These dogs are in a foster home where they’ve been assessed and now just need that special family to give them their happy forever after. It may seem daunting to take on two oldies, but the ones below are wonderful pairs who will just give you twice the love of a single dog.

Max & Pepsi

Max and Pepsi are 12-year-old brother and sister Labrador-collies. Sadly, their owner passed away, which is why they are now in a foster home in Norfolk, awaiting a forever home. They settled in well and, although they are very people orientated, they can be left for short periods. They’re well behaved with other dogs, potentially might chase cats, and appear to be well behaved with visiting children. Could they spend their retirement with you?

Buddy & Zephy

Sadly, Buddy and Zephy have been with us a while. These two wonderful older dogs have lived together, so they are looking for that extra special family willing to take on two old sweeties. They can be left for a short time, enjoy short walks and are happy in the car. Both are very loving dogs just waiting for their forever home.

Honey & Alfie

Another pair who are patiently waiting are Honey and Alfie, they are also looking for a home together. Honey is anxious when left, but Alfie is a bit more relaxed, but he’s hard of hearing and has cataracts, so likes to know someone is around for him. Short walks only for this lovely pair; they much prefer to potter in the garden. If they do go on walks, they must be kept on lead, as they have no recall at all. Their ideal home would be on one level, with someone around most of the time. This pair of sweeties would love a special family.

Single and ready to mingle!

Oldies Club also has some single dogs awaiting their forever homes:

Jay

Jay is a wonderful 12-year-old terrier cross. He was originally rescued from Cyprus, so his age is more of an estimate. He is an energetic boy, so perhaps he is younger. He settled within a week; he can be left for a short while but is very happy to see you when you return. He has lived with other dogs in the past, doesn’t seem fazed by cats and has been good with grandchildren (although always under supervision). He is a lovely boy, who is awaiting a comfy sofa and forever home to spend his retirement.

Hunter

Hunter is a sweet little eight-year-old Pug. He would prefer to be an only dog, although he is fine with dogs outside of home. He is wary of young children, so he would need a home with teenagers who understand his needs. Another happy little dog awaiting a forever home.

Max
Lastly, we have Max, a white German Shepherd. Max is eight years old and has suffered a lot of upheaval before he came to Oldies Club so he took a while to settle. He was frightened and nervous – a little bit growly due to his fear. He’s now settled and has a wonderful, affectionate nature. He can be left alone for a short time but does love his family. He could possibly be rehomed with a resident dog but we are unsure about cats.

Oldies Club have other dogs in its care, awaiting assessment. Once they are, they will be featured on the OC site, so do keep checking in if these retirement buddies aren’t suitable for you.

The post Loving retirement homes needed appeared first on Dogs Monthly.

1. GRATITUDE

Dogs know that you have saved them and bless you with their gratitude – the look that says ‘Thank you for saving me; thank you for loving me.’

2. COMPANIONSHIP

When everyone else has left you, or just not been the person you thought they were, your old dog will offer you the best companionship you could wish for.

3. WELL-BEING

Older dogs are so good for our mental health. In general, they need less exercise, but they do make us get up and go out – even on the days you’d really rather stay in bed!

4. LOYALTY

No matter what has happened to a dog, their ability to be loyal never falters. However long you have with your older companion, they will be loyal to their last breath.

5. PRIDE

Is there anything better than the pride of helping an old dog? There are so many ways you can be involved and every part of it helps dogs in need. Getting Involved – Oldies Club

6. HOPE

When times are tough, for whatever reason, an old dog gives us hope that things are good, that their very existence in our lives gives us hope for our future.

7. EMPATHY

Feeling sad? Lonely? Poorly? Your dog will pick up on this and do their best to cheer you up. It could be trying to get you to play, or just wanting to be extra close to you – they are so empathetic.

8. THE BEST MEDICINE

Laughter is the best medicine, and you’ll certainly have a few smiles and laughs with your old companion. They still have a puppy-ness about them even when they’re ancient; their inner ‘naughty puppy’ still surfaces from time to time, and we can’t help but laugh.

9. DE-STRESS

Just look at your old companion, happily snoozing away, and your heart fills with love and you can’t help but feel less stressed.

10. RELAXATION

Perhaps they like to follow you around the garden where they’re content just to be close, encouraging you to sit down and relax so they can have extra cuddles/attention. It’s so good for us!

11. MATURITY

Old/mature dogs are so much easier to take care of. There’s no puppy training, they need less exercise and they generally not as naughty as younger dogs.

