This part of my website is for “Doggie Lovers” And for those who are thinking about getting a dog. Firstly you must ask yourself a few basic things. How much will it cost? How much time should be spent with your dog? Initial training. Where will it sleep and eat? Have you any other pets that could be a problem. IE. Another dog or cat? It takes time for them to settle together in peaceful harmony. How far will you have to walk the dog? Where will it be “Toileting”? Have you a fenced area for the dog to use as his own in your garden? What dog will suit your lifestyle- small, large, pedigree or cross breed?  Are you patient, consistent and have a good sense of humour? Do you know where the local vet is?

  I will deal with these points before going onto anything else as these are the basics. First let me introduce you to Lacey, my cross breed terrier/whippet bitch.  Naughty girl! Sneaked onto the bed while on holiday!!

  COST.

 Firstly, the cost of having a dog and feeding one. I get frozen cooked and raw beef which I cook. Comes in 2 kilo sausage style packs and small packages. I thaw it out as necessary. Also tripe chews, biscuits and pigs ears and her favourite, bulls willies. The frozen beef is enjoyed by my 15 year old black and white cat. This comes to roughly £12 a week. She is insured with S.A.G.A. which comes to £3.Insurance is a “Must” as vets bills can be very dear if something needs to be treated. Before insuring, make sure they will insure for the whole of the dog’s life, not just for 10 years as some do .this costs £3 a week. Don’t make the mistake that a dog can be fed on scraps and “Human” food for little cost, it does not work as it will upset the dog’s stomach and wind will smell most unpleasant. Scraps with its own food is fine. Lacey loves them, so does Collie the cat.

 WHAT SORT OF DOG DO YOU WANT?

     It is essential that you get a dog that suits your lifestyle. Firstly. Look at the accommodation. It is not practical to have a large dog in a small place as it will get under your feet and will have no space of its own.  Do you like walking? Let me say ALL dogs need walks; even little yorkies need a walk round the park a couple of times a day. Are you the sort who has white upholstery and very house proud? If so, you could have problems as dogs will bring in some mud at some stage. Will you be leaving the dog on it’s own for a while? If that is so, you should try to get a confident, placid dog.  Barking can be minimised by getting a special collar which gives a light pulse when the dog barks and that discourages the barking. If you want to show or breed from your dog, then you need a pedigree from a reputable breeder. Look for these in “Your dog” magazine- out monthly, other useful tips to be found there too. There are many dogs in rescue homes that want a loving home so unless you want to show or breed, I recommend you look at this option.

TRAINING.

  This is where you need patience, consistency and a good sense of humour AND LOTS OF IT!! If you feel you might get inpatient of fed up with the whole thing then, best thing, don’t get a dog! I had to start with Lacey getting used to the lead. If she pulled, I pulled her back hard and she soon responded. Dogs that pull, especially if they are strong, can be a nuisance and dangerous if they pull into a busy road. You will want to let your dog off the lead to play at sometime. I did it by letting Lacey off in an enclosed place and calling her, when she came back, I gave her a “Treat” so she knew she did the right thing. Once she went off in Epping Forest and I called 5 times. Came back at last. She got a light smack. She knew she was naughty and did not do it again. Its no good at all saying the dog looked at you so you did not correct it. If you do, you could be having years of trouble as they must learn when young. You can’t teach old dog new tricks.

TOILETING.

    Show your dog where you want it to toilet. I live in the country so I take mine to the fields in long grass which I find best. Garden is ok as well, can be cleaned up. Accidents can happen so it is essential you carry a “Woopsie” bag, we get them free from the Town Hall. Any plastic bag will do in any event it MUST be cleaned up if done in parks, pavements and no way should children be exposed to it as it can cause blindness if rubbed into the eyes.

 SETTLING IN.

     Let the dog look around the new home and get used to the various smells at its leisure. CATS. There will be a “Stand Off” to begin with. I found that the best way was to let my cat get confidence by giving him the same amount of love as before so as not to feel unwanted. He gradually came round and I was stroking the cat and dog at the same time. I was lucky, some dogs and cats do not mix. Check this out when choosing a dog.

Lacey sleeps on the settee which she chose to do for herself- on a dog blanket. All bedding is washed once a week to make sure it is free from any dirt. You should wash your dog often.

 WALKIES!!

  Here we go!! The pleasures are great, there is nothing letting the dog enjoy a good walk. Healthy for the owner too. Lacey loves long walks, 26 Miles was the longest, a charity walk which she loved. She loves to chase sticks so she walks far longer than me. She is off the lead unless near busy roads. She loves to play with other dogs too. I have to say at this stage, there are many owners who don’t want their dogs to play, keep them on the lead all the time and walk by without even saying a word. When this happens, I ignore them; there are plenty of others who don’t mind a bit of Doggie Play.

    As I am a member of the ramblers association, I take the dog on walks. She loves meeting people and the walks. Some groups don’t allow dogs on walks. I don’t bother with them, there are others that do.

THE COUNTRY CODE.

  Very important. I insure that the dog is on the lead at all times when in fields of livestock. A pregnant SHEEP can abort if worried by a dog. It must be remembered that the farmer has a living to make and does not want his stock damaged. The law states that a farmer can shoot a dog that is worrying livestock and the owner fined up to £1000. CATTLE. I walk calmly by them and don’t go towards them. They might come to have a look. A cow licked my friend’s ear when we were in a field. Close all gates when leaving fields. HORSES. I put Lacey on the lead as she loves tails that swish around. Horses kick and could easily kick the dog if it gets behind it.

  Dog friendly pubs- This is a minefield!! There is no rule of thumb at all. Some allow them in, some don’t. The main gripe I have is that there are no signs outside a lot of pubs stating what the rules are. I have walked into pubs, had the finger wagged by  stroppy managers and told to leave. I have no objection to pubs banning dogs bit I do object to no signs saying so. If any publicans read this I say one thing. GET A BLOODY SIGN OUTSIDE YOUR PUB STATING THE RULES. I am a member of C.A.M.R.A. and they are looking into this situation. There is a good website called www.doggiepubs.co.uk  where dog friendly pubs are listed all over the country.

     I carry some dry food for lacey biscuits, chews etc. She likes human food too. Loves jacked potato with cheese, sausage etc. Dogs usually find water in puddles. Far tastier than water I could take.

ROLLING. Some dogs do it, some don’t. Lacey has made a career of it!! What a stink. I carry a jay cloth to wipe it off; she usually does it just before going to the pub or getting on the train.. Paws in the air. Too late! Done the deed. I never punish the dog for doing it as it is a natural thing to do. They do it to disguise their scent. When I get home. She is washed with a liquid hand wash and warm water. Dried and fire on in cold weather. It must all come off as it can make material stink. She hates the “Bucket” but it must be done to keep her coat clean and free from any diseases. Fox is the worst- stinks. She loves to splash in water so that gets a lot of it off her but water is not everywhere.

  Lacey likes trains, the underground. Buses and the car. She does like to be on my lap when she is out and I am sitting down. Big baby! She is not afraid of noise, thank goodness. She is confident with me because I give lots of love and encouragement. Here we are Dog and Cat on the bed. Best of friends.