Restless, versatile and attention seekers. Its me, me, me all the time.  This is the party animal of the zodiac world. Tarts of the park. They will often stick their bottoms in another dog's face. Learn tricks very fast. Selectively deaf and have the attention span of a flea. Get bored quickly and need to be entertained. If asked to undertake anything boring, they will suddenly be over come by nervous exhaustion, collapse into a shivery, twitching hyperventilating wreck that makes you think that something is seriously wrong. Curious about everything and in human terms would be considered the neighbourhood gossip and a curtain twitcher.  Has to know what is going on. They can charm the entire neighbourhood and have them wrapped around their dew claws.  Greet strangers like old friends. Tend to be very fickle about their ambitions. One minute they want that treat, then they don't, then they do. Real butterflies of the canine world. Love the company of humans and other dogs and the highlight of their lives is going for car rides. They love the wind in their hair, ears blowing back. Terrific liars and will swear blind that you never fed them by constantly pushing an empty dish around noisily.


CANCER DOGS: Rather be at home than go to the park and run around. Shy and sensitive but often moody,  they require constant patting and praise until your throat is sore. They prefer home life to be calm and peaceful. The highlight of their day is for meal times and woe betide you if it is late.They will hassle you until they get it.  Real water pups, they will jump into any pool or  muddy puddle of water at every given opportunity. Have a terrific memory for people, doggy friends, where they last saw abandoned food and where the best places are for rolling in unspeakable things. Other dogs rely on them for gossip.   Quiet, likes to lie doggo and watch what is going on around them.  A tad lazy in social situations. They prefer other dogs to approach and sniff them rather than work at building up friendships. Will hide between your legs in strange situations. Often get put off if another dog snarls or growls at them. Quite wimpish in fact, if the truth were known.

LEO DOGS: These are the divas of the dog world. The Boss-dog. Show offs who love dressing up. Always happy and cheerful and good fun to have around. Love joining in games of charades at parties and tearing up wrapping paper. They have the best looks, glossiest coats and larger-than-life personalities.  Have to be the focus of attention and always bark "Look at me" if you are talking in someone! Defensive of you and the pack they hang around with.  Have to be the loudest in company.  Very energetic and playful. Good guard dogs. Enthusiastic about every activity. Loyal and trusting. A little clumsy when it comes to jumping around and tend to bowl everyone over. Thrive on constant praise. They make good Police or guard dogs but have one strange eccentricity ......he or she is often terrified of squirrels, cats and puppies.

VIRGO DOGS: A bit anal about their basket, their toys and their treats. Everything has to be neatly hidden. These are the hypochondriacs of the canine world. If one flea gets on them, they behave as though they are covered from head to toe and will scratch relentlessly or if they have a simple stomach upset, the Virgo dog will be certain that it has salmonella poisoning. Virgo dogs are usually the ones who will sit down if they have a dirty bottom or a twig attached somewhere on their fur.  They can't stand dirty paws.  Very obedient but very goody-two-shoes in company. Stay still when being groomed. Selfish when it comes to sharing toys or food with other dogs. Punctual about walkies so if you say "Five minutes", they are back within that time with their leads in their mouths and an intense stare that says "OK! time's up!" Love spending their time with you pottering in the garden, communing with nature as they pull up weeds and bulbs, chew leaves and generally wander in and out of flower beds making a mess. Adores poking around the shed because it is full of spiders and cobwebs.

LIBRA DOGS:  These are the shop stewards of the canine world. Their one purpose in life is to improve the lot of the working or owned dog. They will stand for less discipline, more food and a shorter working week.  Should you ask them to do anything during the evening hours, then double the biscuits rations, otherwise you will be ignored. They also believe in the "closed shop" policy. In other words, one house ... one dog. Usually the prettiest dogs in any pack with soft, endearing, limpid eyes. Refined, sophisticated and well mannered, a Libra dog will never let you down in company by sticking a cold nose into someone's crotch, scooting across a room with an itchy bum or licking their balls. Iffy little creatures who never know what they want. Offer them a treat and they are not sure if they want it until you give it to another dog. Then the facial expression is "But I wanted it!". Hates confrontation and gets nervous if harsh words are spoken by owner and other adults; will avoid fights with other dogs. You despair because you think your dog is a wimp. Ridiculously stubborn, if they don't want to go for walkies, then nothing short of dynamite will get them to move. Likes to lie down for half an hour doing nothing but glare at things. Hates being hurried.