12. CONTENTMENT

Older dogs are often happy to forgo a walk in horrible weather. They are just as happy to have a pootle around the garden, sit with a treat-filled toy or just stop in the warm where they are happy and cosy.

After reading all about these 12 dog gifts of Christmas, don’t worry if you don’t currently have a canine companion. Oldies Club has just the dog for you!

ADOPT: have a look at our special oldies just waiting for that special person/family:

Dogs in Oldies Club Care – Oldies Club

FOSTER: if you don’t want to adopt at the moment you could foster for us. Fostering is the greatest gift that we can give as it literally saves their life:

Foster Homes for Dogs – Oldies Club

SPONSOR: if fostering is also not possible, we have several sponsor dogs who need support. Please look at our lovelies and see if there’s one that reaches out to you:

Sponsor an Oldie – Oldies Club

FUNDRAISING: we are always looking for ways to fundraise to bring in much-needed funds. If you are an experienced fundraiser and would like to volunteer a few hours, please consider applying for this role:

Are you an experienced Fundraiser and love old dogs? – Oldies Club

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BUDDY AND ZEPHY

Buddy & Zephy are a wonderful pair who have lived together, so they are looking for that extra special family willing to take on two old sweeties. They can be left for a short time, enjoy short walks and are happy in the car. Both are very loving dogs just waiting for their forever home.

https://www.oldies.org.uk/2023/steady-sweethearts-buddy-zephy-oldies-club-fostered-wiltshire

HONEY AND ALFIE

Honey and Alfie are also looking for a home together. Honey is anxious when left, but Alfie is a bit more relaxed – however, as he’s hard of hearing and has cataracts, he likes to know someone is around for him. Short walks only for this lovely pair; they much prefer to potter in the garden. If they do go on walks they must be kept on leads, as they have no recall at all. Their ideal home would be on one level, with someone around most of the time.

https://www.oldies.org.uk/2023/fluffy-poppets-honey-alfie-oldies-club-fostered-devon

PEPSI AND MAX

Our final pair of lovelies, Pepsi and Max, are Labrador-collie sister and brother. They would like someone around most of the time. Pepsi walks well but prefers to walk with her brother. They’d love to live in a quiet, peaceful area with a large garden. They love to be together, preferably with their humans.

https://www.oldies.org.uk/2023/pepsi-max-drink-in-their-beauty-oldies-club-fostered-norfolk

MABEL

Mabel is a lovely girl who adores her treats, playtime, cuddles and teddies! She needs a home with easy access to a garden and cannot climb stairs in the home. Sadly, Mabel has suffered some trauma, which has resulted in a problem with her back legs. Because of this, she uses a wheelchair, but she can be taken out of it for a good roll in the grass!

https://www.oldies.org.uk/2023/cute-n-cuddly-mabel-frenchie-oldies-club-fostered-kent

LIBBY

Last but not least is lovely Libby. She has recently become blind, but that doesn’t stop her at all. Libby is OK left for short periods but needs someone who is around most of the day. She’d like to be the only pet in the home. An enclosed secure garden is needed for Libby, something that is easy for her to get around. Not too many steps/no steps would be best in her home. She’s just a wonderful dog who needs a loving forever home.

https://www.oldies.org.uk/2023/lap-loving-libby-oldies-club-fostered-london-nw10

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‘Wings and Brushstrokes’, by Michelle Pearson Cooper, features stunning portraits of diverse breeds, from the Japanese Akita to the Labrador. Crossbreeds are catered for too in the form of a beautiful portrait of Samur, the former Icelandic president’s dog, a cross between a German and Icelandic Sheepdog (below).

It’s no surprise, then, that artist Michelle Pearson Cooper is a big dog lover. She has two Lurchers of her own, Wizard (11 years) and Brodie (2), and says Lurchers make perfect companions for artists, chilling calmly in the studio.

“They will sleep for hours and are very peaceful, but when walking they are very exciting to watch. Clean too, not greedy, but steal beautifully and very intelligent. I am attracted to painting and drawing cheetah too, of which they have a lot in common with their speed and lung capacity to reach up to 40mph in long dogs and 70mph in cheetah.”

Dogs have always been an important part of Michelle’s life, and she has enjoyed capturing their unique personalities.

“I’ve always loved painting dogs, as I’ve grown up with them from a bad-tempered Jack Russell, which we adopted in Germany when I was a baby and my father was stationed there, to a series of black Labradors that my father loved particularly (many I painted as birthday presents for him over the years).

