Dogs
How to Get Rid of Fleas on Your Dog
The Unmistakable Itch: Spotting the Unwanted Lodgers The other evening, I was giving Buster a good old scratch behind the ears – his favourite spot. He was leaning into it, leg thumping on the floor like a drum solo, when I saw it. A tiny, dark speck moving at lightning speed through his coat. It […]
Crate Training Your Dog: The No-Nonsense Guide to a Happy Den
From Manic to Magic: A Natter About Dog Crates I remember the first night with Fern, our whirlwind of a Spaniel. The house was quiet, the lights were out, and then it started: a high-pitched, heart-wrenching whine from the new crate in the kitchen. Every instinct screamed to go and let her out for a […]
Why Your Dog Keeps Licking Their Paws (And When to Worry)
The Telltale Sound: Why Is My Dog Suddenly Obsessed with Licking Their Paws? It’s ten o’clock at night. The house is quiet, the telly’s off, and all you can hear is a faint, rhythmic sound from the dog bed. Slurp, slurp, slurp. It’s a noise every dog owner knows. My Spaniel, Fern, often gives her […]
Mucky Paws, Clean Floors: A Guide to Cleaning Your Dog’s Feet
Confessions of a Bog-Dwelling Spaniel Owner The other day, Fern the Spaniel discovered a bog. Not a puddle, mind. A full-scale, peat-filled, ‘welcome-to-the-moors’ sort of bog. She emerged five minutes later looking less like a dog and more like a mythical swamp creature, grinning from ear to floppy ear. My cream-coloured car was waiting patiently […]
How to Start a Dog Walking Business: A Practical Guide
From Puddle-Jumping Passion to Proper Profession It was one of those Tuesdays. The kind where the rain is coming in sideways across the moors, and you can’t tell where the sky ends and the bog begins. I was out with my own board of directors: Buster, the Labrador, whose entire life is a relentless quest […]
Can Dogs Eat Grapes? A Straight Answer for Worried Owners
That Heart-Stopping Moment in the Kitchen The other day, I was making a fruit salad – nothing fancy, just a bit of a pick-me-up. A single grape slipped from my fingers, bounced off the worktop, and began a slow-motion roll across the floor. Before I could even move, a black Labrador-shaped shadow, otherwise known as […]
Can Dogs Eat Blackberries? A Guide to Hedgerow Treats
The Bramble Bush Interruption There’s a certain point on our usual Peak District stomp when Fern, my ever-enthusiastic Spaniel, applies the brakes. It’s not for a rogue pheasant or the scent of a forgotten sandwich. It’s the bramble patch. Her nose twitches, her tail gives a tentative wag, and she looks back at me with […]
Crate Training Your Dog: A Guide to a Happy Den
From Muddy Paws to Peaceful Naps: Why We Bother with a Crate The other day, after a particularly squelchy walk up Mam Tor, I returned home with what looked like two mobile peat bogs. Buster, my Lab, was thrilled with his muddy makeover. Fern, the Spaniel, was vibrating with a mixture of rain, wind, and […]
Dog Car Sickness: A Guide to Puke-Free Journeys
That Sinking Feeling on the Snake Pass There’s a particular stretch of road between Glossop and Ladybower that I used to dread. Not because of the tourist traffic or the rogue sheep, but because it was the guaranteed point of no return for Fern, our high-octane Spaniel, when she was a pup. One minute she’d […]
How to Get Skunk Smell Off Your Dog: A Step-by-Step Guide for Immediate Relief
The Unmistakable Pong: What to Do When Your Dog Meets a Skunk There are certain smells that are just woven into the fabric of the Peak District. Damp earth, woodsmoke on the breeze, and, if you’re particularly unlucky on a late-night walk, the utterly unforgettable aroma of skunk. The other night, Fern the Spaniel, with […]