Newsletter

Cotswold Pet Services

Newsletter #2 Dog related Facts, Tips, News & Offers

Dear Dog owner

Welcome to the Cotswold Pet Services newsletter. You will be receiving this newsletter if you are a regular customer of ours or have registered with us for free information or samples. The newsletter will be issued monthly and we hope to bring you lots of interesting information such as; Dog training tips, Health matters, Dog shows, Breed focus, a section on gundogs and working dogs,little known facts, and much more.

Shows

Midland Game Fair - Weston Park - 19th/20th September 2009

Squires & Beaumont our gundog food supplier will be having a stand at the show, please feel free to pop along and speak to Mike Pettifer.

Dog Behaviour Spot

Recall

One of the behaviour problems we are frequently asked about is the failure of the dog to return to its owner on walks when called. Some basic tips to aid the recall of your dog are;

Never call for the dog... unless it is approaching you. If you shout for your dog when it is running in the wrong direction, the dog will learn to associate its name with the act of running off. Instead of shouting try to attract your dogs attention by:

Walking away; lying down; hiding; sitting down to eat; or paying attention to another dog.

When the dog returns avoiding punishing the dog, do not make the mistake of putting your dog straight on the lead when it returns. The dog sees this as punishment, the owner should reward the dog with a tit bit (try our ProReward 100% freeze dried liver treats) then release it. The owner should repeat this several times before restraining the dog.

Whistles - we find whistles very effective as they are more audible at greater distances than your voice. To get the most out of using the whistle it needs to be used in the house and on walks so the dog becomes accustomed to it in a positive way. A standard Acme dog whistle is the one we prefer. For Recall use three short "pips" on the whistle. This can later be extended to one long blast for "sit" and two short "pips" to change direction.

Breed Focus

Labrador Retriever

UK Gundog Group
Colours; Black, yellow or liver/chocolate. Yellow ranges from light cream to red fox.
The Labrador Retriever is thought to have originated in Newfoundland and off the coast of Greenland. The Labrador was used by fishermen to retrieve and drag the end of the fishing nets in. Employed for retrieving game, held in high regard as a guide dog and sniffer dog detecting drugs and explosives, the Labrador is an excellent water dog.

Thinking of getting a Labrador Retriever?

This breed is definitely in the top three when it comes to choosing a family pet! They are friendly, good-natured dogs who are affectionate with everyone. They are adaptable dogs and are naturally social animals. They are great with children, being patient and forgiving. Other household animals are not at risk. They are extremely loyal and love to be included in all aspects of family life. They will bark to draw your attention to strangers but will welcome them with open arms.

Puppies should not be brought home before they are 7 - 10 weeks old.

Energy levels - > 2 hours per day
Distress if left alone - Medium
Aggression - Low
Suitability for Children - High
Feeding - Labradors are not fussy eaters and, as such, need not be expensive to feed. They are greedy dogs and therefore care must be taken to ensure they do not get the chance to raid the rubbish bin! Careful watch over their diet is a must as they are prone to obesity. A study by a major pet food manufacturer showed that Labs fed to maintain a lean shape outlived those fed freely by around two years emphasizing that they should not be overfed. Our range of dog foods are designed to keep dogs in a lean healthy condition by the use of simple natural ingredients, not containing any added sugar or salt and being free of artificial additives
Other Funny Attributes - One of the Labs we look after, Pansy loves to roll and wallow in mud! We have also seen this behaviour in others too - you have been warned!

Dog Health

Ticks are an unwelcome guest for any dogs, for more information on getting rid of these please click on Removal of ticks.

Dog Trivia

Where does "hair of the dog" come from?

The famous cure for a hangover is named 'the hair of the dog' this saying developed from an activity in medieval times and was supposed to be a cure for a bite from a mad dog. The belief was that if the person who was bitten by a mad dog, either ate some of that dogs hairs with a slice of bread and some rosemary, they would be protected. Another version was to bind the wound with some hairs from the dog and some herbs to gain the protection. Today it is the saying associated with the attempted cure for feeling ill after an excess of alcohol had been consumed after a good night out.

What are Dog Days?

The dog days of summer are supposedly the hottest time of year in the northern hemisphere, July 3rd - August 11th. These days get their name from the Dog Star, Sirius which disappears into the Sun's glow at this time of year

Cotswold Pet Services Update

Free Dog Training Profile! Here you can get Free advice regarding specific problems with your dog or simply ask us a question. In return we will send you a Free Report with advice and recommendations!

Get dog food for free!
Squires & Beaumont Loyalty Schemes

Fallon's Working Dog Food - In October 2009 we will be launching our own working dog food, which will come in two varieties. Cotswold Original and Cumberland Original, price yet to be confirmed per 15 kg bag. The ideal maintenance food for working dogs.

Both Cotswold & Cumberland will be made of a high percentage of salmon along with vegetables , cereals, chicken , vitamins and minerals.

High Quality Collars & Leads - We now sell high quality, durable leads, collars and training accessories. Please follow the link to view this range. If you are interested in a particular colour that is not on the website please contact us to see if we can supply it.

Thank you for your attention and I hope you found something useful here.

If you have any comments or questions please feel free to contact me at Contact Me or use the Free Training Profile Form - Free Dog Training Profile

Best wishes

Keith Fallon
Owner, Cotswold Pet Services
PS If you found this Newsletter of interest please forward to a friend

To buy Squires & Beaumont Gundog food with free UK delivery please go to Squires & Beaumont Gundog food
For Training or Dog Exercise enquiries for the Cotswolds area please go to Cotswold Pet Services

Cotswold Pet Services
Northleach
Gloucestershire
GL54 3HJ

Tel: 01451 861870 / 07816 788224

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