“My mother had a Miniature Smooth-haired Dachshund called Samson (I experimented with pastels for his portrait, but it’s a medium I found out early on that I didn’t like using) and then adopted a couple of small dogs and a Lancashire Heeler, but by that time I was 21 and having my first exhibition, a solo show in Bond Street, and receiving my first commission from David Palmer, a close friend, to paint a Springer Spaniel for his father, Richard Palmer (of Huntley & Palmer) and my life as a professional artist took off!”

It certainly did! And not just in the UK but globally.

“Since 1979, I have painted dogs all around the world and will be travelling to Geneva next month to have a sitting with my next subject. The last time I was there, a few years back, was to paint five dogs for Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan.

“I love painting dogs they are – and have been – a constant companion throughout my life.”

Michelle’s Lurchers

“Our first Lurcher, Bertie, was an engagement present to ourselves, with cream soft fur, a very sensitive dog and gentle with our young children. Since then, we have had a brindle rescue, Shadow, who had ‘issues’… then Blue, who had a dark blue/black broken coat and four white paws. Blue was gentle but had the typical Lurcher temperament and wouldn’t stand for any nonsense from the children or other dogs and gently made sure everyone knew their place – a good, loyal teacher, who showed our next dog, Wizard, the ropes…

“Wizard is the fourth I’ve owned, who I got as a puppy. His mother was discovered tied to a post on the Downs with a broken leg and rescued by friends, who took her to the vet to then be informed that a litter of 11 were imminent! The mother was a large, black, smooth-coated Greyhound with tan Saluki ‘feathers’ on the tail and ears; the father, we believe, was an Irish Wolf/Deerhound cross that we spotted at a traveller fair some months later… identical to Wizard and most his litter.

“Wizard is a powerful looking dog who we’ve all adored and thankfully now past the best of his coursing years; although interested to watch the hare and deer in motion, he has sensibly realised that his speed is not what it used to be, unlike a recently adopted smaller Lurcher, Brodie, who is only two and a half and as fast as lightning!

“Brodie’s former owner realised that after his business took off and he was needing to travel, after the pandemic was over, he could no longer give him the attention that a dog requires. It was a heartbreaking decision for him, but we had recently lost our old faithful yellow Labrador and after our daughter had connected us, it seemed that fate had stepped in.

“We knew that a puppy wouldn’t work with an old Deerhound Lurcher, who we had nearly lost two months before with a virus, but after being on a drip for two days and nights, he rallied and has a very good bond with Brodie, who is smaller, with a slightly rougher coat and probably a bit more Whippet and maybe a bit of Bedlington Terrier in his gene pool.

“Brodie pushes the boundaries, but Wizard keeps him in check and on walks he is more often on a long lead, with a tracker on his collar, until we get to a fenced-in field where there is no evidence of a something to chase. Brodie has certainly rejuvenated our very special senior dog for whom he a good connection and healthy respect!”

Listening to Michelle talking about her beloved Lurchers, it’s clear she’s a dog lover through and through – and it’s a passion that’s evident in her work too. And it’s not just pet dogs that feature. Visitors to her exhibition will also find some striking oil paintings of Painted Dogs, observed in the South African bush in the Eastern Cape.

“Painted Dogs are also known as Wild Dogs and Cape Hunting Dogs with no two having the same markings,” says Michelle. “They hunt in a pack are very social and are found in the Kruger National Park but their population is being severally reduced as they pose a threat to the farming stock.”

FACTBOX
Artist: Michelle Pearson Cooper
Dates: 18 October – 11 November 2023
Location: Osborne Studio Gallery, 2 Motcomb St, Belgravia, London SW1X 8JU
Entry: Free admission to the gallery
Website: www.osg.uk.com

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Puppy farmers are harder to spot than you think. They know prospective owners want to see home-reared pups with mum present. As puppy buyers are becoming more knowledgeable, so the rogue breeders are becoming more cunning.

Rachel Atkinson, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, bought a Cockapoo, Fynn, in August 2021. Fynn was poorly from the moment she collected him, suffering from parasites and viruses common in puppy-farmed dogs, and nearly dying just three days after coming home. Although Fynn survived, due to extensive care and love from Rachel and multiple vet visits, others in his litter weren’t so lucky.

“I looked on the internet and found a well-written advert with pictures, references that the puppies were home-reared, the puppies’ birth dates and highlighting that purchasers could see the mother. I rang the number and a lady answered. She was a little vague on details and emphasised her son was the breeder. I rang back later to query details about the puppies’ parents, like vaccine certificates and veterinary health tests, and she seemed slightly taken aback that I should ask.

