Definition: A typical photobomb is when somebody jumps into the background of what was supposed to be a nice picture, usually sporting a funny look on their face–thus ruining the photo.

OK, so does anyone really think dogs are immune from such high-jinks? Ever met a dog who ISN’T prepared to photobomb? No? Well let’s meet the top photobombing canines shall we….Before we continue, you remember the time when this was a serious magazine don’t you? No? Ah well, neither do we. Let’s get on with the bombs.

1: Hard to say who’s actually doing the bombing here. Angry dog or willy waving dog? You decide.

2: You’ve heard of bomb detection dogs, right? Well here’s a bombing dope detection dog. When your dog thinks you look like a dork, it’s time to have a real think about life.

3: Text book dog bombing. Rude and oblivious. Cracking.

4: Bomb dog number 4 seems to be plotting something pretty dastardly.

5: A classic, classic bomb.

6: Slight twist on the theme, dog’s photo is bombed by a cat.

7: Franter is – apparently – the official mascot dog of Manchester Utd football club according to an Old Trafford spokesman called ‘Fred’. Whatever, here he is offering England’s football supremo Fabio Capello his tactical words of wisdom. Capello obviously rates him. Top bombing Franter, top bombing.

The Sun reports that the incident happened when the man was getting into the back seat of his four-wheel drive with the rifle beside him when the dog jumped in after him.

Police thought that the dog must have triggered off the .22 bolt-action rifle that went straight into the man’s left buttock in a freak accident.

Let’s hope he makes a speedy recovery!

They received the highest public vote from the 12 millions viewers and also received a stand ovation from the audience. They won over the hearts of the judges and showed animal loving Simon Cowell’s softer side. He said “I love her. She is adorable. It shows you how important it is to love a dog because a dog will love you back.”

The dancing duo from Shropshire now need all the support they can in the final which is showed at the weekend. The winner will get to perform in front of the queen and will win an amazing £100,000. Tina told hosts Ant and Dec: “I’m relieved it went so well. You just never know how anything is going to go.”

Let’s hope that Chandi’s star status can help more rescue dogs out there find homes.

Visit www.dogsblog.com to see 1000′s of rescue dogs looking for homes in all areas of the UK. You never know, you may find a dog with a hidden talent too.



The doors will open to more than a hundred Cane Corsos, their owners, enthusiasts, FCI approved breed judges and the BCCS Cane Corso Re-Home team, to provide attendees with an educational, yet fun filled day of activity for all the family. Doted on by the Italians for their intelligence and loyalty, relied on by the Brazilians for their power, highly regarded at the World Dog Show for their stature and loved by their owners, this rare and ancient breed is sure to make the event one to remember.

During the event, obedience training sessions; Cane Corso seminars; children’s dog handling classes; weight training demonstrations and even fancy dress shows will take place, whilst holidays and other luxury prizes can be won in a raffle. Tickets cost just £5 per adult on the door, children attend free when accompanied by an adult, and Kelly’s world-famous Pie & Mash and other light refreshments will be available at lunch.

“This is a family day out to discover the Cane Corso for those that already own one, want to own one or simply just love dogs. There will be something for everyone.” Jo Lueck, President, BCCS.

For more information about this wonderful breed or to find out more about the event please visit www.canecorso.org.uk or call Jo Lueck on 01255 831681.

Taz is a German Shepherd Dog cross Dobermann who was brought by his owners in 1998 to safeguard the Dartmouth Arms in Dartmouth, Devon. He is now 11 years old and is becoming slightly blind and deaf.

Robbers broke into the pub in the early hours of Sunday and took hundreds of pounds worth of alcohol. They also stole cash from a quiz machine and charity boxes, all the while Taz was fast asleep upstairs.

The pup’s landlord, Mark Keel, opened up in the morning and found Taz still ‘snoring’.

He said: ‘Taz just didn’t wake up. He should have been straight down the stairs, and he would have been if he’d woken up. When he was younger, he’d wake up at anything, even people walking along the street outside. We’re now putting in a burglar alarm.’

