The DogCast Radio blog

A sad story in the news today is that more than forty Greyhounds are still waiting to be rehomed over a year after the track where they raced shut down. When Walthamstow Stadium was closed, the dogs who raced there for public entertainment suddenly found themselves out of work, and since then have been languishing at Whittingham Kennels, near Waltham Abbey, Essex.

I've just heard the sad news that Gibson, the world's tallest dog has died of bone cancer. You can find out more about Gibson at his website, and you can hear his owner Sandy Hall talking about him in Episode 18 of DogCast Radio.

Sandy Hall was one of those interviewees who really touched my heart. I just felt connected to her somehow. She'd had it rough, with various family members dying, and she'd been poor and lonely. Her dogs kept her going. She clearly adored her dogs and was telling me about some toys she'd bought on sale

How do you spoil your dog? And when is your dog happiest? And what does your dog do that makes you laugh? A new website is celebrating dog being dogs - and they want to hear your stories about your dog. Twenty winners will have the pleasure of seeing their stories in print. If that appeals to you read on:

 
WANTED:  REAL DOGS!
National Survey Reveals More Common Sense Approach to Pooch Pampering

If you love songs about dogs this is for you:

SPOT THE DOG: DOGS TRUST PROMOTES CANINE TUNES ON SPOTIFY

Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity which has a rehoming centre in Roden Lane Farm, Telford, today expanded its social networking portfolio with a Spotify account dedicated to all songs ‘dog’. 

The first playlist features classics such as Cat Stevens’ ‘I Love My Dog’ as well as more modern numbers like ‘Hounds of Love’ by The Futureheads. Dogs Trust staff already play music to the dogs in rehoming centres as research shows melodies help create a calm, soothing atmosphere. They expect the poochtastic playlist will be warmly welcomed by its supporters and canine residents alike.

Alex Goldstein, Dogs Trust Web Editor, explains:

‘We’ve found social networking is a brilliant way to connect with our supporters and communicate our key messages through friendly dialogue.

The results are tangible. We’ve rehomed dogs after posting their photos on Twitter, organised large scale events on Facebook and shared behind-the-scenes photos on Flickr. Hopefully our Spotify account will encourage canine-themed parties up and down the country!’

Spotify is a free music streaming website with over 1 million users worldwide.
3.8 million tracks are available and a fortnight ago Apple unveiled a Spotify iPhone application so users can listen on the move.

The first Dogs Trust playlist is

• Hounds of Love – The Futureheads
• Dog Days are Over – Florence and the Machine
• Hound Dog – Elvis Presley
• Diamond Dogs – David Bowie
• I Wanna Be Your Dog – The Stooges
• Black Dog – Led Zeppelin
• Cats + Dogs – Camille
• Can Your Monkey Do the Dog – Rufus Thomas
• Who Lets the Dogs Out – Baha Men
• Puppy Love – Donny Osmond
• I Love My Dog – Cat Stevens

and can be found here: Woofstock - Dogs Trust dog songs. To listen you need a Spotify account but it is free to download and use. To download Spotify go to www.spotify.com

Dogs Trust is the UK’s largest dog welfare charity and cares for 16,000 dogs a year. Links to our social networking sites can be found here: http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/topnavigation/ontheweb/test.htm

Dogs are often the forgotten casualties of divorce. Obviously the couple splitting up has a lot to deal with, and their priority should be any children involved, but then spare a thought for the dog. He's got used to how things are, and life with his pack. Then all of a sudden for no reason his pack is in pieces, and he may find himself moving house - that's if he's lucky enough no to find himself in a rescue shelter.

How much do you love your dog? Okay, I love my dog more than chocolate - and that's a lot! A new survey (see below) has discovered just how much we do love our dogs - and what it is about them that endears them to us. It's good to know our dogs are so well loved, but we do sometimes run the risk of losing sight of the other humans in our life.

The moves to publicise the dangers of buying a puppy farmed dog are to be warmly welcomed. In the UK the Kennel Club has had a bashing - and I do think that unscrupulous breeding, whether of KC registered dogs or in the squalor of a puppy farm should be exposed. BUT if you discredit KC registered dogs, how are people to know who to trust and who not to? The only answer is to get as much information out there about how to spot a good breeder, and how to recognise a "baddun".

Marc Abraham is on television tonight talking about this issue, here's more detail:

Isn't technology wonderful? (when it's working anyway) Through Twitter I met Paul Keevil, who with Hilary Cheyne, has started the Heritage Dog Breeds website. There is concern at the Kennel Club amongst other places that certain breeds are dwindling numerically.Many of these breeds are long established British breeds, which people are forgetting about with the lure of newly imported foreign breeds. For example, here are some statistics Paul sent me regarding puppies registered with the Kennel Club in 2008:

Two very different press releases from Dogs Trust today - one concerning a dog looking for a new home:

LUCIAS - THE DOG FED UP WITH THE BRITISH WEATHER!

Former homeless dog despises the drizzle

Having spent his life on the streets with his homeless owner, you would think that 11 year old Lucias, would be used to the British weather. However, the friendly Staffordshire Bull Terrier has had enough and is now firmly refusing to step foot outside if it rains, even in the slightest drizzle.  

There's been a lot in the UK media about dog names and what they reflect about the owners. What's your dog called, and which category do you fit into?