Education | Pet Ownership
This is what you NEED to know
Pandemic or no pandemic if you ask away on social media if anyone knows of any litters of puppies and someone is sure to jump on the post and down everyone's throats that the whole post is wrong and you should rescue. Plenty of rescue dogs that need homes. And it is a fair point, we should always consider rescue dogs as there are so many that need homes. But now, in this pandemic where on earth are they?
All of us in the dog community feared that the rescue centres would get overrun with all the poor puppies that…
A little insight into why it isn’t that simple
To someone who has never suffered from an eating disorder, it seems bizarre that we cannot quite simply just eat. An eating disorder is an extremely complex mental illness and like any illness, it isn’t something that can just be snapped out of.
Would you tell an alcoholic to ‘just stop drinking?’ Would you tell someone with a broken leg to just get up and walk? Mental illnesses, just like physical illnesses need care and treatment.
For a start, all the stereotypes and stigmas surrounding eating disorders should be ditched. The sooner we get this image of a teenage girl…
Animal Anecdote
We shall keep going- seeking advice and keeping our heads!
“Well, this is progress,” says my mum after I tell her my English toy terrier has managed three days of no car sickness before doing it on both journeys. (My dogs come to work with me, at my dog grooming salon.) It's about an eight-minute drive.
“If you have a child that wets the bed, it’s a very gradual thing before they stop altogether. You have to see this as progress.”
I hope she is right. My mum is often always right. But my little girl isn’t a puppy. She’s just about to turn four. She came from a very…
Animals. Mental health. More animals.
My life revolves around animals. Most of my writing does too.
I work as a dog groomer. In between bathing, trimming and clipping of dogs I love to write about them. I have two dogs who are my world. I’m currently on a dog training course. My rescue mixed breed has taught me so much. I absolutely love writing about all things dog, including everything I have learnt with my first rescue.
I have been on animal-related trips, including a safari in Kenya, seeing Polar bears in the wild in Churchill, Canada and volunteering at a panda sanctuary in China…
How you can help a reactive rescue dog.
If like me, you have a reactive rescue dog, it is such a rewarding experience. My gorgeous little mixed breed gives me so much love and affection. My bed, the sofa, I hope are a massive improvement from the kennels he came from. But, it's not easy. This is just some of the life lessons I have learnt since I brought him home.
“Oh, I’ve got to say hello to him.”
“It’ll help if I just pet him.”
No. No. Thousand times no. When we bring our dogs home they learn to trust us, look to us and that is…
Over one in ten dogs are fearful of fireworks. Here are my top tips on how to get through this stressful time.
“Fluffy hates this time of year, he gets so stressed.”
Unfortunately, people will just set fireworks off before and after the fifth sometimes at the strangest of times with no consideration for all for our furry friends. Especially this year when all the organised displays are cancelled, there will be more unpredictable fireworks with everyone doing their own thing. I have had customers say to me, this is it until the new year now, meaning they are expecting constant fireworks this whole season.
Like every pet owner I wish, wish, wish everyone could just have their fun on the fifth…
Having an eating disorder is like being two people. As the eating disorder demon attaches itself tighter, it becomes harder to know who is speaking.
Anorexia cuts you off from people. It ruins friendships, relationships, it wants you all to itself. It persuades you it is the only friend you need. But it is far from a friend.
For a while now, I have been adamant that I don’t want to be with anyone. In my last relationship, there was far too much drama, a lot of which I am still getting over, years on. A lot of said drama contributed to my anorexia, so all the more reason to stay away. Stick with my fur babies- dogs are much better than people!
I am…
Advice
Being a fur-parent isn’t all sunshine and lollipops
Whether you are a new pooch parent to an eight-week-old pup, a rescue dog or you have a new dog due to various circumstances, it's hard but rewarding and you’re doing great!
It is 2010. I am walking back to the car, feeling more defeated than before. Surely that wasn’t the point of this part of the classes I put my hard-earned wages towards. Looking back now, I know I had made lots of mistakes when I was bringing up my first dog, my gorgeous miniature schnauzer. …
When looking for a dog there are some lovely breeds that are vulnerable
You have decided you are ready for a dog. You go to the Kennel club’s website and scroll through a gigantic list of breeds. (A very good place to start, each breed has a contact number for advice.) You may have met numerous dogs of one breed and that’s the dog for me. Scrolling through this long list, you discover all these breeds that you had no idea existed. And there are some real gems in those vulnerable categories. So why are they vulnerable? …
Animal Anecdote
They give us so much and I am forever grateful to my rescue dog Fred
February 2019. I remember the mixed emotions. Excitement and joy over finding Fred- a perfect match for us- and bringing him home from the rescue centre. Heartbreak and grief from the loss of my first dog so suddenly and cruelly.
Moving onto the present time. My little rescue dog has continued to amaze me with his resiliance and affection. He hasn’t rescued me from a burning building or saved me from drowning. But in many ways, he has saved me from sinking. This is why my dog is my superhero.
He has helped me cope with heartbreak
I really struggled to cope after losing my first dog…
Nixi C
My life revolves around animals- working as a dog groomer and puppy parent to my gorgeous rescue dog. In between dog haircuts I love to write!
