Penny
What To Do After Removing a Tick From Your Dog: Cleaning, Monitoring, and Warning Signs
The Panic is Over, But the Job Isn’t Done Picture the scene: We’ve just come back from a proper soggy stomp over the hills. I’ve got the towel out to dry off the mud, run my hands through the fur, and there it is. A tick. A nasty, grey little hitchhiker tucked behind the ear. […]
Shortest Living Dog Breeds: The Top 15 & The Science Behind Their Age
I was having a trudge up Mam Tor last Tuesday—bit of a drizzle, standard Peak District morning really—when I bumped into a chap with an Irish Wolfhound. Cracking dog. Size of a small pony and gentle as anything. We got to chatting while the dogs had a sniff, and he gave the big lad a […]
What to Do After Your Dog Has a Seizure: Immediate Steps & Recovery
I still remember the first time I saw a dog have a fit. It was years back, halfway up a muddy incline near Mam Tor with an old Spaniel named Barnaby. One minute he was sniffing a patch of heather, and the next, he was on his side, legs going like a drummer in a […]
How to Collect a Dog Urine Sample: The Stress-Free Method (Male & Female)
The Wee Job: Getting It Done Without the Drama It was a bleak Tuesday morning in the Peak District, rain lashing sideways, when I found myself chasing my Terrier, Barnaby, around the garden with a soup ladle. Not my finest hour, and certainly not the neighbours’ favourite view over the fence. But when the vet […]
Can You Get Worms From Your Dog? Assessing the Risks and How to Stay Safe
I was halfway up a particularly boggy incline near Kinder Scout last weekend, watching my spaniel, Barnaby, enthusiastically investigate something unspeakable in the heather. Just as I leaned in to clip his lead on, he spun around and planted a massive, slobbery lick right across my chops. While wiping away the slime (and trying not […]
How to Stop a Dog From Whining: Decoding the 5 Main Triggers (and Fixing Them)
There is a specific frequency—somewhere between the sound of a dentist’s drill and a dial-up modem connecting in 1999—that a whining dog seems to hit effortlessly. I was recently sitting in a layby near Mam Tor, trying to enjoy a flask of tea after a muddy scramble, when my own four-legged shadow decided that the […]
Why Your Dog Nuzzles You: Decoding Their Affection, Scents, and Worries
The Heart-Warming Stuff: Is It Just a Cuddle? There’s nothing quite like it. You’ve just kicked off your muddy walking boots after a long stomp, and your four-legged friend trots over, leans in, and gives your leg a thorough nuzzle. It’s a common, and usually heart-warming, bit of behaviour. For the most part, when your […]
Why Your Dog Digs on Your Bed: Uncovering the Instincts and What to Do
The Ritual of the Duvet Dance It’s a scene I know well. After a long, damp trek across Stanage Edge, the dog is finally dry, fed, and ready for a good kip. He hops onto the bed, gives me a look, and then it begins. The ritual sniffing, the frantic scratching at the duvet, the […]
Why Does My Dog Stretch When He Sees Me? Understanding the Happy Greeting
The “Greeting Stretch”: Your Dog’s Way of Saying Hello There’s nothing quite like coming through the door after a long day. You kick off your muddy boots, hang your coat, and there they are: your four-legged mate, giving you the most enormous, satisfying stretch. Front legs out, back arched, sometimes with a little groan for […]
What Is a Dog Run? From Muddy Paws to Peace of Mind
From Ruined Lawn to Relaxed Afternoons The other day, I looked out at the back garden after a typical Peak District downpour. It looked less like a lawn and more like a scene from a First World War documentary. The culprit? A very happy, very muddy Border Collie who thinks ‘digging for victory’ is still […]