The result is a very confused dog pulling away at a lead which is wrapped several times around the post.

But it seems, this is not a problem Kenny Spottiswoode has had to deal with. Because his four year old dog Nike recently won the Pedigree Highland Agility Stakes final held at the Scottish Game Fair in Scone.

The Dundee trainer has been training and competing with dogs for almost ten years and he says that the secret to dog agility and training is to have lots of fun. He says that the best way to train is by doing two training sessions a week for five minutes at a time.

Kenny also stressed that the most important thing is to create a strong bond with your dog so that they enjoy the training.

Nike was required to tackle an obstacle course of jumps, tunnels and seesaws during the competition. It sounds like a big challenge to me. I think me and my dog will start off by mastering that lamppost.

a

Overcoming those obstacles

You can often find Bobby burying his face in dirt, trying to escape over fences and running away for a little holiday in next door’s garden. Mischievous doesn’t even begin to cover it.

This cheeky little dog has just turned two and when he reached this milestone I noticed a definite shift in his behaviour.

Although he still indulges in the occasional mischief, Bobby now spends more time sleeping. In fact, it’s very difficult to get him to do anything else sometimes.

He has got into the habit now of sleeping on the bed. But when the morning comes and everyone gets up, Bobby decides to go back to bed in true teenager fashion. He even gets under the covers and rests his head on the pillow!

Clearly, Bobby has matured over his two years. He has grown out of his naughty puppy tricks and now likes to enjoy a leisurely day relaxing, eating and sleeping.

Well, at least, I did think that until the other day, when I found his face buried in a muddy puddle again. Some dogs never learn.

a

The life of Bobby

But that’s not the general consensus at Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California. Here they hold an annual World’s Ugliest Dog Contest where celebrity judges choose one lucky winner for the title.

This year’s winner was Pabst, a boxer-mix shelter dog. Pabst sports a unique under bite as well as an adorable frown.

His owner, Miles Egstad was a first timer at the competition and won $1,600 in total during the dog competitions. And as part of his prize, Pabst won a year-round modelling contract which he signed with his paw.

Pabst was a rescue dog adopted by Egstad three years ago and he is the first ‘mutt’ to win the contest in more than seven years.

Some say he’s got a face that only his mother could love, but I think Pabst is adorable. Despite that prominent under bite.

a

Not so U.G.L.Y

And it is no different with dogs.

Although buying a dog should be treated as a serious decision and they should never be treated as fashion accessories, a lot of people seem to be inspired by breeds that are popular with celebrities.

One of my favourite breeds is the Pug. And these little guys seem to be extremely popular with the celebrities too, with Jessica Alba owning two called Syd and Nancy.

This breed is particularly striking with its wrinkly, short muzzled face and stocky build. Pugs are playful and like any dog, can offer a real sense of companionship.

But with this unusual dog costing around £1000, I think it might be a while before I indulge. Perhaps I’ll just treat myself to that new shade of lipstick for now.

a

Following the dog trend

It’s all very well us humans going out and enjoying the weather, but spare a thought for your four legged friend whilst you’re out sunning yourself.

There have been a few dog deaths recently as a result of careless people leaving them in cars. And it has even been reported that two police dogs have died after being left in a hot vehicle outside the force headquarters.

Lessons must be learnt from this. So before you run off to that ice-cream van, just make sure that your furry friend is in a cool, comfortable place, with plenty of water. Then you can sit back, relax and enjoy that 99…perhaps even with an extra flake!

a

Feeling hot, hot, hot

The incident occurred overnight last Friday. And the thieves took five dogs but dropped one of the puppies as they fled the scene.

A two year old black Pug worth £1000, a Chihuahua, worth £800 and four Chihuahua puppies valued at £800 each were taken by the thieves.

One of the Chihuahua puppies was dropped by the thieves and was later spotted and returned to its owner.

The theft happened on Finvoy Road in Ballymoney between the hours of 9:30pm on Friday and 6:30am on Saturday. Police have made an appeal for any information.

a

Shocking dog thefts

At least, I thought it was guilt. But researchers at a New York college think otherwise. Barnard College carried out an experiment where they tricked owners into thinking innocent pets had misbehaved.

Most of the owners claimed they could see that guilty look even when dogs had really done nothing wrong.

The study found that there was no link between the owner’s claim of reading a guilty look and whether the dog had misbehaved.

Well no matter what the scientists say, I still believe that dogs can display their emotions. After all, when their head has been buried in the rubbish bin, they’re right to look guilty.

a

That guilty look

Dog crates are meant to be a safe haven for your dog with some training methods advising that you put your puppy/dog in them for long periods of time.  I don’t really believe in this, though I the dog crate did come in handy.

Max used to be a nightmare whenever I cooked; jumping up, licking the side board and often steeling food.  I then started putting him in the cage whenever I cooked, at first he made a fuss and lots of noise, but very soon he got used to chilling out while I cooked in peace.  We’ve now gotten rid of the dog crate as it was quite space consuming however, Max now knows to behave and leave me to cook in peace.

Another great use for dog crates is to put puppies in at night.  According to friends it speeds up the process of teaching your puppy toilet manners.  Dogs are unlikely to go to the toilet in what they perceive as their bed and therefore hold it until you get up in the morning.  Leaving you to get up with no nasty mess to deal with!

a

Dog Crates Have Many Purposes

Now, talking about these energy certificates, you might be wondering what on Earth do these have to do with Dogs. Well, this is the misconception…

Lots and lots of people are under the misconception that owning a pet cat or dog will decrease the rating on your energy certificate.

Well, you may be pleased to know that this is not the case for most. Maybe, and just maybe if you own ten or more cats and dogs, then this may potentially affect your energy rating if you are not well set-up, but I personally think this is not the case.

So what’s your opinion on this? Do you think that by owning a pet dog, the government should decrease the energy certificate rating for your home and business?

Many would not like this but I’m sure there are a few out there who would like to see a decrease?

What do you say to this?

a

Energy Certificate and Pet Dog equals Misconception

Lots of people don’t really realise the fact that lots and lots of office workers out there do not like the fact of having any sort of pets in the office, except if it’s fish as these don’t get in the way of anyone working in the office.

It’s not that people don’t like pets in the office; it’s just that when the pets, cats and dogs start to raid the office furniture, this is when it stops people from working. This is the major point. Staff find it difficult to work, especially when they have deadlines and meeting to meet and attend.

This goes to all the office bosses and managers out there. Bringing animals and pets to the office can really bring down and destroy the morale of the people.

Some people also have a really strong phobia with dogs and cats. When they come within a 100 meter’s of one, they begin to feel funny quite dodgy.

Basically, my point is that in the end of the day, the best action to take is not to bring an animal which could potentially cause anyone even a little bit on uneasiness to the office. An office is a place to work, not to relax!

a

Office and dogs don’t go together