I was sad to hear there has been another, and this time fatal, dog attack. Apparently the government are thinkiing of compulsory microchipping for dogs, why is this going to help? For a start you have to find the dog and then catch it. Now if owners of cars and properties can lie about their whereabout and identity, why would it be different with an illegal dog? For me there are some more simple answers you can draw from the past. When I was younger we had a park warden and a local copper. Everyone knew them and respected them for the most part. We also had parental responsibility, our parents cared where we were and what we were doing. The biggest problem with kids today is 'Human Rights'. If you aren't allowed to reprimand your child, how will they learn? Bring back the bobby on the beat I say, I was scared of him!

Dogs should sleep at least a third of the day unless they are working, by this I mean sleep. Sleep is not dozing or moving when your adult is moving. Sleep is that kind of comatose thing that all of us wish for and well-adjusted dogs do very well. Whether it be on your side, four paws in the air or just snoring, a settled dog will sleep. If your dog isnt doing so you may want to look at your relationship with your dog. Does your dog follow you everywhere? Does it howl when you leave the house! Does it watch you when you are in the bathroom? If so, I imagine how stressed your dog must be, after all how do you cope with no sleep?

Picture the scene: a large but young and excitable Labrador comes charging towards you and your chihuahua as you stroll through the park. Instinctively you pick up your dog and the Labrador launches itself at you jumping up and wagging its tail frantically. Note I say wagging its tail because the young hooligan is not being aggressive. However as the owner of said hooligan approaches, she (or he let's not be gender specific!) blames you for her dog's behaviour because you shouldn't have picked chihuahua up. Who is right? Well I'm on the side of chihuahua owner. It doesn't matter whether there is a sandwich, a beer, a child or a chihuahua in my arms; strange dogs NEVER have the right to jump on me. Dogs should be under control at all times, not just when it suits the owner.

On the news a couple of mornings ago there was an article about English Setters being on the 'endangered' list of dog breeds, apparently many of our purebreeds are dying out. Others included are the Glen of Imaal Terrier, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier (one of my favourite boarders is one - Dougal is a fabulous dog), the Sealyham Terrier,the Irish Red and White Setter the Clumber Spaniel and the Field Spaniel amongst many. It is sad to think we may well lose many of these breeds of dogs especially since most of these breeds have been around for more than a few hundred years. Perhaps it is the change in our lifestyles that makes these breeds less desirable, most of these breeds have a very strong work ethic and don't cope well with city life or perhaps the rise in celebrity culture makes us choose breeds based solely on the fact that they are expensive or look different. I would go as far as to suggest that the rise in the 'oodle' plays a part in the lack of popularity. People now seem to find it necessary to cross anything and everything with a poodle to make extra large, large, medium and little fluffy live wires. I'm all for going to rescue centres and picking a crossbreed (we don't say mutt-it's rude) but do we have to cross breed on purpose? Mind you I do hear that the Royal Wedding last year has seen an increase in sales of Corgis...........!

I am usually home by 2 pm unless I have a private seesion with a client and as is my routine, I always leave the TV on when I leave so which drives my husband nuts. I don't know why because there isn't anything on, its just a habit. Today I was suddenly struck by a question, how do dogs cope? Judging by the advertising on the TV, I cannot do any exercise without having an energy drink afterwards which also rebalances my system, I cannot eat anything without needing a laxative or anti-diarrhoea tablet, I am of an age where I definitely need to visit a cosmetic surgeon or buy a thing for my wrinkles oh and and I can only tone my legs and behind by wearing obscure trainers which look like hovercrafts? I mean how do dogs cope with running around a park til their exhausted without an energy replenishing drink and I worry that Rupert may feel he needs a facelift now he is of the older generation. I am definitely going to turn the telly off before I leave for work....

I had to take Macgyver to the vets today as he had been lifting his left leg up on and off for the last few 3-4 days. My main cocern was that he had hurt his hip, for those of you with big dogs you will understand the 'hip dysplacia' thing. Now I have probably the best vet in the world but as he manipulated Mac's leg, Mac didn't show any obvious pain so naturally it was difficult to tell where the problem was. Howeevr I was fascinated to see Johan (the vet) look at Mac's face whilst this was going on, he was looking for an emotional response rather than a physical one. Now I know my dog and I knew as soon as he felt pain by the change in his eyes and they way he licked his lips, like I said, I know my dog. I remember at University being part of a debate into how much animals felt emotion in the same way we do. As a dog trainer and a behaviour consultant, I believe that dogs are highly emotive creatures, we just need to understand how they show it. The stronger the human-dog bond, the easier it is to see and feel what they do. Now I just have to explain to Macgyver that lead walking for the next 3 weeks is in his best intrest.......

