Has your dog ever looked up at you with his ‘puppy dog eyes’ and you’ve felt powerless to say no to that extra treat or cuddle on the sofa? Well, according to a study published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, these clever creatures have spent thousands of years of evolution perfecting this manipulation of our consciences.

Today (14^th June 2019), is World Blood Donor Day. An important day to remind all of us who are capable of doing so that taking 20 minutes from your schedule to give blood could save someone’s life. Did you know that your dog could offer that same gift? Dogs go through life-threatening operations, occasionally needing blood transfusions to survive and, just like us, they need the same species to donate that life-saving red elixir. Could your dog be eligible to be a canine superhero?

The race to claim the title of the ‘UK’s Most Average Dog Breed’ was hotly contested. Which dog breed has the least amount of issues specifically related to its breed? Many fell at the first hurdle. Labradors and German shepherds are prone to hip dysplasia, amongst a range of other issues; Jack Russel terriers are genetically vulnerable to lens luxation; dalmatians often develop kidney or bladder stones; and let’s just not mention the brachycephalic dogs… So, who will rise up and take the trophy?

French bulldogs are notorious for having difficulties during whelping, so veterinary help is often required. When such assistance is called in, you usually feel like you can relax knowing your pet and her offspring are in the best of care. When the vet presents you with four tiny pups following a successful caesarean section, you don’t think to question if there were any more. Maybe you should…

I have not been a fan of retractable dog leads since I was young and suffered friction burns when walking a family member’s dogs on such leads. Granted, I was young, and foolish to think that grabbing a thin wire lead to try and stop a dog running at full pelt was a good idea, but there are many things that can go devastatingly wrong when using retractable dog leads.