“When I visited the puppies, the house was very clean and the garden was beautifully kept. I should have known – no one with that many dogs can maintain an immaculate garden. A very thin and tired female Cocker Spaniel was wandering around; we were told it was the puppies’ mother. I noticed she did not seem particularly protective of her puppies. I wondered whether she was worn out from over-breeding, or perhaps not even the real mother…

“The lady was reluctant to give me her name. Instead, she continued to reiterate that her son was the breeder. All the puppies were in a travelling crate, as if they had just been brought to the home for viewing. Alarm bells should have been clanging in my ears, but I had fallen in love with a little chocolate male, Fynn. I should have walked away and reported them, but I couldn’t; I was sucked in by puppy eyes… I paid the deposit of £150 to her son’s bank account and agreed I would collect the puppy when he was eight weeks old.

“On collection day, my daughter and I returned to the house, but only my Fynn seemed to be there. There was no sound of other dogs barking or moving around, and no mum dog. I asked about the food the puppy had been fed, so I could keep it the same, but she didn’t know and said her son fed them. I wasn’t altogether happy, but paid the remaining £1,000.

“As my daughter and I put Fynn into our dog crate, we were told, ‘Don’t worry if he is a bit loose because he has just had his vaccines’. Vaccinations had never made any of my other dogs ‘loose’, but I took her word for it. As we drove away, within moments, there was puppy diarrhoea everywhere. We stopped and I cleaned him up and at home I bathed him. Before the end of the day, my little Fynn was extremely poorly, so I took him to my vet.

“Fynn’s faeces was tested. He had a parasite, giardia, chlamydia and rectal streptococcus, likely from the mother. The vet wanted the breeder’s details to inform them of the diagnosis, so they could let the other owners know, and he asked to have their ‘facilities’ inspected. It was obvious to me and my vet that these poor puppies had been bred in a warehouse and sold from a neutral location, hiding the reality.

“I was looking after Fynn alone, and it was heart-breaking to stand outside the vet’s and see them peel back the blanket Fynn was wrapped in and hear them say Fynn could die, just three days after bringing him home. The cost was financial, but also costly in time, emotion and worry.

“While Fynn is now doing well and has no lasting effects from his horrendous start in life, it took many months of vet visits and medication. My vet did have more puppies come to him, which were obviously from the same litter, because they had exactly the same problems, but sadly they didn’t make it.

“I felt dreadful when Fynn became ill. I felt stupid. I should have known better. I have owned dogs for over 20 years, and I ask myself how I become ‘sucked in’ even though I had a gut feeling right from the beginning that something didn’t quite ‘add up’.”

Rachel’s story with Fynn illustrates how easily rogue traders can lure in unsuspecting puppy buyers and use clever guises to hide a puppy’s true background simply to make a profit, without any concern for their health or welfare.

“While there is nothing wrong with seeing an advert for a puppy online, you should always then be looking to see the puppy’s home environment and the puppy with its mum,” said Mark Beazley, chief executive of the Kennel Club, which is urging the public to Be Puppywise. “Be cautious of adverts using words that try to lure you in with promises of ‘rare’ dogs or a quick sale, or cute photos on social media.

“For anyone thinking about getting a dog, avoid this heartache and incredible suffering, and make sure you look beyond the ‘puppy dog eyes’ and take your time with any decisions.”

Alongside this urgent warning, the Kennel Club has advice and practical resources – from videos to top tips – for would-be owners to help them Be Puppywise as part of its campaign: thekennelclub.org.uk/bepuppywise

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Welcoming dogs, cats, as well as small furries, the charity’s friendly, dedicated clinic team offers a full small-animal practice provision. Among the services offered are preventive health-care options including vaccination, neutering, weight management and senior clinics. Care of ill and injured pets is also provided including diagnostic investigations, operations, dental procedures, acupuncture, and, ultimately, compassionate euthanasia if needed.

The brand-new clinic boasts lovely modern facilities including consulting rooms, separate dog and cat wards, an operating theatre, laboratory area, diagnostic imaging suite and dental suite. Much of the equipment was funded through the generosity of the local community, businesses and grants, fundraised by the charity as part of its ‘Healing Hearts Appeal’.

Helping dogs like Hope

A recent patient who found herself homeless through no fault of her own was a little spaniel called Hope, who is currently being cared for by Birmingham Dogs Home.

Poor Hope had been abandoned and tied up so tightly that her back leg had deep lacerations. She was no longer able to feel her paw or bear any weight when she was first seen by the charity’s clinical team and amputation seemed likely. However, after six weeks of treatment, she gradually began to show signs of improvement, with repairing nerves and feeling returning to her injured leg.