Took Gunner to the vet to get his rabies shot. Weighed him and compared his weight to that of Macgyver at the same age. Those of you who know Macgyverand the size of him will understand my look of shock when finding out that Gunner is 4 kilos heavier than Mac at the same age! I think the vet fainted......

Okay so I will be the first of the Dog Hollow team to introduce my canine companions. As there are so many of them I have given each a paragraph! They are listed from the largest to the smallest for easy indentification! Macgyver (the smaller of the 2 shepherds in the picture above) is now 5 years old. He is a long coat German Shepherd and my soul mate. Named after the classic 80's TV character, Macgyver is the ultimate dog (oh and yes he is neutered!), kind, friendly, protective, loves kids and never demands more than I can give him. Gunner is Macgyver's half brother; 5 months old and a complete nutcase. As Mac is calm and zen-like, Gunner does everything at 100 miles an hour - he just loves life, dog, people and the universe!You will h3ar alot more about Gunner as I am going to attempt to move him to my parents house in France to be a companion to Macgyver's sister, Chrissie. Hero is my latest adoptee. He is a 9 and a half year old neutered male(all my males are neutered over 8 months) Ruby Cavalier. Hero was born on a puppy farm but has had homes since then. He came to me via one of my best friends. After Jordi dies I said I would never have another Cavalier yet here I go. Hero has a fixation about sleeping on our bed and food....no particular order. Rupert is my oldest boy at nearly 12 years old. He is a another adoptee who came to me after his owner died nearly 10 years ago. Rupert is a Bleinhem Cavalier. He is also almost completely deaf, has poor eyesight these days and thinks he is Marlon Brando. Yogi Bear is my nearly 2 year old Norfolk terrier. Yogi is everyone's favourite terrier and known for his parfect physique - short, fat and fast! Gizmo is another adoptee, the whippet-like 3 year old mini Yorkie. Full-coated so most of the time he looks like a mop on the run. Gizmo basically belongs to Evee. Evee is the smallest and yet the most powerful of the Stewart dogs. Bred by Mark Sturmey, she is a Chihuahua wid de power. Evee can make a 50 kilo dog shake with fear, frankly she channels far too much girl power. So these are my dogs and over time they will pepper into conversation, videos and photos. I now leave the floor open for the next Dog Hollow dog xx

Well Happy New Year everyone and welcome to the 2012 Dog Hollow blog! Over the next few musings,we will introduce to the 'Dog Hollow' dogs, those owned by our fabulous team. These dogs play a huge part in teaching us how dogs think and interact both with people and other animals. Whilst they are our companions, they are also our teachers and we theirs. Dogs are visual communicators, we are verbal communicators, both forms work for each species. However have you ever put yourself in your dog's paws? My siblings and I used to play a game when we were little travelling the Underground. Pick a human subject and try and guess what she/he does for a living just by the body language - great fun and of course we never asked the person if we were right! A dog's body language can tell you so much more than you think. Here are 2 exercises for you; yawn in front of your dog and then blink in front of your dog. Now watch their reaction. Blinking and yawning are a dog's signals to 'calm down', I bet your dog copies you...

As we say goodbye to 2011, Alison and I would like to say a few huge thank yous to those who have helped Dog Hollow through another successful year. This could never been achieved without the other members of Dog Hollow, Mark, Sarah and Jonathon - you are the best. Huge thank yous to all the veterinary practices especially Kynance Vets for all the work pushed our way - we do like it really!! Special thank you to Jennifer Webb for helping with the classes and a massive bow to Vanya and Steven for being there when we needed you. Finally the biggest thank you to our clients both human and canine, you are what Dog Hollow is all about. For me 2011 has been a very emotional year, one I will be glad to see the back of so here's to 2012 (please Boris, remember we still have to work even though the Olympics are on!) Have a great one y'all and we will chat again next year. Sophi xx