SCORPIO DOGS: Give the impression of being butch. Strong silent, refined types but don't ever cross them because then its the two-eyes-for-one type of revenge.  Scorpio dogs will either be your best friend or your worst enemy. If they are ever wronged in anyway or treated well, they never forget. Stubborn. They need and demand 8 hours of sleep undisturbed and if that means settling into your favourite armchair then forget about moving them off. Can sleep for Europe and prefers his bed to be in a hidden recess or  corner. Wary of strangers. Stares at you disconcertingly sometimes, so that you end up shouting "What? what? What's your problem?" Very independent. Enigmatic. Noisy situations make them grumpy and they will always hide somewhere quiet if you have company. Very psychic and will often make it clear that "something is not right in the house." If you happen to be a nervous type of person, this could make you a neurotic mess every night. However, most of these invisible noises and beings being growled at are harmless ..... but, if they hide under the bed and are too scared to emerge, that is the time to call the Police.

SAGITTARIUS DOGS: Boundless energy. Tail is always set on permanent wag and a big grin on its face. Usually bounces off the walls with enthusiasm. Can destroy your things for no reason or just because boredom has set in. Barks constantly just to let the world know they are around. Brave and fierce. Don’t like to fight but gets cheesesd off if provoked. Strong willed and diffcult to bend to your will. Adores walkies any time of the day or night.  Great at digging holes in your vegetable patch or flower beds. Im afraid Saggy dogs are the problem characters in the star signs

CAPRICORN DOGS: A little selfish with food and toys (like Virgo). Quiet and serious. Sometimes ignore everything around them, including you.  Energy  levels lower than other dogs and a walk in the park can make them exhausted. Character wise, a bit boring and ploddy but very loyal and loving once they have chosen the person they want to spend their lives with. Sighing deeply is a speciality of the Capricorn dog. Can often be very aloof if they disapprove of what you are doing. These are the social climbers of the canine world. They are excellent at summing up human character with one glance and no amount of elocution lessons or learned deportment will fool this discerning doggie. If you are a phoney, they will suss you out instantly and show it by growling, much to the owner's embarrassment. Capricorn dogs can be infuriating as he or she forever lags behind doing their own thing and once it gets to the end of the walk, they go at a glacially slow pace. Getting them into the car take 20 minutes. They always find that final enticing smell at the very end of their walk.

AQUARIUS DOGS
Real flirts of the canine world and have a penchant for following any blondes (male or female).  Always have a twinkle in their eyes and love socialising.  Keen explorers, they often disappear and give their owners a heart attack when they can't be found.  Kind hearted to a fault, they will always offer a paw to a waif or stray and share their treats with them.  Love muddy puddles, water sprinklers, garden hoses, swimming pools and water of any kind. God help anyone who comes near them when they are shaking themselves dry.  Often pretend to be disinterested but get ecstatic when someone makes a fuss of them. Make terrific hospital visitors because they thrive on all the attention.
Aquarius dogs enjoy working in the entertainment field ......circus performer, television star, photographic model and may, at times appear to be more human than the canine in species.  This dog is happiest being part of a pack and doing things as a member of a gang.

PISCES DOGS
Sensitive, loving, generous to a fault, they fall in love with the nearest bruiser of a dog at the drop of a hat. They feel the need for protection from someone big, ugly and butch.
Love partying and the more dogs they meet, the happier they are.  Have a split personality. Always pulled in two directions at the same time.  Dimbo dogs, who never really know what they want, hardly know if they are coming or going ... or even been there already.  There are times when the sheer joy of life makes them happy and bouncy.  Often confused, it is not unusual to see a Pisces dog pacing between bed, water bowl, back door, or to be near you.  They love water especially a turned on hose, flushing the toilet,  or you taking a shower. Any puddle becomes a swimming gala.
Generally, a Pisces dog never sees the contrary patches and to him/her, life will be the proverbial "bed of roses".

                         "Dogs are not our whole life, but they do make our lives whole."
                                                                                                            - Roger Caras 


Nice clip of a dog actually enjoying playing pool.