With lots of TLC from the Birmingham Dogs Home team, she is now gaining confidence and become the playful, happy little soul she was meant to be and has found her forever home with a loving new family.

BDH’s head veterinary surgeon, Dr Becky Westwood, commented, “We were delighted to provide this life-changing treatment for little Hope, and our team look forward to welcoming new clients and providing the best quality care to local pet owners from our lovely new facilities in Solihull.”

By registering your pet with the Birmingham Dog’s Home Veterinary Clinic, you are helping to support this charity and help little girls like Hope have the chance of a better future.

For more information about Birmingham Dogs Home’s Vet Clinic, visit www.bdhvetclinic.org.uk, call 0121 643 4324 or email info@bdhvetclinic.org.uk

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Chris Beddoes remembers the day his world turned upside down. On 5 August 2015, the then 33-year-old collapsed while working as a senior healthcare assistant within the medical assessment department at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital – a job he’d had for 16 years.

“I was making up an A&E trolley and reaching over to do the far corner and collapsed before waking up on the trolley in terrific pain,” said Chris.

The dad of two, now 41, was left with chronic back pain, and was eventually diagnosed with muscular-skeletal disease. The devastating condition is inoperable and is causing his spine to crumble away. All medics can do is prescribe painkillers.

Chris began using a wheelchair in 2016 and his home became a virtual prison, as he couldn’t go anywhere on his own. Even getting dressed was a struggle, and he couldn’t do a lot without the help of his wife or his teenage sons.

But since having his pet dog, Charlie, trained by national charity Support Dogs, his outlook has greatly improved. Now Charlie, a four-year-old black Labrador, is helping Chris back to independence.

Before Charlie, Chris relied on his wife Clare and teenage sons Jack and Daniel to do everyday tasks. But Clare has her own health issues, including autism, anxiety, agoraphobia and curvature of the spine, which made it extremely difficult for Chris to rely on his wife.

“I used to go out in the wheelchair but had to have someone with me and I couldn’t dress myself,” said Chris, who lives in Kidderminster. “It used to be quite frustrating, because I like to go out and do things and be occupied. When the lads were at school, it was more difficult to do. From being a fully independent, mobile, active person to not being able to work or go out, was quite a shock.”

But that’s where Charlie comes in. The Lab helps Chris with dressing and undressing, picks up dropped items, lifts Chris’s legs on to his bed, fetches the post, opens and closes doors and raises the alarm if Chris gets into difficulty. Charlie even pays for things with Chris’s debit card, and gets tins, jars and bottles from supermarket shelves.

“Now I go out as much as I can, really,” said Chris. He helps me keep independent. Charlie even goes to church with me.”

Thanks to Charlie, and Chris’s mobility car, he can once again do activities with his sons, as well as take Charlie for a walk on his own.

Chris had looked into getting an assistance dog and he discovered that Support Dogs can train family pets. The Beddoes bought Charlie when he was two months old and he had his first assessment with the charity seven months later. Due to delays during the pandemic, Charlie underwent his six-week training in May 2022, followed by the family having two weeks of training.

Charlie recently graduated from the course, which Chris says is “just marvellous”.
Asked whether he could imagine life without Charlie, Chris said, “Definitely not. He’s my left arm, my right arm, my left leg, my right leg and everything in between. He helps me with absolutely everything.”

Chris is full of praise for Support Dogs, which has been training dogs to help people to live independently for more than 30 years.

“I think Support Dogs are invaluable, especially the way they train up their own dogs, as well as pet dogs”, said Chris. I really don’t know how they do it all – and it’s all voluntary and all thanks to people giving donations to enable them to do all this exceptional work.

“It’s life-changing, really – being able to go out and do stuff and get that independence back. They have been really supportive throughout the whole process. There is no miracle drug for my condition, it’s just going to get worse, making what Charlie does even more vital. Support Dogs are absolute life-savers.”

To find out more about Support Dogs, visit www.supportdogs.org.uk

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Heat-related illnesses (HRI) such as heatstroke are potentially fatal for dogs and can occur following exercise or from exposure to hot environments. While many risk factors can increase the probability of HRI occurring, the priority is to cool dogs early and to ensure rapid reduction in their core body temperature to limit disease progression.

Veterinary surgeons and canine scientists from the RVC, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and emergency veterinary care provider Vets Now conducted a study into HRI using data from a cohort of 945,543 dogs under primary veterinary care at 886 UK veterinary practices between 2016 and 2018. Overall, 856 dogs presented for veterinary management of HRI.

