8 Easy Ways To Improve Your Dog’s Life
Good dog ownership isn’t just about fancy collars and spa treatments. Dogs require a balance of discipline, structure, stimulation and consistency to feel secure and happy. Find out how simple actions such as thinking like a dog can rejuvenate a dog’s existence from mundane to exhilarating.
Interview With Gail Porter
Television presenter, mother and dog owner Gail Porter shares her story with K9 Magazine. From the pressures of fame that lead to her much publicised alopecia to how she feels about reality television, not to mention some unusual tales of séances, snakes and how her Shar Pei Missy is experiencing sympathetic hair loss.
A History Lesson – The Pre Industrial Canine Diet
In an age where the working classes struggled to feed themselves, we explore the challenges, compromises and innovations that helped them feed their pets. Today’s dog owners are spoiled for choice when it comes to pet food, but how did a generation who considered shin joints to be a treat manage to feed their dogs?
A View From Kuwait
Attitudes to dogs and ownership in the Arabic nations is starkly different to those held in Europe and North America. In some countries, it is considered against the will of Allah to even touch a dog, so how do the dogs of Kuwait cope with the stifling heat, antiquated welfare practices and the wrath of the religious fundamentalists? We spoke to one welfare group based in Kuwait to hear their story.
Ancient Breeds – Where Are They Now?
The ancestry of the modern domesticated canine is complex to say the least. Most breeding has been based around the requirements of man, which inevitably meant that some breeds fell by the wayside and breeding diminished, but a look through the family tree of many of our most popular breeds will highlight the importance that some of these ancient, now extinct, breeds have had on the modern dog of today. Why did the Cordoba Fighting Dog contribute its own extinction? How would the Talbot be viewed today? What went wrong with the Old English Bulldog?
Are All Dog Owners Nice People?
When the media turns its attentions to dogs, you can bet that it’s nothing to do with man’s best friend doing a good turn. For decades, the modern dog owner has defended their rights against a barrage of negativity from the media, the authorities and from the general public, but who amongst the dog owning fraternity is giving the rest of us a bad name. Cuthbert Jackson, of the National Dog Warden Association, tackles the issues that we’ve been afraid to uncover until now.
Best Supporting Canines In Film History
Put dogs and cinema in the same sentence, and nine times out of ten Lassie gets a mention. Criminally over-looked are the cinematic canines who’s roles help define a movie, bring comic relief or coax out otherwise redundant characters. Jack Nicholson, Will Ferrell and Judy Garland all have dogs to thank for their past successes, but who were the dogs that were deemed worthy of starring alongside them?
Bite To The Death
When a dog bites, the unfortunate yet often inevitable consequence is a one way trip to the vet surgery. But is it fair, in the face of negligence, cruelty, abuse and neglect, that these dogs are never given a second chance. When one man ignored the staff at Manchester Dogs Home and put his daughter in a kennel with an aggressive dog, who ended up paying the price? The negligent father or a dog defending its territory…
Breed Profile – Coton De Tulear
With a history more befitting of fictional hero, the Coton’s fey appearance and happy temperament belie his colourful past. Pirates, royalty and peasants all had a hand in developing this, one of the world’s rarest and most expensive dog breeds.
Interview With Caprice
Globally recognised model Caprice is the first ever celebrity to appear more than once in K9 Magazine. With a new addition to her family, Caprice opens up about life with her dogs, business and why she thinks dogs are better than people.
Dog On Dog Aggression
Take the most laid back, placid pet dog and put him within half a mile of a member of his own species and you can get fireworks. Why do some of the most chilled out and playful dogs flip their lids when they see another dog? We look at the evolutionary, environmental and psychological factors that influence this worrying behaviour.
Dog Owner Theory Test
Do you know your dewlap from your patella? Or why there is no such breed as an Alsatian? Put your canine knowledge to the test and find out why even the most confident and experienced dog experts need to brush up on their trivia now and then.
Dogs And Public Transport
Did you know that depending on his or her mood, a bus driver can take you where you need to go or leave you and your dog stranded in the rain with no way to get home? K9 Magazine tells one woman’s story of being singled out by a dog averse bus driver and how it ruined her life. We also speak to those with the power to make a change to find out when dog owners will get a fair ride on public transport.
Getting A Second Dog
Owning a second dog is a decision as large in its significance as becoming a dog owner in the first place. There are many reasons for getting a second dog, but there are many reasons for not getting a second dog too. Timing, space, resources and personality are all factors that will come into second dog ownership decisions and whether or not to get a second dog is not a decision to be taken lightly. Here K9 Magazine investigates all of the factors that go into making the right decision.
If Dogs Ruled The World
We’ve all thought about once – “what would my dog do if he was in charge?†Here K9 Magazine takes a humorous, sideways look at the consequences of the canine coup that put the dogs in charge. Playful, but with real, welfare issues at hand, this feature shines a light on the idiosyncrasies that make dog ownership such fun.
K9 Health – The Importance Of A Healthy Mouth
In the canine world, the mouth is the gateway for disease. An unhealthy mouth can lead to more serious problems throughout the body, including poisoning, starvation and infection. K9 Magazine investigates the tell-tale signs of an unhealthy mouth, whilst unearthing some of the veterinary and dental secrets that keep the top dogs’ mouths in tip top condition.
