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Tonight we had my mum’s lab over with my mum and sister, and it seems that when Kipper and Jambo were playing in the garden (I didn’t see it) Kipper got a bang at his tail end and has been really uncomfortable since - restless, licking lips, occasional stretching, pulling in his tummy. His...

I’m just gazing up at our Kipper-infused Christmas fireplace: harness drying from wet walk earlier, snufflemat freshly washed, and Christmas card closest to the snufflemat delicately mauled by our table-surfing bundle of fluff :D (The actual fireplace is waiting for me to finish plastering it in...

I found this episode from CogDog podcasts interesting and thought others might too. If you’re not familiar with Imposter Syndrome it’s the feeling that you’re going to be found out as a fake (however much experience/expertise you may have). I know this feeling very well. I think in many ways...

I've just signed us up for a whole day of training this weekend: Building Your Genius Dog Day Always been a bit nervous of a full day of training as we might find it a bit tiring, but it's with the trainer I know and rate highly so hopefully it'll be fine. Really looking forward to it! This is...

We’ve just come back from a very short visit to the beach, as our little flugelhound developed a limp on his front right leg within 5 minutes of being in the dunes :( checked for foreign objects but nothing obvious. Vets tomorrow- my suspicion is it’s muscular rather than the pad, but we’ll see...

He’s huge, about 20 cm long, has a piggy oink in the middle and a squeak in each foot. I give him a week...

Our tiny bundle of fluff is now a whole year old, and has blossomed into a mighty hound with a happy, easy outlook. He’s brought us utter joy and mayhem, and I’m so grateful he decided we were the ones for him the day we visited by climbing on our feet and wagging his tiny little otter tail 😍...

So this is a new one - a couple of times now when my OH's been playing with Kipper or doing some training (hand targeting for carrot earlier), when the training's done and OH says 'all done', Kipper starts barking at him. It's a big dog bark, and from what I see it's him saying 'more please'...

Just coming to the end of this book and am loving it. The author is a fascinating chap by himself - he's led a varied life and now fronts the UK's top gardening programme 'Gardener's World'. Gardens and gardening punctuate the book, but it is really all about his dogs, and his relationship with...

After a few false starts, we've started a new chapter of training and had our first session yesterday evening. It blew my mind! [First, a small digression - I didn't realise that Devon Dogs is the home of Lauren offov Absolute Dogs and run by her mum Carole. I haven't met her yet so am hoping I...

This morning I cooked and chopped up a stack of chipolatas for high value treats, and had put them in a plastic pot - covered - at the back of the kitchen worktop to cool before putting them in the freezer. Kipper had watched me, but we'd used it as a lovely training opportunity for him to lie...

I wondered if anyone else had come across this behaviour, or had ideas for dealing with it? For some months now, Kipper has intermittently scratched at the carpet. It's in several (carpeted) rooms, never on other flooring. His paws look and feel fine, and he doesn't chew at them or give the...

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about visiting the vets to have a few muzzle/lip warts looked at. Kipper has one in particular that was growing fairly quickly. A bit of reading suggested it's canine papillomavirus, which the vet also thought and said just keep an eye, if it changes much or looks...

I was just about to order my 3rd CLIX treat bag https://www.amazon.co.uk/Company-Animals-CLIX-Treat-Bag/dp/B004ZCI44I/ref=sr_1_10?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1533198345&sr=1-10&keywords=dog+treat+bag in 6 months, and suddenly thought 'I wonder what others use?' Things I like in the CLIX bag: -...

Harvesting courgettes this evening, I stupidly put one on the grass behind me as I merrily called out to OH “did I tell you, Kipper seems to like courgettes!”. The small hound had been lying peacefully some distance away. I turn back and...courgette gone! Anyway, he surrendered it beautifully...

I've just come across this blog run by Devon & Cornwall Police Dog Section: Devon & Cornwall Police Dog Section I spent time with them many moons ago and we puppywalked 3 of their dogs that went on to be superstars (well, I would say that wouldn't I?!). I thought others might be interested in...

If we sneeze when Kipper’s fast asleep, he sometimes jumps - so we’ve got into the habit of saying “I’m going to sneeze” and he doesn’t react at all. I’m working at home with him today and just managed to say it before sneezing and had a moment of self-awareness at how silly I sound! Sometimes I...

We’re off to the vet again tomorrow; hopefully all teenager stuff, but we’ve noticed Kipper has a little warty outcrop on his lip (working theory: papilloma virus) and has small bumps under his armpits that are new. Hoping his last appointment didn’t put him off too much...

Kipper’s now had two days of different (human) social situations and he’s been such a good boy. Yesterday evening we went to the pub for my husband’s birthday and sat outside with a group of friends for a couple of hours. Kipper was such a sausage, saying hello nicely to everyone, ignoring the...

I'm looking for a bit of basic advice here; I'd love to start giving Kipper the odd bone, but am not sure of the simple rules. Do they need to be fresh (so they don't splinter)? How much is okay for a nearly-10-months-old lab? And in terms of calorie intake - I'm guessing marrow is pretty...