The findings showed less than a quarter (21.7%) of the dogs presented with heatstroke to UK vets during this period had been actively cooled before being transported to the veterinary clinic, and only 24% of these dogs had been cooled using currently recommended methods of either immersion or soaking combined with air movement. More than half (51.3%) of these cooled dogs had been cooled using outdated advice by applying wet towels. While better than no active cooling, the application of wet towels is not nearly as effective as water immersion or evaporative cooling for rapid and steep reduction in body temperature.

Many websites continue to offer outdated first-aid advice to dog owners that recommend ‘slow’ cooling using ‘tepid but not cold water’, despite no substantial evidence to support this guidance. Similar myths about using tepid water in human medicine have been dispelled by extensive research demonstrating that cold-water immersion and evaporative cooling are the most effective treatments for heatstroke. The VetCompass study also showed there had been no increase in the use of recommended cooling methods over the three-year study period, despite the publication of the recommended guidelines in 2016 by the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care’s Veterinary Committee on Trauma.

This new research calls for first-aid advice to be updated to the current best practice veterinary guidelines, which recommend to ‘cool first, transport second’ as the immediate first-aid response for dogs with heatstroke. Recommended cooling methods include cold-water immersion for young, healthy dogs, or pouring water of any temperature that is cooler than the dog over them combined with air movement from a breeze, fan or air conditioning (evaporative cooling) for older dogs or dogs with underlying health problems. Owners should also seek veterinary advice as soon as possible.

Emily Hall, lecturer in Veterinary Education at the RVC, and lead author of the paper, said:

“The key message for dog owners is to cool the dog quickly, using whatever water you have available provided the water is cooler than the dog. The longer a dog’s body temperature remains elevated, the more damage can occur, so the sooner you can stop the temperature rise and start cooling, the better.”

Anne Carter, senior lecturer in Animal Science at SRUC, and co-author of the paper, said:

“It takes time to put research into practice, and this can be harder when you’re faced with long-standing myths. We urge veterinary professionals, dog owners and any sources of first-aid advice to review the recommendations on cooling methods, dispel the myths and promote the message to ‘cool first, transport second’.”

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Pack Holidays has put together 10 tips on how to make your senior softie as happy and comfortable as possible.

1. Get a Vet Check Before You Go

It’s natural for dogs to slow down a bit as they get older, but it’s important to have regular vet checks to ensure your dog remains healthy, comfortable and pain-free from common age-related conditions such as arthritis.

It’s advisable to time one of these regular vet checks for shortly before you go away on holiday, for your own peace of mind and to minimise any problems while you’re away.

2. Reduce External Stress Factors

We know not everything can be controlled, especially while you’re away on holiday, but there are a few things you can plan for. For example, think ahead to certain dates such as Bonfire Night or New Year’s Eve when there are bound to be fireworks. Choose a holiday cottage that best suits a reactive dog, if yours has noise sensitivity or other issues. Some holiday companies provide information on nearby noises, such as loud bird scarers or busy roads, and some even give a ‘reactivity rating’. Reducing external stress factors as much as possible helps keep your senior dog relaxed and happy.

3. Maintain a Consistent Routine

Easier said than done, we know, but try to plan your day around your usual routine while you’re away. This includes consistent mealtimes, walkies and bedtime. The more your senior dog follows their usual routine, the more at home and in control they’ll feel while they’re away.

4. Shorter Walkies

Walks are important for a dog (and human’s) mental and physical health, but just as you wouldn’t take great-granny on an ultra-marathon hike through the Pyrenees, so should you plan your routes before you go, tailoring walks and excursions to your dog’s abilities. Many older dogs don’t know their own limits and will happily try and keep up with you. to their own detriment.

5. Avoid Travelling in Hot Weather

The risk of heat stroke or heat exhaustion is a concern for dogs of any age, but it’s particularly perilous for seniors. With their extra layer of furry insulation, try to keep your dog as cool as possible by planning your travel in the evening when the sun has gone down, or early in the morning before it comes up, if possible. Car aircon, a cooling pad and a travel fan are all options for keeping your senior chilled and relaxed.

6. Take Plenty of Breaks En Route

Us humans will usually take a pit stop every few hours to stretch our legs, grab a coffee and use the facilities. Sometimes it’s easy to overlook that dogs can’t hold their bladders for as long as us and also need a stretch, some fresh air and a few slurps of water. Senior dogs require this even more regularly, particularly those with stiff joints and weakened bladders. Enjoy the opportunity for extra coffees and extra doggie strolls and cuddles.

