Recent amendments to the Dangerous Dogs Act meant to tackle irresponsible dog ownership, came into effect on 13 May 2014. All dog owners in England and Wales need to be fully aware that there were many significant changes in the law that concern them, regardless of their dog’s size, breed or temperament.

The provisions of the Dangerous Dogs Act have been extended to apply to private property. This means that dog owners can be prosecuted if their dog attacks a person in their home (which includes your house and both front and back gardens). The purpose of this law is to provide protection to the healthcare, postal and utility professionals who regularly have to visit people’s homes for work.

A question that many dog owners will often ask is: what if my dog attacks someone who breaks into my home? According to the law, your dog attacking a trespasser is an exception. However, this is true only if the attack happens in your house, not covering incidents in your back or front garden. The idea is to try to differentiate between innocently intentioned trespassers, such as a child entering a garden to retrieve a lost ball or a neighbour leaving a parcel for safe keeping, from those with less noble intentions. While the law is yet to be tested, it’s important for dog owners to ensure that unexpected visitors can safely access your front door without encountering your dog.

The maximum sentences for allowing a dog to attack someone have been substantially increased:

• From two years and up to 14 years, for a fatal dog attack.
• From two years and up to five years, for injury.
• Up to three years if an assistance dog is attacked.

The last item is also a new addition. The Dangerous Dogs Act now includes a specific offence to protect assistance dogs (such as guide dogs) from attacks.

Another key aspect of these new amendments is that, from now on, it’s a criminal offence for the person in charge of the dog to allow it to be ‘dangerously out of control’ in a public place. It’s extremely important for dog owners to be aware that they can be prosecuted if their friendly, but overexcited and overenthusiastic dog, knocks someone over and injures that person by accident.

This new legislation also brings new preventative powers for the police and local authorities, including sending owners to dog training classes, repairing fencing to prevent dogs from escaping and requiring dogs to be muzzled in public.

Dog attacks often have devastating consequences for victims and their families. An attack on a guide dog can literally rob someone of their independence and freedom! If you are concerned about your dog’s behaviour, seek advice from an experienced or qualified dog trainer or behaviourist.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dangerous-dogs-owners-face-tougher-sentences-for-attacks

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Recent studies conducted in the UK have found that approximately 40% of our pets are overweight. Although dogs seem to be more affected, cats are right behind them statistically speaking and even small animals such as rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs are starting to suffer from this condition as well. Obesity has become the most common medical disorder of companion animals and as the number of new cases rises, it’s quickly becoming a major welfare concern.

Obesity is currently considered a chronic disease and for many different reasons, it has a huge impact in a pet’s quality of life!

Overweight pets have decreased stamina due to the strain of carrying around all that extra weight and feel tired very quickly. As a result they will be less active, less playful and quite often less comfortable. They have a higher risk of many other diseases: endocrine and metabolic diseases, diabetes, digestive tract and reproductive disorders, respiratory and heart diseases, joint problems and even cancer. These animals are also more prone to heatstroke and it has been scientifically proven that obesity decreases their lifespan by nearly two years!

The good news is that this is an entirely preventable condition! To keep their pets fit and healthy, owners should feed them a balanced diet, increase their physical activity (walks, runs and play sessions), avoid overfeeding, feed them treats sensibly and avoid the unhealthy ones.

If your furry friend is already looking a little extra chubby, seek veterinary assistance. Your vet will create a healthy weight loss program that is tailored for your pet’s particular case! If your pet is healthier he will be for sure, happier!

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Dogs communicate with each other and with humans through vocalisation and through body language. It is very important for us to have a basic understanding of canine behaviour and canine body language, in order to avoid any miscommunications that may lead to less positive interactions. Knowing how to “read” our dogs will also allow us to better understand their feelings and predict future behaviours.

The best way to assess how a dog is feeling is to look carefully at his or her ears, eyes, mouth, tail and overall body posture.