Finally the house is full of canine guests and as all settle in for the fetive weekend I have the chance to say Merry Christmas to one and all. To the human companions I say eat, drink and merry but don't trip over the dog and to the canine other halves, eat your own food, drink only water, be merry but don't get underfoot!! Have a fantastic one! With love from Sophi, Alison, Mark, sarah and Jonathan and all the dogs at Dog Hollow xx

As we all get carried away with last minute shopping and Christmas parties, I hope all can take a moment to remember those friends who lost their canine companions this year. It is never easy when a beloved pet passes away but Chritmas always seems especially hard. For me, 2011 has been a tough one with far too many of my favourite canine 'clients' passing on, especially the love of my life, Amor (the bigger of the two German Shepherds in the photo above). I hope you don't mind if I make a special mention to a few of the truly amazing dogs who left us this year and their owners. Lilypad, the exquisite Peke. Thoughts are with Kaaren and all the family plus little Cybelle (Peke) Friday and Roxy, the unique Dachis. My thoughts are with you Amanda and Hero (the dachi x), to lose two dogs in one year is heart-breaking Lucky, the most gracious of all Golden Retrievers. To Pugli her Pug 'sister', Laurie, Bruno and all the family, a special hug. Alfie, the happy Cavalier who lost his fight to keep his heart going far too young. Natasha and all the family, thinking of you. And finally to Sherin, Amor's 'mum'. You know how I feel, the heart till has a huge hole. And so I raise a glass to all those dogs who I have been lucky to be a part of their lives and perhaps a smile when we remember the happy times xx

Candles! Especially the aforementioned tail easily knocks these over! Open fires are also dangerous so keep a fireguard in place. Look out for the hidden dangers in crackers (and the noise), wrapping ribbon, batteries, unshelled nuts, wires from plugged in lights, hanging table cloths (Labrador favourite!), fireworks and drunken guests. HAVE YOU REMEMBERED? Have you planned kennels, dog minding, residential care if you are going away? This should be done at least three months ahead of schedule particularly when you are booking Dog Hollow. Are their vaccinations, flea treatment, worming, and kennel cough jab up to date? Have you got the emergency vet number to hand? Do you know the opening hours of your regular vet? Dog food (you would be amazed at the number of people who forget to stock up for the dog during the festive period!) If you intend to be out all evening (more than 4 hours), is there someone who can let your pup out to toilet? Please don’t leave pups unattended all evening. To have safe, quiet area that your dog can go to when the socialising gets too much?

THE SOCIAL SCENE ƒæ Whilst you may be the life and soul of the party, make sure your puppy has a quiet place to go to when the party gets going. ƒæ Children and dogs are wonderful together but do not allow your puppy to be picked up by them. Puppies wriggle, get dropped and a trip to the vets is the end result! ƒæ NEVER allow anyone other than members of the family to feed your dog. Do you know what your puppy is eating? Does this teach your puppy to beg and steal from any person they see? Does your puppy end up snatching food from a child? ƒæ Don¡¦t feed your dog from the table! Christmas may be a special occasion for you but to your dog, it¡¦s just another crazy day! Put your dog in its bed with a chew and leave them be. ƒæ Too much handling will make your dog irritable and bad-tempered especially if they are not used to it. Cranky dogs bite! ƒæ As the party progresses, put your dog away. Alcohol tends to make the best of us less stable and it isn¡¦t difficult to trip over a small dog, drop them or give them something they shouldn¡¦t. ƒæ Is your dog used to other dogs visiting the house? Don¡¦t invite other canines unless your dog is used to inviting in four-legged guests. ƒæ Try and keep to your pup¡¦s routine. They still need their daily walk, feed, and toilet schedule. They don¡¦t know what Christmas is. I love to give my dogs a special extra walk on Christmas Day with the whole family; it¡¦s rare we all go out together with all the dogs and it really tires them out! ƒæ Don¡¦t allow children particularly small ones around your dog if they are not used to them. Children get very over-excited at Christmas and can agitate dogs very easily.