7. Stay at Your Destination Longer

Especially if you’re travelling quite a distance to your destination when holidaying with an older dog, consider staying at your holiday cottage a little longer than a day or two. Travelling can be stressful for some and it could be disruptive to introduce new surroundings before moving on again the next day. Plan plenty of time to rest and recuperate before travelling back home.

8. Make the Car Journey Comfortable

We know that dogs need to be suitably restrained in the car, whether that’s in a crate or attached via a harness. But that doesn’t mean they can’t also be comfortable too. Take plenty of snuggly blankets and maybe your dog’s favourite toy to accompany them on their travels. If your senior dog doesn’t suffer from motion sickness, take some tasty treats and chews with you too and offer water throughout the journey.

9. Keep Your Dog’s Diet Consistent

It’s so easy to disrupt your usual routine when away on holiday. If you’re eating out more, avoid sneaking table scraps to your dog. And make sure you take your dog’s usual food with you, in case you have difficulty sourcing it while you’re away. Older dogs are more prone to getting unsettled tummies and sickness from changes in diet, so do your best to maintain the dietary status quo!

10. Pick the Right Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottage

Last but certainly not least, choose the right holiday cottage that feels like a home away from home for your elderly furry companion. Pack Holidays offer holiday cottages specifically catered for dogs. And for senior dogs in particular, they can even offer dog buggies and high food stands to help.

Whether you’re looking for somewhere by the sea or closer to a busy market town, Pack Holidays have a wide selection of stunning holiday cottages for you to choose from, along with reactive dog ratings, information on fence heights, recommendations for local dog friendly pubs, cafes and restaurants and details on local walks and things to do with your senior dog.

What’s more, on arrival at your chosen cottage, you’ll be greeted with a welcome pack, doggie treats, spare blankets, throws and other thoughtful additions. The ulit-mutt choice for the pawfect holiday for you and your senior dog.

The post Holidaying with an older dog appeared first on Dogs Monthly.

One of the nation’s best-loved vet looks back at the funniest, most absurd and heart-breaking animal encounters and situations he has been in over his long and highly successful career. Peter Wright reflects on the changes he’s seen in vet practice, farming and pet ownership, describes how our relationship with our pets has evolved over the decades, remembers his own personal pets and the relationships we build with our animals and recounts his personal grief at the loss of them.

“My mentor and former boss, Alf Wight, said that the life of a vet is never dull and how true he was. It is funny looking back that he found fame through his James Herriot books, and now his former surgery and myself have been taken to the nation’s heart once again through our show The Yorkshire Vet.

“It just shows what a nation of animal lovers we are and these past few years have been particularly challenging for all of us with the Coronavirus outbreak. But what it has shown me is the comfort and support out pets give us in times like these. All the same, it was this, along with recent changes to my working life that gave me an opportunity to reflect, so I want to look back at some of my favourite cases and share them with you.”

Early animals

Normal Knowles was a Wesleyan Methodist and as such he did not drink and he did not use profanities.

‘By Jove,’ was as strong an exclamation as you were likely to hear from him. He was a genial God-fearing man who would do anything for anyone and ran the 180-acre Manor Farm, not far from the North Yorkshire market town of Thirsk where I grew up and still live. His only vice was smoking. You would rarely see him without a cigarette hanging from his lips. It would bob up and down when he talked and the ash would drop from it when it got too long, because once he’d started a smoke, Norman rarely removed it from his mouth.

He was a lovely man and had a good sense of humour. His wife Joan, who died recently at the age of over a hundred, was a fervent churchgoer who hardly missed a Sunday service. Norman enjoyed cooking, which was unusual for a man at the time. Joan would go to church on Sunday, while Norman stayed at home.

My grandfather, Fred, worked on Norman’s farm as a farm manager. Previously, he’d tried to work on his in-laws farm but couldn’t get on with them so he left and went to work for Norman, as did my dad, Ken, who worked as a labourer there too for a time. They were treated as friends, not employees. Norman wasn’t one to work his fingers to the bone. He appeared to have many aunts whom he would regularly take to the seaside or for afternoon tea.

Norman had a dog, a black-and-white Border Collie named Pip. Pip was a useless farm dog, but Norman, who was a benevolent man, wasn’t worried. Pip was a companionable dog and Norman forgave him his inadequacies.

If Pip had been a human, he would have been just the type of person that Norman avoided. Pip was always on the lookout to get something he shouldn’t. He was sneaky, stealthy and quite untrustworthy. You could see it in his eyes, which generally darted about seeking opportunities. He was always thinking. He was lean, as a lot of farm dogs were back then, and he tended to skulk and slink about moving like he was made of liquid, curling himself quietly around doors and into places he shouldn’t be, always alert, always looking for food.

