Editor’s letter
Ahh puppies — don’t you just love them! Even when our dogs get older, we can still recall their puppy days, and many of the memories are guaranteed to make us smile, or even have a bit of a giggle when we remember some of their antics.
Our lead feature ‘Puppy love!’ (page 12) this issue perfectly captures some of those unforgettable moments — and some of the challenges — with three different puppy owners. While it can be tough on occasions, as contributor Andrea McHugh says of her pup, Dash: “he’s worth every broken night’s sleep, chewed cable, puppy puddle, and extra expense.” And I think most of us would agree!
If you’re planning on getting your first puppy, or maybe getting a puppy after many years with an older dog, then ‘Your First Puppy’, 32 pages of bonus content in this month’s magazine, should provide you with plenty of advice and tips, on puppy training, behaviour, and care, as well as how to conduct your puppy search, meeting breeders, and how to assess whether you are really ready for a pup.
But this month’s magazine isn’t all about puppies! For those owners with more reactive dogs, trainer and behaviourist Carol Price analyses what makes one dog reach a state of higher mental arousal far more rapidly than others, what the consequences are, and what you can do to help your pet (page 20).
Our dogs can benefit if we take more time to observe them too, and learn from what we see. Behaviour adviser Sarah Fisher (page 40) explains how ACE Free Work, a low-impact activity suitable for dogs of all ages, can provide a source of enrichment, encouraging your dog to use all his senses, as well as being a great starting point for developing your powers of observation, in particular of movement, behaviour, and preferences.
Canine nutritional supplements have become increasingly popular in recent years, but how do you choose which would be best for your dog or, indeed, whether they would actually be beneficial for your pet? Our nutrition expert, Dr Jacqueline Boyd, takes a closer look at supplements, and advises on the essential things to think about before you choose and use one (page 48).
Until next month,