A site created by dog-lovers for dog-lovers
IF YOUR POOCH HAS JOGGERS ON THE RUN, IT’S IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE’S HURT
AN online community created by dog-lovers for dog-lovers has been launched.
At its heart is a new website teamdogs.co.uk – a one-stop dog-devoted shop packed with the latest news you need to know, expert advice and recommendations.
TeamDogs is all about sharing tips, tricks and advice to make sure the dogs in our lives are living their best life.
TeamDogs think life is too short for a shabby shampoo, a tedious toy or a bed that is bumpy and lumpy.
They want walkies to be wonderful, pubs and restaurants welcoming and each and every dinner time a fine dining experience.
From places to products, TeamDogs is powered by recommendations.
Whether it’s your favourite walk, a dog-friendly pub you’ve stumbled across on your travels or a toy that’s totally indestructible, why not share with like-minded dog-lovers?
We all know there’s nothing dog owners love more than posting adorable snaps of their four-legged friends. We get it, we’re the same.
We just want the world to see how lovely our dogs are. So as well as posting recommendations, you can also post photos of your dog in our Top Dogs section.
We’re a social bunch here at TeamDogs so we wanted to ensure you can interact with other dog owners.
You can do this by liking and commenting on recommendations.
You can also follow other members. Have you found someone who posts a lot in your area? Or maybe someone who has the same dog as you and you’ve found their posts really helpful.
All members can set up a profile which you can click on from one of their recommendations.
You can then follow that member to stay up to date with their posts.
TeamDogs members also get a twice-weekly e-mail newsletter and access to free eBooks.
To ensure you don’t miss out on the latest from TeamDogs, head over to our social pages and give them a follow. You’ll also find videos, memes, photos, tips and advice – it’s basically a dog-lover’s dream.
QMy 10-month-old male German shepherd has a bad habit of trying to chase after cyclists and joggers. Scolding him makes no difference and seems to make it worse. I dread seeing cyclists and runners when we are out.
AYoung dogs like yours enjoy chasing, which is probably a throwback to hunting behaviour in the wild. Much of chasing about, with other dogs, for example, is harmless play, but lunging at or chasing moving objects such as bikes and joggers is a potentially serious problem.
To a dog the behaviour is fun and telling him off adds to the excitement without helping, as you have found.
Because you are potentially liable for any injury caused by your dog I recommend a training programme devised by a behavioural specialist as a long-term solution.
Suitably qualified persons are usually members of groups such as the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (apbc.org.uk).
In the meantime I can make a few suggestions. For the time being, always keep the dog on a short lead, not a flexi one, and with a halti collar. These collars, available online or from pet shops, enable you to prevent pulling by closing the halti and gently turning the head to the side. You can begin by training your dog to sit on command, with the use of the halti.
Good behaviour is quickly learned if always rewarded with a treat. The next step is sitting on command whenever cyclists are near, with the help of the programme by the behaviourist.
QOur 10-year-old male neutered cat has developed a lump between his shoulder blades. The vet took some samples and has diagnosed a “soft tissue sarcoma”, referring us to a specialist surgeon, as these tumours can be difficult to remove.
ASarcomas can be quite troublesome because they need very wide margins at the time of surgery to minimise the possibility of recurrence.
Although they can spread, recurrence is overwhelmingly the problem. Veterinary specialists in this type of surgery often say that the first surgery is the best chance of cure.
Recurrence makes things much more difficult. A particularly aggressive form of this tumour was reported for the first time in 1991.
It was thought to be associated with some vaccines and was initially called vaccine-associated sarcoma.
Then it was established that many different injections could potentially be a cause and it has been renamed injection-site sarcoma.
As lots of cats are injected between the shoulder blades it is not surprising that lumps in this site might occur. Not all soft-tissue sarcomas are caused by injections, however, as some occur in sites where injections are never given.
Specialist surgeons will have more experience with injection-site sarcomas and when possible, my own preference was to refer these cases.
Before operating the surgeon will want to do a CT scan to see how extensive it is and whether there is any spread. This enables surgical planning to ensure that no cancer cells are left behind, hopefully resulting in a cure in many cases.