Canine Swimming

Many dogs love the water. Did you know, you can turn your dog's love of water into something beneficial? Swimming can do wonders for our dogs!

Earl ventures into the sea!

Did you know...

- Water breeds are, obviously, more likely to like water due to their breed. Many water breeds also have webbed feet to help them swim. Water breeds were bred to work in the water, therefore, just as a collie naturally wants to herd, water breeds naturally want to swim! But other breeds can also enjoy being in the water.

- A five minute swim is equivalent to a five mile run for a dog, which means it tires them out quicker, while still giving them the same amount of exercise.

- Swimming is the best exercise for dogs to build up their muscle and limb strength, thus the invention of hydrotherapy pools for dogs. Hydrotherapy is where, while wearing a lifejacket, your dog swims with a qualified hydrotherapist in a pool for the required amount of time. Hydrotherapy is popular with dogs who are recovering from injury.

'My dog dislikes swimming!'?

Some dogs, especially non-water breed dogs, can take a disliking to water, just as some humans can. Never force your dog into situations he feels uncomfortable in, however you can encourage your dog to swim using praise and water toys! Always make it fun if you aim to get your dog into swimming. Hydrotherapy can also build your dog's confidence in water, due to the constant human support and regular sessions.

Beware...

Have fun, but always be careful when taking your dog for a swim, for example, on walks. Never force your dog to swim out of his comfort zone, and watch for algae growing on ponds. If ingested, this could give your dog an upset stomach. Always make sure the swimming area is safe and hazard free before allowing your dog to swim. Also, make sure your dog is confident before letting him take the plunge.

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Teaching Hug On Command

The 'hug' on command is an adorable and impressive trick for two or more dogs to do. You, my readers, requested a video of Earl and Ethel hugging not long ago, so, along with this, I'm also going to give step-by-step instructions on how to teach your own dogs to hug on command! We hope you enjoy!

The end result!

How to teach hug on command

- You will need at least two dogs to participate. If you really want, you can involve several dogs, all hugging each other!

- You will need treats to reward the correct behaviours.

- To successfully learn this trick, your hugging dog should know how to give/lift/place a paw on another object. If not, you can teach this as part of the hug on command.

1. Sit your dogs next to each other. I like to have the larger of the two dogs hugging the smaller dog, therefore I position the smaller of the dogs sat slightly in front of the other, still to the side.

2. Ask your hugging dog for his paw and reward for this behaviour.

3. Once your dog is confident lifting a paw, ask for this again. This time though, place your flat hand on the shoulder/back of your other dog, and ask your dog to place his paw on your hand in this position.  Reward for this.

4. Once your dog is confident placing his paw on your hand on your other dog's shoulder/back, ask for this again. This time though, simply point to your other dog's shoulder. As soon as your hugging dog's paw makes contact with your other dog, reward with a treat and heaps of praise.

5. Practice this, and then add a different, more specific command. Now, ask your hugging dog to 'hug', while pointing to your other dog's shoulder/back. Praise as before when this is carried out.

6. Now, after more practice, you should simply be able to say 'hug' and your hugging dog should place his paw on your other dog. Now you can impress your family and friends with this adorable duo trick!

P.S. In our video, you may see Ethel spinning around after Earl has 'hugged' her. This is simply to get her back into position near Earl for the next hug!

If you teach your dogs this trick, we'd love to see a video/photo/both! Send them to us at borderterriersruleOK@gmail.com and we may even feature some on the blog!

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Our Devon Holiday

Hi all, and hello once again! We're back from our family summer holiday in Devon, and we've all had an amazing time!

We never stopped having fun! We went to beaches, had a swim, walked around and discovered new places and enjoyed a breather in dog friendly pubs and restaurants. There were so many photo opportunities as well, it was hard to stop snapping!

The dogs loved the tent to pieces, and even more enjoyed sleeping with us in our 'rooms'!

Earl relaxing in the tent.

Ethel relaxing in the tent.

As for Ethel, this was her first ever holiday, and she loved the experience!

Ethel on the campsite.

We went to beaches...

Earl with the waves.

Earl with a washed-up shell.

Ethel on the beach.

Earl on the rocks. 

Being on the beach makes Earl extremely happy.

Earl with the rocks.

Earl posing as usual!

Earl and Ethel taking in the view.

Earl high-fiving me on the sand.

Earl surveying his gorgeous rural surroundings.

Ethel chilling out on the sand.

Earl rock-sunbathing.

Earl and the undergrowth.

Both dogs looking around the beach.

Earl guarding our beach gear.

The most amazing thing that must have happened at the beach this holiday has to be Earl choosing to go wading into the sea on his own! He normally hates water, including the sea, but this time, he decided he was ready to face his fears!

Earl wading in!

Earl realising this isn't so bad!

Brave Earl venturing in!

We couldn't believe it when he went in! It was an Earl-revolution! He was even braver than Ethel, who liked it at first, and then realised it was a little chilly!

Earl wearing his fashionable shell hat!

We even found a dog toy washed up on shore!

The washed-up 'Thurlstone Bone'!

Because we found it on a beach called Thurlstone, we christened it the 'Thurlstone Bone'!

They also enjoyed playing with a newly-purchased water toy.

Earl making a good catch.

Both dogs enjoying paddling.

Oh we do like to be beside the seaside!

We also enjoyed walking in many new places and discovering them. They were all full of charm!

Earl loves exploring.

Ethel enjoying walking around a brand new place.

Earl standing on a bench for a better view.

Earl loves the countryside.

And for little Ethel, after a busy day of walking, cuddles are paramount!

Ethel snuggling up.

And when the campsite goes cold, there's always a coat around for warmth.

We wish we were back again, as we had such a lovely time in such a lovely place! We can't wait to go on more doggy holidays in the years to come! We did so much; the dogs even came on a ferry with us a couple of times!

We hope you're all well, and we look forward to blogging as usual again!

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Pinch Punch Post - August 2015

August is a lovely month, because it's the month we spend on our summer holidays. And this August, like most Augusts, we've been - and are still on - our family summer holiday away. We're currently in Devon, as you will know, and have even competed in an agility show here (results on that soon to come). During the rest of this month, we'll be completing our family summer holiday in Devon, and returning home in time for a lovely long agility competition in our home area (or there about). August is also the month where the summer begins to fade... and you may begin noticing leaves turning brown on your breezy dog walks. Although we're still very much in summer, autumn is soon to come.

July has also been a good month; more competitions, and breaking up for the six weeks summer holidays. Maybe we haven't been as busy as usual, but sometimes it's nice to just sit back and wind down after some seriously busy times. I can tell you now, we did have a busy June!

We hope you all have a brilliant month ahead - August 2015 everyone! What are your August plans?

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SS - Classy Lad

Earl knows the 'in' styles of today, tomorrow, and next week! Here he is showing off his classy bow tie.

We're still in Devon holidaying at the moment, but we'll be back very soon!

P.S. Please see our Pinch Punch Post this month, posted today!

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