Give a dog a gift of love this Christmas

Please consider making a donation to a dog rescue (shelter) this Christmas.
It doesn't have to be a lot - even your spare change could make a difference.

You can donate goods as well. Things that a dog rescue can put to use or sell to raise cash.
Most rescues will have a list of things that they most need - just ask.

Food, dog coats, dog toys, bedding will always be welcome.

You can usually buy gifts or xmas cards for family and friends.
Many charities also have donation schemes like sponsor a dog, buy a vaccination, etc. The recipient will receive a certificate which describes the gift that you have bought. I quite often do this, especially if I am sending gifts overseas.

The larger charities such as RSPCA, Dogs Trust, PDSA , Blue Cross will have established gift schemes.
But don't forget your small local rescue - they can really struggle to survive, and if they have to close many of the dogs will have nowhere to go (and may have to be put down!).

There are specialist dog charities as well, such as Greyhounds In Need and the Retired Greyhounds Trust.
Greyhounds particularly need help - they finish racing at 4 years old , or sooner, and face a very uncertain future. Thousands of healthy greyhounds are destroyed every year.

If you want to support people as well as dogs, you can make your gift to Guide Dogs for the Blind, Hearing Dogs,etc.
One of my favourites is St. Mungo's. They are a charity for the homeless and will allow homeless people to bring their dogs with them. A dog is often a homeless person's only friend and companion. Winter on the streets is hard on both dogs and people.

That's just a few ideas to get you going. Go on - give a dog a gift of love this Christmas!

Just a final plea. Make a New Year Resolution to get involved. Contact a dog charity and ask what YOU can do to help. Get out there and make a difference to our doggy friends!

Thanks.

A Christmas Wish For Moses ~ from IFAW ~ An inspiring story

This is a truly inspirational story.
I received the following e-mail from Fred O'Regan, CEO International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW):
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Orphaned as a small child in a poor South African township, 12-year old Moses lives alone at the local dump, surrounded by gangs and drug users.

Foraging through mounds of rubbish for food...shoeless and freezing during the cold, lonely nights - every day is an epic struggle.

And yet, the most amazing thing about Moses isn't how he survives, but who he survives with.

You see, despite his tragic circumstances, Moses spends his desperate days at the dump caring for more than 20 dogs whose owners have died or been killed.


This Christmas, I hope you'll consider giving something truly meaningful to those you love. An IFAW Gift of Life that will help bring an end to the suffering of dogs and cats in the poorest places on earth.


IFAW's Dog and Cat Rescue Project in Johannesburg brings vet care to the pets of those like Moses who could never afford to take care of pets on their own. Quite often, we come across sick, impoverished or malnourished individuals like Moses who need extra assistance for both themselves and their pets.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of IFAW supporters like you, we've been able to spay, neuter and fully vaccinate all of Moses' dogs. And we've provided Moses with clothes and food, medical care, and school tuition so that he'll be better able to look after his dogs for years to come!

Moses' story shows how much people love animals and come to depend on them even in the worst of times. And how much every Gift of Life, no matter how big or small, can help make a real difference.

Please help me make more Christmas wishes come true this season. With a gift of just £15 or more you'll receive a beautiful gift card and Gift of Life Certificate, showing how your gift in a loved one's name is saving the lives of animals.

This is not a gift that will simply be opened and then forgotten. The donation you make in your loved one's name will help more people like Moses who can't afford to provide basic care for their pets.

Thank you for your kindness this Christmas season.

With Gratitude,

Fred O'Regan
IFAW CEO

P.S. It takes £600 to provide veterinary care for 50 dogs and cats in South Africa...so every gift counts! Give before December 10th to ensure your gift package arrives in time for Christmas!
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What an inspiring story. This Christmas please consider giving a Xmas Gift to an animal charity.

Our old dog collapsed and then could barely stand up. We really thought that we might lose her.

Olive, our old greyhound, is over 13 years old. She still enjoys life, but is on medication for arthritis and for her heart.
Twice this month we've had an incident of  her collapsing. Fortunately she recovered both times - by the next day she was her usual self.

What happened was this...

She has the use of a couch with a duvet on it. It's comfortable and draught-free.
Normally she jumps on off quite easily and without any problems. (You should see her leap when she's excited - she moves like a much younger dog!)