IT’S POISON! Poinsettia, mistletoe, holly and ivy are all poisonous to dogs. Keep these well away from your puppy. Alcohol Batteries Chocolate! Theo bromine, an alkaloid in cocoa can be lethal especially in young or elderly dogs. Human hangover cures! Keep drugs away from dogs especially paracetamol, ibuprofen, anti-diarrhoea medication, asthma medicine and oral contraceptives. Glue particularly, superglue! Anti-freeze Cannabis (I would trust none of you need to know this!) Silica gel, often found in packaging such as shoes or cameras (the little sachet you find within the box) MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR EMERGENCY VET NUMBER TO HAND

ƒæA dog¡¦s stomach is designed to cope with a bland diet. Changing this often results in diarrhoea and occasionally vomiting. Don¡¦t give your dog extra titbits from your Christmas lunch or snacks from the hors d¡¦oevres tray unless you want a mess on your floor/bed/new dress etc! KEEP DOGS AWAY FROM MEAT BONES! It may be very tempting to give your dog a bone to chew on but this can be fatal. Cooked bones splinter when broken so imagine what happens when they get inside your pup¡¦s gut. Don¡¦t leave alcoholic drinks on low tables! Creamy drinks in particular can attract your pup. Alcohol is lethal for a puppy and glasses can easily be knocked over and broken. Be careful about giving your puppy too many edible presents. The shops are filled with doggy stockings at this time of year but remember your puppy may not be used to the treats inside. I tend to buy training toys for my dogs as presents and avoid extra treats. An extra special walk on Christmas day with the whole family is a fantastic Christmas gift for everyone!

As we get closer to Chritmas I thought I would impart some daily wisdom to help you and your dog get through the festive period safely. First top is the Chritmas tree.A Christmas tree is a novelty for puppies but the needles can cause disaster. They can get stuck in pads, teeth, and coat and get swallowed. I have known a young Labrador to pull down a tree, decorations, lights and all! I would suggest not allowing your puppy near the tree unsupervised or place a guard around it. Trees also hold lots of exciting baubles, edible gifts (chocolate coins?) and electrics. I once had the embarrassment of seeing my late GSD, Scout knock down a beautiful set of expensive silver baubles off someone’s tree simply by wagging her tail! Keep such items away from the bottom of the tree or at least out of range of a curious pup.

So my Christmas card are slowly being posted and so many are being recieved (thank you!). One of my highlights is getting the cards from my clients and dog owning friends, the funnier the better. It seems we go out of our way to produce a better carrd than we did last year and as technology develops we have the ability to do just that. Our dogs don't really care though, one profile is as good as the next and sitting still is a waste of time. Dogs never care whether or not they look goofy in a photo and they give us so many unexpected pictures. A friend of mine once told me that she only ever took one Christmas photograph of her child and that was in his first year, all photos from then on included the dog who lived to 14 years old. She started buying Christmas cards after that

I walk a group of dogs which include 3 of my own in Hyde Park during the week. I am often joined by clients and friends with their dogs. Normally this is one of my highlights of the working week, a time to chat and for the dogs to interact and sometimes play together. BUT increasingly we are being irritated by the 'just being friendly' dog who charges into the group at warp speed, bowling over any smaller dog in its path and jumping up on the nearest human leaving muddy paw marks in its wake. Oh and it also feels the need to lick the private parts of dogs and mount persistently. The owner of said dog cannot call the dog back of even catch it as they are trying to engage in a very important mobile phone conversation and anyway 'Jack' doesn't mean any harm. Naturally if one of my dogs takes affront, I am told by said idiot "can't you control your dogs?!". To point out the obvious only results in an arguement so I have learnt to hiss loudly at said lout dog and reach for its collar (something the dog is used to avoiding) - works every time, I just wish I could do the same to the owner...

just testing

I've always wondered why certain members of the human race ie, people like me, find it necessary to own a dog. Cats don't require the commitment a dog does. Dogs need daily exercise no mattter how sick/tired/hungover/ all of these we feel, the dog still needs a walk. Cats don't. Dogs need feeding, cate just go next door if you forget. Dogs roll in something unbelievably disgusting and make sure you know it, cats would never dream of stooping that low. I own 5 dogs, well I would suggest that this is a contradiction in terms, who owns who? I sometimes feel I am owned. I walk, feed, medicate, bath, play, fuss and worry far more about them than perhaps the average parent would towards their own child. I'm sure a psychologist could come up with a reason why I chose to have 5 dogs and one child (whom I adore incidentally), however I have come to the conclusion that I feel needed. Could you say the same thing about a cat?