Relaxed dogs will usually look around casually, hold their tail loosely in its normal position, hold their ears back a little bit and show a relaxed body, with no tense muscles. Friendly and playful dogs will look at ease, wag their tails and their eyes will be wide open and alert. If they are trying to play with you they will probably bark, run and jump around excitedly, often displaying a play bow.

Fearful dogs usually tuck their tail between their legs, keep their head low and ears flattened, while avoiding eye contact. They may also tremble, shiver, urinate and even show their teeth. Submissive dogs typically place their tail between their legs and roll onto their side or to their back to expose their belly.

Dogs showing aggressive behaviour will challenge each other by staring directly at one another and show their teeth while growling, snarling or barking loudly. Their ears are usually close to their head and their bodies will be tense with hackles raised on their back. These dogs will easily snap and bite.

All dogs have different personalities and they don’t always show how they’re feeling in the same way. When you are trying to understand a dog’s emotional state you should consider the dog’s individual behaviour, body language and the surrounding context.

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We all know how happy a dog can be when he realises he is getting a treat: the anxious nose licking, the vigorous tail wags and the priceless expressions! To most caring owners seeing their pet so happy makes them happy! That is probably the main reason why we just love to share our food with our dog.

Chocolate is one of our favourite foods and it is particularly popular during festive occasions. We love it and we often feel tempted to share that delicious treat with our dog. Unfortunately many owners are not aware that chocolate can be very toxic for our canine friends.

The problem lies in a stimulant substance called theobromine that is perfectly safe for humans but poisonous to our pets. Different types of chocolate contain different amounts of theobromine and therefore some types of chocolate can be a lot more dangerous than others. Dry cocoa powder and unsweetened (baking) chocolate contain very high amounts of theobromine, unlike white chocolate that has minimal amounts of theobromine.

In general theobromine affects the heart, central nervous system and kidneys. A dog with signs of theobromine poisoning will show vomiting, diarrhoea, restlessness, incoordination, hyperactivity and seizures.

If you suspect your dog may have eaten chocolate or if you notice your dog is showing any of the previously mentioned clinical signs, contact your vet as soon as possible. There is no antidote to theobromine poisoning and the sooner your pet is treated the better!

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 These parasites have a pointed head and a barbed structure in their mouth that is used to attach themselves to the skin of their host where they will feed for several days.

It is very common for these nasty parasites to go unnoticed by owners, hidden in their pets’ fur, until engorged females become easier to see. During the feeding process females will engorge with blood and increase their size considerably. Their body has an amazing capacity for distension and they can measure around one centimetre in length (about the size of a small bean). Males are smaller, with a flattened body and therefore much harder to find.

Ticks usually prefer areas where the skin is thinner: ears, face, armpits, between the toes and on the stomach and tail areas but they can really be found anywhere on an animal’s body.

These blood sucking parasites cause great discomfort to our pets because their bite causes itchiness and they can lead to anaemia if there is a large number of ticks feeding on the same animal.

Ticks activity is seasonal and in the UK there are two typical peaks where tick infestation is more likely to occur: the first one is from March to June and the second from August to November.

It is recommended for owners to frequently check their pets for ticks and remove them as soon as they are found. Unfortunately ticks are vectors of diseases that can be transmitted to both companion animals and humans (ex. Lyme disease) and their quick removal will help reduce the risk of any disease being transmitted. When removing a tick please make sure all of it is removed. Any embedded mouth parts that are left being behind can lead to the appearance of small abscesses. An effective way to avoid this is to use a tick remover device.

Consult your vet regarding your pet’s external parasite control. It is very important to reduce to the minimal the number of ticks that can establish a hold on your pet. Keep in mind ticks can easily move from one pet to another. This means that all pets in a household should be protected, not just the ones where ticks are found.

When applying any parasite control product please make sure you carefully read the product’s label in order to use it correctly, since many tick control products destined for dogs can be very toxic to cats.

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The Uk is considered to be a nation of pet lovers and dogs are at the top of the list of the most popular pets in our households. Recently, several studies have suggested that there are many health benefits associated with pet ownership including reduced stress and blood pressure.