Both times that she collapsed happened after she fell while getting off her couch. Her legs went front and back and she was unable to stand without support.
Obviously she was frightened (so were we) and she was also in shock. Boris, our younger male greyhound, was very concerned and rushed over to her.
We laid her gently on her side on the floor.
Her heart was thumping, so I gave her some Bach Rescue Remedy. This calmed her and her heart beat became more normal. She rested and dozed for a while.
But she was still unsteady on all of her legs, so I massaged her muscles to increase the blood flow.
(You can do this by making small firm circular movements with your finger tips on the leg muscles. Then put both hands around the lower part of the leg and move them upwards using firm pressure (not too hard!). If your dog doesn't like it try using less pressure.)
This helped her a little. But she was afraid of squatting down to go to the toilet. I put a large towel around her middle and supported her by holding up the free ends. This is a useful trick for dogs with mobility problems.

We were really worried and thought that we might be in danger of losing her. But she seemed to be recovering a bit, so we decided to wait until the next day to see if a trip to the vet was needed. Great news - she was her usual self  by the next morning. She even went for a short walk. Boris was quite happy to walk slowly along side of her - I think that he realised that was what Olive needed.

I put large cushions in front of the couch. This was to create a step to make it easier for her to get on and off, and to make a soft landing if she fell again.
Olive ignored the cushions and leapt over them getting on and off! So I removed them, of course.

I think that Bach Rescue Remedy should be in every dog owner's medicine cabinet. (it works on peopls as well).
Amazon sell it at a reasonable price. You can get it by Clicking Here

I thought that my garden was escape proof - until my dog tapped on the front door!

Is your garden secure? Can your dog get out of it? Are you sure?

I thought that my garden was secure and that my dogs could not get out until one day ....

What happened was this...
I let my 2 greyhounds out into the garden and closed the back door.
My garden has 6 foot hedges all round with a wire fence hidden in the lower part of the hedges. There is a 6 foot solid garden gate. Escape proof  to a large dog. Well, I thought so!
Olive cried at the back door so I let her back in. Boris was out of sight - you can't see everything from the back door, so I wasn't worried.
I waited a while but he didn't come back, so I took a look around but couldn't see him! He didn't respond to my call or my whistle. Concerned, I went to the front door with the intention of searching for him.
Then I heard a tapping noise. I opened the front door and there he was - knocking with his nose!

How did he get out?
I checked the garden and I think that he had pushed his way through some dense shrubs at the bottom end where I  hadn't put any fencing. He wouldn't normally do this, so there must have been something of high interest next door.
My neighbours garden adjoins mine at the far end, with a pathway which runs alongside the length of my garden. It comes to a courtyard area and to our two houses.
I am thankful he came to the door and waited, because he could have got out on to the road.

Dogs can push through small holes. They can also scrabble over fences. So you really have to think dog when making your garden secure!

Tips on making your garden secure for your dog

• Think dog and take a good look around your garden. Get down on your hands and knees!
• Can he climb or jump over the fence or gate - is there a foot hold?
• Can he squeeze through (it can be a very small gap)?
• Can he dig under? Slabs placed at the base of the fence can stop this. Attaching chicken wire and burying it into the soil works well.
  
• Chicken wire is a cheap way of dealing with problems. Secure it to broken fence panels, to cover holes, attach it to stock fencing or open barred gates.
• Raise fences by a significant amount (otherwise you just teach your dog to jump!). Trellis is a neat solution.
• Use tree stakes and chicken wire to fill gaps in hedges. ( I did this cheaply and effectively).
• Buy a big roll of chicken wire from an agricultural merchant - it is a lot cheaper than a DIY store. Treated tree stakes are cheap as well.
• Move benches, etc. away from fences. Your dog will use them as a step to get out.
• You can make a tall garden gate quite cheaply and easily. Use planks of  tongue and groove. Lay them flat on the floor and tap together.  Cut 3 pieces of wood to make a Z-shape. Nail these to one side of the t&g. Use oval headed nails and hammer them right in. Use cheap, traditional hinges and a catch. Hang your gate on solid posts. Paint the whole thing with an oil-based paint. Have a look at some at a DIY store or garden centre to see how they are made. I did this because I couldn't get the size gate that I need at a reasonable price.

This post has been edited to add the info that I missed out before!

Bonfire Night ~ Great fireworks, BUT my greyhound was terrified! Bach Rescue Remedy came to the rescue!

