Discover Dachshunds at Earl's Court: 8-9 November
The Southern Dachshund team is once again organising the Dachshund booths at Discover Dogs which will be held at Earl's Court, London on 8th and 9th November 2014.
Come and say hello (and cuddle a Dachshund, of course). If you really must look at dogs other than Dachshunds, there will be over 200 breeds on show, all with knowledgeable breed club members ready to offer advice on buying and living with their chosen breed.
Discover Dogs is a great day out for all the family with plenty of shopping opportunities for all those "doggy gifts" you know you'll be needing for Christmas presents this year.
Children under 12 get in free and you can order tickets here.
The Dachshund Breed Council has recently updated its information leaflet for prospective owners and you can download a pdf copy here. There's lots more information for potential owners at the Breed Council's website, including a FREE e-book.
"Sausage" competes again for Westminster Dog of the Year
This year's winner was Diesel, a German Shepherd, who saw off competition from "Sausage" the Dachshund owned by MP Laurence Robertson. The event which takes place every year, sees politicians' dogs take part in a series of challenges such as jumping over hurdles. Diesel, who's two and a half, was adopted from a dog rescue charity when he was a puppy. He is owned by MP Rob Flello.
Sausage, who is also 2 years old and competed last year as well, is a Red Dapple Mini Smooth Dachshund. She was "asked" to answer a few questions which she hoped would persuade people to vote for her.
Describe your personality in five words: Affectionate, wilful, protective, energetic, hungry!
What are your doggy achievements (e.g. training classes, awards, tricks etc.)? I don't run off. I love running and walking.
What would you include in a canine curriculum (e.g. digging for bones)? I'm against puppy farming; all dogs should be brought up as I am. They should be microchipped as I am. I also campaign to protect guide dogs from attack.
Which three celebrity dog owners (living or otherwise) would you invite to your fantasy doggy dinner party? Dec's dog, Lassie, A bomb-disposal dog (their owners)
Why should you be crowned Westminster Dog of the Year 2014? I'm cute and campaign for good dog ownership. I'm affectionate and support working dogs.
Westminster Dog of the Year is organised by Dogs Trust and The Kennel Club.
Coming soon - a new Health Survey from the KC
The Kennel Club ran its last major Health Survey in 2004 and is soon to launch an updated version in order to understand what changes have occurred in the past decade.
This will enable a comparison to be made with the 2004 KC survey and it will be e-mailed to around 384,000 contacts on the KC database. The survey is likely to be launched at Discover Dogs in November.
A total of 810 forms were sent out to Dachshund owners in 2004 and 155 were returned, representing 509 live dogs. Our breed had a 19.1% response rate (155/810). The median age at death reported for Dachshunds was 12 years and 8 months (min = 4 months, max = 19 years). You can download the
KC Survey 2004 Report or
read our online summary of it here.
Please look out for the KC's 2014 Survey arriving in your e-mail Inbox, because this time it will be an online survey.
We need everyone who owns a Dachshund to get involved and report on their dog. In particular, if your Dachshund is perfectly healthy we need you to complete the survey too, so we can get the best possible data on prevalence of health conditions and that depends on knowing how many dogs are healthy as well.
We also need everyone to report any
health problems or deaths for our ongoing Breed Council online survey. We're getting an average of 7 reports each month which provides us with a useful update and builds our database of concerns (400 reports in total).
First Aid for Dogs - a new App
First Aid for Dogs is a new app for the iPhone and iPad that provides everything you could ever possibly need to take care of your canine companion, including First Aid information and other handy tips and tricks.
The developer has done a fantastic job of providing the information in a clear and concise format that every dog owner will be glad they have at hand if the worst should happen.
The App includes a list of essential First Aid items you should keep handy, plus a collection of tips and tricks for accident prevention such as developing obedience and preventing food poisoning (worth bearing in mind with the risk of chocolate poisoning over the Christmas holidays).
Can you help a vet student with her 2nd year project?
Rebecca Church is a second year veterinary student studying at the Royal Veterinary College. As part of her second year she has to carry out a research project and is looking into how bitch breed, weight, age and parity as well as how seasonality can affect puppy litter size in dogs.
She has created a
survey to collect the data for use in this study; all data collected will remain strictly confidential and will not be used for any other purpose than for this study. Rebecca would be extremely grateful if you were to complete this
online survey; thank you.
Tips to cut the cost of dog ownership
According to an
article in the Daily Telegraph which presented data collected by
veterinary charity People's Dispensary Sick Animals, a dog can rack up an incredible £16,000 to £31,000 in costs over its lifetime.
These costs – which take into account food, worming, flea treatments, pet insurance, toys and so on – are far higher than most people's original estimations.
The tips in the article include:
- Buy unbranded dog foods
- Make your own treats
- Buy in bulk
- Cut down on "pet bling"!
- Groom your own pet
What would your Dachshund think of those?
On the internet
Why are vets resistant to raw dog food?
RCVS warning on raw food health risks
Why does my dog scratch when I tickle his belly?
Dogs at Play: What they Do, Know, Think, and Feel
KC welcomes new Law to tackle irresponsible dog owners
