The DogCast Radio blog

Tim Glass, author of Just This Side of Heaven sent me a link to a cartoon depicting what it can be like being an author with a dog at a book signing. I told him not to take it personally if people want to meet one of his lovely Beagles with more enthusiasm than they do him. Apart from the fact that dogs are usually cuter than their accompanying people, they are just more approachable too. You don't feel at all self conscious when greeting a dog, even a celebrity one.

We get some lovely comments posted on our breed profile pages, and I enjoy reading them all. This week one particularly caught my eye, and I loved it because it combines general traits of the breed with a very personal experience of it. It's about a Miniature Schnauzer, and I suppose what I picked up on is the expression of the love we have for our dogs, and the amazing support they are to us.

Around the world there are many people fighting the very necessary fight against puppy farms and mills, and all those who profit from them. This is necessary, obviously, for the welfare of dogs, and also to stop the exploitation of people looking to buy a puppy. Once people learn the right way to go about buying a puppy, puppy mills will be out of business anyway, so education is an important part of putting a stop to this vile business.

Are you looking for ways to make money amid the credit crunch? Well get a canvas and a paintbrush and let your dog make money for you. A Pekingese called Ziggy, who lives in California is doing just that. His owner straps a paintbrush to a cardboard tube, Ziggy grasps it between his teeth and creates a masterpiece. There's a photo of his work at that link, and to be honest I think it's quite good. Definitely comparable to some modern art! (In my humble opinion, as they say.)

Each painting can sell for up to £170. I don't know what that is in dollars, and I suspect in the current financial climate it's probably about 5 Euros (oooh - satire!) but whatever currency you put it in, it's a lot for doggy daubings. The trouble is our two would probably just chew up the cardboard tube, then the paint brush, and then have a good go at eating the paint. And have you ever tried washing acrylics out of a white Bichon Frise coat? Maybe it's not for us. Pity though.

Another story that caught my eye was that of a dwarf - I'm sorry if that's not a PC word, but it's the term used in the headlines - in Wales, UK who got lost in a forest in Snowdonia. She was lost over night, and only the warmth of her dog saved her from hypothermia. The dog was a Chihuahua. Is it very wrong of me to love that story? - little person saved by little dog. The lady - and dog - in question are safely back at home, and I'm just glad all went well for them.

Take care,

Julie x

Now obviously I know that I live with Britain's smartest dog, but for some reason the folk at The Company of Animals aren't aware of that and are launching a competition to find the smartest dog. It may be that you also think you live with a pretty smart dog, so if you fancy entering the competition, the details are below. I've seen the Nina Ottosson games, and would love to see how Buddy and Star cope with them, so maybe we'll bump into you at the pet shop.

Do you live with Britain’s Smartest Dog?

So I finally got to see the film Marley & Me. Guess what? I cried. I don't mean sniffling in my tissue, and a bit of demure wiping of the odd tear away, I mean the kind of heartfelt sobs that shake you, and leave you fighting to draw the next breath in. I mean when your face screws up of its own accord, your mouth twitches and you feel a wail rising from deep inside you, and doing its best to escape you. (Of course I suppressed the wail for the benefit of those around me.)

Here's a video to make you smile -Alfie the dog who nearly didn't survive due to a serious heart problem has reached his first birthday. You can read Alfie's story in his blog and Emma the kind and devoted woman who rescued and got him the treatment he needed has contributed an article to the DogCast Radio article section.

Hi we are back from our holiday, which was great. There has been sad new while we were away, with the death of that wonderful dog Endal. I was so sad to hear of his passing, and so glad that we got to meet him. You can read more about Endal in Beverley Cuddy's blog - but be prepared to cry.

I recently interviewed Dawn Marcus, M.D., about her intriguing book Fit as Fido. Her interview, which is full of advice about the life and health lessons you can learn from you dog will be in an upcoming episode of DogCast Radio, but to whet your appetite check out her video on You Tube. I love what Dawn has to sat about what her dog has taught her, and she's absolutely right; if we lived a little more like our dogs we'd be a lot better off in many ways.

I know from the feedback we've had that some of you love Huskies, so I thought you'd appreciate these photos on the Boston Globe website. They show not only the beauty of the dogs, but also the power of them in action, and the closeness of the bond between them and their handlers. They show dogs participating in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, in which teams cover 1,868 km (1,161 mi), taking 8 to 12 days to do so. That's amazing isn't it?