Halloween has gone, and so has Guy Fawkes Night (Bonfire night). There should be a rest from fireworks for a while, at least until Xmas and New Year!
We love firework displays, but we no longer go to the public displays as we feel it is better to stay at home with our dogs.

There are usually some fireworks going off in our village, but on Bonfire night a near neighbour had a big display. It was great to watch from an upper window, but the explosions echoed loudly around our house.
Olive, our female greyhound, was her usual calm self, but poor Boris, our male greyhound, was terrified. He lay curled up tightly in his bed and was licking his lips. His poor heart was racing and thumping loudly. At one point he got up and leaned right against my legs - I could feel his heart pounding right through them.

I turned the TV up loud and gave him some Bach Rescue Remedy. Just a few drops onto his tongue helped to calm him. He was still very frightened, but his heart beat slowed and the frantic pounding ceased.

I've used Bach Rescue Remedy for many years on lots of dogs, and I am always amazed at how effective it can be in treating shock and stress. (We used it regularly at the animal shelter where I worked). A bottle of this lasts for ages and should be part of every dog owner's medicine cabinet. (It also works for humans too!)

The poor dog needed to go to the toilet, but was too afraid to go outside. He held himself until the fireworks ended, and then would only go outside with me. (I would have gone out with him anyway, just in case he panicked). He rushed and didn't empty himself properly. I know this because he got me out of bed at 3a.m!
In fact, during the entire firework period, he got me out of bed every night in the early hours, not that I minded, of course.

Dogs have much more sensitive hearing than us, and are more aware of what is going on around them.
We took him out for a late afternoon walk (it was still daylight) and he was eager to go, but wanted to come back very soon. He even refused to go on one of his favourite routes. Later, we could see fireworks going off in that direction!
I sometimes think that dogs are psychic (see my recent post on this subject of  Fri Nov 6th )

Also see my recent post about firework phobia in dogs and what you can do about it Wed Oct 29th

Dog appeasement pheronome (DAP) can be helpful.
Sound therapy can also be very helpful

       

OR VISIT THE PET DOG STORE

Dogs in Folklore & Superstition ~ Are Dogs Psychic? Some personal experiences of psychic dogs.

Following on from my recent post about ghost dogs (of Oct 30th), I've decided to explore the theme of psychic dogs, and of dogs in folklore and superstition.

Dogs feature in folklore and superstitions.
Traditionally they have an 'uncanny' side and it is believed that they are sensitive to the supernatural.
Howling dogs, especially at night, were believed to be omens of death. There are other methods of prediction too, such as dogs scratching holes in the ground.
Dogs are supposed to be able to see ghosts and sense supernatural beings, which humans cannot.
Shakespeare and other early writers viewed howling dogs as an omen of evil (and not necessarily death).
A 17th Century example : 'That dogs ... by their howling portend death and calamities is plain by history and experience' A. Ross, Arcana Microcosmi, 1651

Dog behaviour was watched for signs of good or bad luck. To be followed by a strange dog, or for one to come into your house, was considered lucky. Quote: 'Good fortune was predicted for one of my sisters, because a strange dog followed her when she was a babe in arms' Grantham Journal 1878
There is also a belief that if your own dog will not follow you, then misfortune will follow.

Sometimes the appearance of a dog is not welcome. It is considered to be very unlucky if a dog comes between bride and groom during the wedding ceremony, or it crosses the path of a funeral.

Psychic Dogs : Personal experiences


1) Many years ago, whilst I was still half-living with my parents, we had a male GDS named Prince. I had a strong bond with him.
I would often arrive at my parents house unannounced, but they always knew that I was coming because of Prince's behaviour.
About half an hour before I arrived he would put his paws up at the front window and look out. He would refuse to come away until I arrived.
There was no pattern to my visits, and they were often last minute decisions.
Was he psychic?

2) Boris, my male greyhound, also knows when we are coming home.
Our house is set back from the road behind some other houses.
Just before we turn to approach our house, we will stand still and silent. A moment later we can hear him greeting us!
How does he know it is us? Psychic dog?

3) One of our neighbours has a small terrier. If the telephone rings he will ignore ... unless it is her son phoning, in which case he becomes very excited! Explain that!