K9 Health – HELP! My Dog Has O.C.D!
Have you ever wondered why your dog chases his tail, or attempts to dig up the tarmac on the road? These are fairly common canine behaviours rooted in wild instinct, but the domestic environment can mess with a dog’s perception of reality, leading it to obsess over things such as food, space, fur and even it’s own body. It is not just humans who can suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – your dog can be a victim too. Know what signs to look for and know how to control and treat canine obsessive compulsions.
K9 Interactive – Help Your Dog Improve His Memory
When we domesticated dogs, we limited their ability to explore and respond to the instincts that they once relied so heavily on. Shaping play and training to stimulate these instincts and urges is a good way to get the best out of a dog – as well as an excellent way to accelerate obedience training. Breeds from the Gun Dog group tend to have a latent urge to retrieve, but games that stimulate retrieving from memory do not need to be limited to any breed of dog. This article explodes the myths about canine memory and reveals the best ways to stimulate an active memory in any dog.
K9 Magazine Guide To Children And Dogs – Grooming
Grooming is an invaluable opportunity for bonding. Alongside play and training, children in dog owning households should be encouraged to become involved in grooming, in order for them to better understand the needs and requirements of their dog – as well as to reinforce and attitude of responsible dog ownership. This articles explains how and why grooming is one the best ways to teach children about the needs of their pet.
K9 Politics – If America Acts, Will Britain Follow?
Dog welfare in America is radically different to that in the U.K. Worryingly there is a growing trend for British dog owners to ape their American counterparts and inherit their less than desirable traits. ‘Designer dogs’ squashed into hand bags was once a sight reserved for Rodeo Drive, but now it is a common scene on many high streets. Dog fighting, over-feeding and messing with the canine’s evolution were all once something we criticised America for, but now these trends are on the rise over here. What will the next U.S import be?
K9 Science – Stem Cell Therapy
When it comes to medical innovation and discovery, you can bet your lab-coat that dogs were involved. Nearly all medical breakthroughs, and some non-medical ones too, are road tested on man’s best friend. The controversial, yet life saving treatment, stem cell therapy is no exception. Dogs are benefiting from stem cell therapy right now – even while the moral and ethical debate is still going, there is a dog getting back it’s mobility due to stem cell therapy. Find out how stem cell therapy can help dogs with all manner of problems, and why humans are missing out.
Me And My Dog With Kim Kline
Kim Kline is an American rock star in the making. With her guitar and her canine companion by her side, she is already turning heads in all the right places. She talks to K9 Magazine about life on the ascent to rock stardom as well as about life at home with her Miniature Schnauzer, Sadie.
Microchipping – What Goes On?
The vast majority of dog owners know what microchipping does, but they don’t know how their dog gets it done. With less than one third of the dog owners in the U.K currently protected by microchipping, there is clearly something wrong. Microchipping enables a dog warden, police officer, welfare professional or vet to identify in seconds the owner and home address of a stray dog. The procedure is cheap, painless and hassle free – it can even be done at home. We spoke to one microchipping expert to find out why so many dog owners are voluntarily missing out.
Now And Then – How Times Have Changed For Dog Owners
Thinking back not too far, it is easy to recall an age where law suits, court cases and marketing campaigns didn’t apply to dogs. We’ve come a long way in a short time with our dogs, but is this a good thing? Are we dragging an essentially wild animal into our technological, instant gratification lifestyle against his will? We look at the facts in this explosive feature.
Real Life – We Changed Our Life To Care For Our Dog
You’d do anything for your dog, right? Jess Buskirk has done pretty much everything. Her dog Luke is severely epileptic and cannot be left alone for too long in case he has a seizure. Jess and her partner have had their lives turned upside down in their bid to give Luke the best care they can offer. Thoughts of giving up on him or putting him out his misery don’t even enter their head. Their touching story highlights the devotion that is required to deliver first rate care for a sick dog, but with the arrival of a new baby just around the corner, how will Luke cope with the change?
Reporting Animal Cruelty – Would You Know What To Do?
The majority of animal cruelty incidents are stopped or prevented due to public intervention. K9 Magazine speaks to those on the frontline against animal cruelty to find out how best we can help put an end to animal abuse once and for all.
Tail Docking – What’s The Score?
Tail docking has been the political hot potato in the canine world for generations, but this year it was banned. Along with the ban, came many exemptions, caveats and protests which have clouded the waters surrounding the issue. We spoke to the people in government who passed the law to find out exactly where you stand in regard to tail docking.
The Modern Dog Breeder
The fate of the domestic dog is not in the hands of nature, it’s in the hands of breeders. If left to nature, many of our most cherished breeds would simply disappear, which is why there is a whole heap of pressure on dog breeders to keep their breeds alive and thriving. But breeders are facing new challenges every day, with demand for smaller, bigger, cleverer and cuter dogs at an all time high, how do today’s breeders meet the needs of the dog owning public whilst protecting the future of their breed?
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