Pip wasn’t an extrovert like a lot of collies. He didn’t jump up and smother you. He was not an in-your-face dog, not full of himself, but was generally friendly. He kept himself to himself and 99 per cent of the time he’d be fine. But there was always that one per cent there, meaning you just couldn’t trust him completely.

Norman didn’t expect too much of Pip and Pip was an opportunist who would take any opportunity to grab food from whoever he could. Sometimes he was successful, managing to grab an egg here, a tart cooling on the rack there, or a farm worker’s lunch which had been left carelessly unattended. Periodically, as a youngster, I’d hear the call. ‘Pip! Get away with you!’ And sometimes I’d see Pip streak past the house, a sandwich clenched in his jaws, often followed by a flying boot or a piece of farm equipment hurled hopelessly in his direction by a farm worker who anticipated a hungry afternoon without his lunch.

But these small and occasional hauls were nothing compared with Pip’s finest hour, an audacious heist which went down in Manor Farm folklore as ‘The day Pip got one over on Norman’. Although it is up for dispute, my grandfather may have had something to do with it, providing as he did, an unwitting diversion behind which Pip carried out his dastardly act.

Norman and Fred were friends. Although Norman was technically Granddad Wright’s boss, they got on well and would often stop each other for a natter, putting the world to rights, or complaining about something or other – with Norman it would usually be the increasing price of cigarettes. On the day in question, a Sunday, Fred had walked past the farmhouse around midday on the way to check a calf that was under the weather and Norman was outside, having a cigarette in the garden because he didn’t like to smoke in the house. Naturally the men bid each other good day and started to chat.

‘Morning Fred.’

‘Morning Norman. I just called in to check on a calf I was worried about this morning.’

Norman explained that Joan had gone to church and that he’d managed to skip the Sunday service because he had urgent farm business to attend to, which was most likely reading the Sunday paper and enjoying a leisurely breakfast and a few Woodbines (cigarettes).

Fred noticed some mouth-watering aromas wafting through the open kitchen window. His stomach gurgled.

‘Is dinner about ready, Norman? What are you having?’

‘Well, Fred, I’m chief cook and bottlewasher while Joan has gone to chapel. We’ve got a lovely rib of beef. It’s just resting on the side now. Puddings are in. I’ve got it all under control, Fred.’

It was then that Fred was momentarily distracted by a flash of black and white in the corner of his eye. He tilted his head to look past Norman, who was waxing lyrically about his prowess in the kitchen, to see Pip sprint away from the open back door, which led to the kitchen. Clenched firmly in the dog’s jaws was a glistening joint of beef, still steaming, dripping with juices which had created a rivulet of reddish brown down his white chest – in fact he looked like he was wearing a tie and bib. Pip’s eyes were wide with excitement, basking in the ecstatic knowledge that he was making off with perhaps the biggest prize of his food-stealing career. Norman was in mid-flow of conversation and oblivious to his disappearing dinner. Fred, head still cocked to one side, narrowed his eyes and cleared his throat as Pip headed for the safety of nearby fields at one hundred miles an hour.

Norman stopped talking.

In classic Yorkshire understatement Fred said, ‘I think Pip’s just had your dinner, Norman,’ and pointed to the dog, who was now halfway across the field and moving at such speed that any attempt to catch him would be a pointless endeavour. Norman looked to where Fred was pointing and realised what had happened.

‘The blessed dog!’ he exclaimed, using the most restrained Methodist expletive he could muster. He ran off after the thief.

Granddad was still laughing about it several hours later when we all sat down to dinner in his cottage. We later heard that the verbal admonishments that were directed at Pip when he finally slunk back home later that afternoon with a full belly were nothing compared with the interrogation by Joan that Norman was subjected to, for leaving the back door open while knowing what a thief Pip was.

The Tales and Tails of a Yorkshire Vet by Peter Wright, published by Mardle Books, is out on 11 May 2023 (RRP £20 hardback) 

WIN! 

We have five copies of The Tales and Tails of a Yorkshire Vet to give away!

Five winners will be picked at random. Enter at: https://dogsmonthly.co.uk/contact-us/
Provide your name, address and email address, and put ‘Yorkshire Vet’ in the subject line. Closing date: noon (UK time) on 15th May 2023

Good luck! 

The post Yorkshire Vet: win copies of his new book! appeared first on Dogs Monthly.