 I found these books on Amazon, thought that they would be of interest:

                              

Halloween is upon us! ~ Black Dogs , Ghost Dogs ~ Two personal experiences of dog ghosts

As Halloween is almost here, I thought that I would write something about ghost dogs.

But first, one of my own experiences of dog ghosts. This is a true story.

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There is a quiet country lane close to where I live (NW Leicestershire, UK). Sometimes I walk along it with my dogs.

A few years ago I was walking down it, when I heard a dog whimpering and crying in distress. The noise was coming from the far side of the hedge bordering the road. My two dogs were silent and alert, and were staring at the part of the hedge where the crying was coming from. I stopped walking and the whimpering ceased, but my dogs were still staring at the same place. As I couldn't get access at that point, I walked further on to a gate, and was able to gain access to the field behind the hedge. THERE WAS NOTHING THERE!!! No dogs, no other animals, no people - just an empty field. It was a clear bright autumn day. As you can imagine, I felt it was a very weird experience, especially as both of my dogs were aware of something being there!

We finished our walk in peace, but I was puzzled and unsettled by the incident. So, a couple of days later, we walked along the lane again at the same time as before. EXACTLY THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN AT THE SAME PLACE! The whimpering was loud and clear, and ,again, there was nothing there! My two dogs were alert and silent, just as before. This time I felt a chill run down my spine. I started to wonder if ghost dogs existed!

I repeated the exercise the following day and the same thing happened yet again. After that the phenomenon ceased, and did not repeat itself until a year later. It was at the same time of day (mid-morning) in early autumn (fall). It was a fine day as before, and there were no other people, dogs, or other animals around.

I went along there every day at the same time and had the exact same experience. But after a few days it stopped again - and was not repeated until the following year at the same time and place. This happened to me for 4 years running before stopping completely. I've never heard it again.

I've thought about it a lot and only ever discussed it with my wife.

It is a long, straight and narrow country lane. Cars do sometimes drive very fast along it. I'm wondering if a dog was killed there. I guess that I should have asked my neighbours at the time, but I left it.

A friend of mine has told me that ghosts appear to have a "lifetime". That is, the reported phenomena starts, continues for some years, and then ceases! That is what happened with my dog ghost. And it is a true story.

As it is nearly Halloween I will tell you another true story further down the page.

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Lets get back to Black Dogs and Ghost Dogs

Black Dogs occur in folk lore all over Britain. Black dogs are also reported all over Latin America.
In America there are stories of Snarly Yow. See : Ghosts and Legends of Frederick County by Timothy L. Cannon and Nancy F. Whitmore.

It is a night time apparation and is considered to be a portent of death. It is said to be larger than a normal dog and possess glowing eyes.
Whitby (in England) has a very famous Black Dog. Whitby is also the setting for Bram Stoker's Dracula!

In Britain various names are given to Black Dogs depending on locality, e.g. Barguest, Shuck, Black Shag, Trash, Skriker, Padfoot, Hooter,etc. There is list below :

• Devon : Yell Hound or Yell Hound
  
• East Anglia : Old Shock, Shucky Dog, Black Shuck, the Shug Monster
• Lancashire : Trash, Guytrash, Skriker
• Leicestershire : Shag Dog
• Lincolnshire : Hairy Jack
• Midlands :  Hooter
• Norfolk : Shuck, Black Shuck, Old Shuck
• Somerset : Gurt Dog or ‘great dog’
• Staffordshire : Padfoot 
• Suffolk : Scarfe, Gally-trot, Gallytrot, Galley Trot, Moddey Dhoe
• Warwickshire :  Hooter
• Westmorland : Cappel
• Wales :  Gwyllgi (dog of darkness)Yorkshire : Barghest, Barghaist, Barguest, Barguest, Barn-ghaist, Skriker
• Scotland : Black dog known as the Muckle Black Tyke and in Gaelic as Choin Dubh. Cu Sith or fairy dog is more common and is usually green or sometimes white.
• Isle of Man : Moddey Dhoo, which means "Black Dog" and is pronounced "Mauther Thoo" in Manx Gaelic 
• Jersey :  Le Tchan de Bouôlé

Black Dogs can appear in specific types of places:

• roads
• crossroads
• lanes
• footpath
• bridges
• gateways
• doorways
• staircases
• boundaries
• fields
• hedges
• green lanes
• treasure sites
• wayside burials
• graves and gallows
• wells and trees

Black dogs have a long history. The first English account of a black dog appears in the ‘Anglo-Saxon Chronicle' of 1127.

