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The Gift of Growl
- Merriol Haselden
The Golden Retriever is a very striking dog - in fact host Julie thinks they're so glamorous that they are the canine equivalent of actress Goldie Hawn! To find out what the breed is like to actually live with Julie talks to Merriol Haselden. Merriol has had Golden Retrievers in her life right from birth; Merriol's mother insisted on having a home birth to avoid leaving her devoted dog to go into hospital as the dog would pine for her. Now Merriol herself lives with five Goldens, and breeds the dogs she love so much so others can experience the joy of life with a Golden Retriever.
Merriol talks about the training, exercise and health of the breed as well as sharing many personal anecdotes. You can find out more about Merriol at the Overdene page on Champdogs, and if you're in the UK visit the Golden Retriever Club, and in the USA try the Golden Retriever Club of America.
Barknight
- Dan McConnell
It's a first for DogCast Radio as Julie conducts an interview with a whole family simultaneously, and the McConnell family are delightful. In an attempt to keep their four children - Kelly, Brian, Kevin and Matthew - occupied in a busy restaurant, Dan and Meg McConnell started a game of wordplay. When the words bark and night were paired up within minutes the story of Barknight was born, and the family liked the story so much they decided to write it down and share their love of dogs and all animals with others. Barknight is a celebration of our pet dogs - and a reminder to appreciate the way they enhance and enrich our lives. To find out more visit the Barknight website, and you can contact the McConnells via Twitter using @Barknight.
News
In the DogCast Radio News you can hear how we choose dogs to reflect our personalities, about the perils of dog flipping, the slow move towards mandatory microchipping in the UK and the new TV channel for dogs in the USA. You can have a sneak peek at TV for dogs via the DOG TV Youtube channel. What does your dog make of TV made just for him?
new TV channel for dogs in the USA. You can have a sneak peek at TV for dogs via the DOG TV Youtube channel. What does your dog make of TV made just for him?
Big Dog's Breakfast
If you enjoy eating and you'd like to help raise money for the wonderful charity Dogs for the Disabled, who supply assistance dogs that perform an array of tasks to help their owners, then join in with Big Dog's Breakfast week. Simply have a meal or a snack with family, friends or colleagues and ask for donations to support the charity's vital work.
Puppy given as prize on TV show.
Host Julie shares her worries on the impact of a puppy being given away as a prize on a British television show, Keith Lemon's Lemonaid. If like Julie, you are horrified at what happened on the Keith Lemon show, there are a number of ways you can make your opinion count. You can complain to Ofcom.You can also complain direct to ITV and there is also a petition you can sign to amend the law to stop the giving of live animals as prizes. There is also a KeithLemonsPuppyPrizeProtest facebook page that will help unite opposition to the incident, and keep you informed.