                                                                     Pool playing dog


                                        That's it until the next blog.  

                                                        Dawn (.".")

Thursday, 4 April 2013


  IS YOUR DOG A VICTIM OF WALKING DANDRUFF?

The next time your dog's coat looks dry, flaky and a tad manky - and it is constantly shaking its head,  scratching behind the ears with a hind leg that looks like a whirling propeller working overtime, pick up a magnifying glass and take a look at one of the flakes.  Dandruff doesn't move, but "walking dandruff", is the common name for a weeny, mobile parsite called Cheyletiella.  

This mite is the cause of walking dandruff, also called Cheyletiellosis. The unusual name comes from the motion of the visible mites, which makes the dandruff appear to "walk" on the infected individual. These "boochies" ( as my childhood african nanny used to  call anything creepy crawly), pretend to be flaky skin, They constantly move around the skin, searching for food - causing itchy, red patches on both you and your dog.

Walking dandruff isn't a serious problem but they do make the dog very itchy and they are contagious - to other pets and to humans.  Sometimes if left untreated, it will cause mange and bald patches on your dog.  Puppies seem to be the main carriers and if you have a puppy that you carry around, and suddenly get get itchy spots, then you too have picked up walking dandruff.  These days a good shower with a medicated body wash will get rid of it. In the old days you would have had to get a jab from a dermatologist.  I know, because I've been there!

OK but let's not panic! Walking dandruff isn't  life threatening nor difficult to treat and can be cleared up quickly by dunking the dog in a bath of shampoo containing Pyrethrin. Selsun shampoo is pretty effecive in killing off the mites. A good chemist will stock it. The online pet supplies www.MedicAnimal.co.uk and www.PetMeds.co.uk do sell a selection of Pyrethrin based shampoos.  Another very effective shampoo is Malaseb that you can get from the vet.

To avoid a recurrance, its best to give the carpets and furniture a thorough clean up to get rid of the dead scales and any lurking mites, otherwise a few months later they will come marching back again.

Home remedy
My home remedy of  a  diluted cider vinegar rinse  applied with some cotton wool over the itchy areas, is great for  humans and pets with skin conditions as it kills off any skin irritation and neutralises stinging and itching. Supermarket cider vinegar will do the trick so don't be schmoozed into buying 'organic' cider vinegar. Cheap and cheerful will do just as well. The  only downside of slathering the dog in vinegar is the pungent, penetrating smell that lingers for a few minutes.

 Now that you are scratching like mad just reading about walking dandruff, I think its time to take your mind off the subject by getting you to watch this charming little clip of a clever bird fishing for its dinner using logic and intelligence. Who said our feathered friends were bird brained?
 (Thank you to Rita Morris in Devon, retired production manager on the  early BBC David Attenborough Wild Life series now being repeated on the satellite channels, for sending me this clip for inclusion in this weeks's blog). Nice one Reet!



                                              Now didn't that make you say "Aww! sweet!"

Have a nice week and if you have any interesting items you want me to include on this page, email them to me.

Dawn (")

c'mon folks! do your bit for a worthy cause and help raise money for the Brain Tumour Research Campaign

                                                       Magic Wand Dog Show 13 April 2013

Enjoy a great day out with your pampered pooch– there will be 15 fun competition classes, such as “The Waggiest Tail”, “The Best Golden Oldie”, or “Most like the Owner” judged by celebrities. Entertainment such as “Musical Mats” and dog agility displays; side attractions such as dog tombola, culminating in a dog fashion show! Download the programme opposite.

It will be a fun day for all to enjoy – especially your dogs! There is no need to book in advance, just come along on the day!

Dovehouse Green, Kings Road, SW3 (next to Chelsea Fire Station)
10.30am to 4.30pm
FREE ENTRY

Why not enter the Online Photo Competition now for a chance to win a Spa Day for your dog, kindly donated by Harrods. The winner will be announced at the Dog Show

http://www.wayahead-btrc.org/2013/02/26/magic-wand-dog-show

I look forward to seeing you and your canine companion at the show!

Kind regards,

Wendy Fulcher
BTRC Founder
Direct Line: +44 (0)20 8601 2402
Brain Tumour Research Campaign
12-15 Hanger Green
London
W5 3EL