" Let no-one be surprised at the truth of what we are about to relate, for it was common knowledge throughout the whole country that immeddaitely after his arrival [Abbot Henry of Poitou at Abbey of Peterborough] - it was the Sunday when they sing Exurge Quare o, D - many men both saw and heard a great number of huntsmen hunting. The huntsmen were black, huge and hideous, and rode on black horses and on black he-goats and their hounds were jet black with eyes like saucers and horrible. This was seen in the very deer park of the town of Peterborough and in all the woods that stretch from that same town to Stamford, and in the night the monks heard them sounding and winding their horns. Relaible witnesses who kept watch in the night declared that there might well have been as many as twenty or thirty of them winding their horns as near they could tell. This was seen and heard from the time of his arrival all through Lent and right up to Easter."

That's just a taster for you!

Below are a couple of interesting books that you might like to read.

EXPLORE PHANTOM BLACK DOGS
edited by Bob Trubshaw
The folklore of phantom black dogs is known throughout the British Isles. From the Black Shuck of East Anglia to the Moody Dhoo of the Isle of Man there are tales of huge spectral hounds 'darker than the night sky' with eyes 'glowing red as burning coals'.
The phantom black dog of British and Irish folklore, which often forewarns of death, is part of a world-wide belief that dogs are sensitive to spirits and the approach of death, and keep watch over the dead and dying. North European and Scandinavian myths dating back to the Iron Age depict dogs as corpse eaters and the guardians of the roads to Hell. Medieval folklore includes a variety of 'Devil dogs' and spectral hounds. Above all, the way people have thought about such ghostly creatures has steadily evolved.
In the last hundred years East Anglia and Dorset have received the greatest attention from folklorists interested in such canine apparitions. This book includes a detailed study of the lore in Norfolk, showing how oral tales become interwoven with published accounts and the heritage of historic places.
But are phantom black dogs nothing more than myths and tales? There is also an assessment of the psychology of phantom black dog sightings. Another chapter quotes emails from various people in America and Canada who have been terrified by phantom black dogs without any prior awareness of such folklore.
The concluding part of this book is a comprehensive annotated bibliography of phantom black dog literature, including listings by geographical area.
This book will appeal to all those interested in folklore, the paranormal and fortean phenomena.
Contributors: Jeremy Harte, Simon Sherwood, Alby Stone, Bob Trubshaw and Jennifer Westwood.

'9/10'

Paul Sieveking Fortean Times

'I think this must be the best entry in the Explore series I have seen so far... '
Aeronwy Dafies Monomyth Supplement

'... a very important contribution to the literature... highly recommended.'
Andrew Bates Silver Wheel

'This is an excellent work and is very highly recommended.'
Michael Howard The Cauldron

Published by Explore Books, an imprint of Heart of Albion Press.
ISBN 978 1872 883 786. 2005.
demy 8vo (215 x 138 mm), 152 + viii pages, 10 b&w half-tones, paperback
£12.95

Synopsis and reviews courtesy of Explore Books

and have a look at this:

Black Shuck: The Ghost Dog of Eastern England

The following refernce is very interesting to read. The link will take you to the University of Wisconsin Madinson Library, which is a safe site to visit.
Chambers, R. (Ed.) (1879). Spectre Dogs. In, The Book of Days Vol. 2 (pp. 433-436). Philadelphia, PA: J. P. Lippincott & Co.


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And now to my other personal experience of a ghost dog. This is also a true story.


It happened at the animal shelter where I worked. We had a small intake block which sometimes had an odd feel about it. Some of the kennel girls said that they sometimes felt that something was there which they couldn't see.
There was a central corridor with individual kennels either side. I'd walked to the door at one end. Suddenly all the dogs fell silent, and I heard claws tapping down the corridor and which stopped just behind me. I thought that one of the dogs had got free, but when I looked around all I saw was an empty corridor with all the kennel doors shut. Every dog was saniding at its door staring at the space behind me. The hairs on my neck really did stand up!
Well whatever it was, it only happened to me the one time (thankfully).

That's my two personal experiences of ghost dogs plus some info about Black Dogs.

It will be a full moon on November 2nd (UK) so watch out for werewolves!

  

Happy Halloween!