Although owning a dog has many benefits sometimes dogs exhibit behaviours that can have an enormous impact in our homes, in our relationships and in our lives. As an example we can point out behaviours such as inappropriate elimination, aggression towards people and other animals and even lack in basic obedience cues. Unfortunately it is not uncommon for these issues to result in owners surrendering their dogs to shelters or even becoming the reason for their euthanasia.

Adequate puppy socialisation is essential to prevent some of these behaviours. Puppies poorly socialised may develop abnormal behavioural reactions such as aggression or fearful responses towards other dogs and towards people (adults and children).

In order for puppies to grow into well-behaved and friendly members of our society they need to be socialised with other dogs as well as people before they are 12 weeks of age. The socialisation period is thought to last from approximately three to 10-12 weeks of age and during this period it is very important for puppies to be handled regularly and exposed to numerous situations, objects and environments. It is currently recommended for puppies to go to their new home at approximately 8 weeks of age to allow proper socialisation with their new family. Before the 8 weeks of age it’s the breeder’s responsibility to socialise the puppy.

Puppy socialisation and training classes allow puppies to socialise with other dogs and with people other than the owners, as well as the opportunity to be exposed to a variety of experiences and situations in a low risk, non-threatening environment.

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Vaccines are usually separated into two different groups or categories: the core vaccines and the non-core vaccines. Core vaccines are recommended for all dogs in general and will allow them to develop immunity against canine distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus. Non-core vaccines are recommended only if your pet is at risk of being exposed to certain diseases, which means they will only be required depending on the dog’s local environment and lifestyle. Vaccines in this group provide protection against parainfluenza, leptospirosis, kennel cough and rabies.

A puppy should get his first vaccine at around eight weeks of age, the second vaccine at ten weeks of age and a booster one year after the first vaccine. Puppies will not be protected until approximately two weeks after the second vaccine and until then, owners should be extra careful with their pet. Puppies should not go for walks in public areas and should be keep at a good distance from other dogs that are not completely up to date with their jabs.

A dog must be in good health when vaccinated in order for a vaccine to be fully effective.  Regular boosts will be necessary to keep their immunity from fading and the frequency of these boosts will depend on the vaccine brand and disease agent.

Consult your veterinary surgeon regarding vaccination plans. Your vet will gladly recommend the best vaccination protocol for your pet, based on his or hers individual needs.

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The microchip is considered the best permanent method of pet identification by vets, animal organisations and general authorities. A pet should be identified with a microchip as well as with a collar and an identification tag but the microchip is a much more effective system since collars and tags can easily be removed and/or replaced.

A microchip is a tiny capsule (slightly bigger than a grain of rice) that is implanted behind your pet’s shoulder blades. This small capsule will hold a unique identification number that can be read by a scanner. After your pet is microchipped you must register your contact details with the microchip company and these will be associated with your pet’s unique microchip number.

This method of identification has many advantages. It greatly increases the chances of being reunited with your pet if he or she ever gets lost. Hundreds of pets are lost and stolen every year and sadly many of them never go back to their owners and to their families due to lack of identification. Whoever finds them has absolutely no idea where they come from or how to contact their owners.

Nowadays not only vets but also animal rescue organisations, dog wardens and even local authorities have microchip scanners. If a dog is microchipped and gets lost, once it has been found and scanned, your name and contact details will quickly be provided and your pet can promptly be returned to you. This is why it is so important to keep your details up to date on the microchip company database. Please remember to keep this information updated if you move home or change phone numbers.

Microchipping also promotes responsible pet ownership since it is an effective way to identify owners that allow their pets to roam free and cause trouble,  it allows to trace puppies back to their breeder and therefore deal with possible puppy mill situations, it allows to identify owners in suspected cases of animal cruelty and it would also improve canine health in a long term, since it would be easier to register hereditary health problems and gradually reduce its incidence through responsible breeding.
Recently the government has announced that microchipping will soon be compulsory for all dogs in England from April 2016 onwards. Hopefully this decision will help reunite more owners with their lost pets and relieve some of the burden on animal charities and local authorities.

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