Every Easter, vets see a sharp increase in pet poisoning casualties caused by these seasonal items. In April 2009 the Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS) recorded a 150% increase in the number of enquiries about pets poisoned by chocolate compared to March that year. The most common victims were curious dogs, who frequently sniffed out chocolates left within their reach. Some dogs were also fed human chocolate as treats by well-meaning but misguided owners.

Similarly, cases of daffodil poisoning peaks around Easter, with most pet owners unaware of their potential danger to animals. In 2009 the VPIS found that over one third of all daffodil poisoning enquiries occurred at this time of year.

This year, in a bid to cut the casualties, PDSA has teamed up with the Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS) – a national resource providing information to vets about poisons and the associated treatment.

Elaine Pendlebury, PDSA Senior Veterinary Surgeon, said: “Vets across the UK are poised for an influx of Easter poisoning cases over the next few weeks. Easter wouldn’t be Easter without chocolate and daffodils, but unfortunately, neither are pet friendly.

“Many dogs, like us, enjoy the taste of chocolate and will happily eat it if they get the chance. When it comes to daffodils all parts of the plant are potentially dangerous, even the water these flowers stand in. The bulbs are highly toxic to pets and can prove fatal if consumed.”

Elaine added: “The greatest chocolate danger is from the luxury brands intended for humans that have a higher cocoa content making it much more toxic to pets. Just a small bar of dark chocolate could fatally poison a Yorkshire Terrier!”

With daffodils, the main risk to pets is from the bulbs, as Nick Sutton, Specialist in Poisons Information at the VPIS explains: “Most of the enquiries we receive regarding daffodils concern dogs digging up and eating freshly planted bulbs. Animals can become very unwell after eating the bulbs. Although this is the most toxic part of the plant, eating the leaves, flowers and even drinking the water can prove harmful.”

The main problem, according to Elaine, is that owners simply aren’t aware of these seasonal dangers. To help people learn more, here are some seasonal facts from PDSA and the VPIS:

Chocolate poisoning facts:
• Large amounts of chocolate can poison dogs and other pets due to the toxic effects of theobromine, a component of chocolate similar to caffeine.
• The effects of chocolate poisoning in dogs usually appears within six to 12 hours of ingestion, and can last as long as 72 hours.
• Initial signs can include excessive thirst, vomiting, diarrhoea abdominal tenderness and restlessness. This can then progress to hyperactivity, tremors, abnormal heart rate, hyperthermia and rapid breathing.
• In severe cases there are fits, heart beat irregularities, coma or even death.

Daffodil poisoning facts:
• Daffodil bulbs are the most toxic part of this plant. They contain chemicals called alkaloids and glycosides which are hazardous to pets. These chemicals are present in all parts of the flower, but most concentrated in the bulb.
• The lethal dose can be as low as 15g of bulbs – this could be as little as just one bulb!
• Even the water the daffodils stand in is toxic and can cause stomach upsets in pets if drunk.

Case study:
Sweet-toothed Labrador, Buster, from Derby made an egg-cellent recovery last Easter thanks to PDSA – after he collapsed with chocolate poisoning from wolfing down a dozen chocolate cream eggs!

Five-year-old Buster’s owner brought the chocolate eggs as an Easter treat for her grandchildren. She hid them away in her spare bedroom, but didn’t count on mischievous Buster sniffing them out.

PDSA Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Vicky Sims, who treated Buster last year says: “Buster was quite lucky. Cream eggs have a fairly low theobromine content because they’re half fondant. Higher quality ‘posh’ chocolates are the most dangerous as they have high concentrated doses of theobromine – which poisons pets.

“Many people are simply not aware that even small amounts of human chocolate can kill a little dog. If you want to indulge your pet you should opt for a healthy pet treat instead.”

On 9th January canine carer Pete Cartwright (23) was exercising two year old Bentley in the snowy fields around the Worcestershire rehoming centre when he lost consciousness and fell face down into the snow.

Epileptic Bentley leapt into action and raced back to the centre to alert Pete’s co-workers that something had happened.

Chris Slight, Dogs Trust Evesham rehoming centre, explains:

“Bentley bounded back to us barking and we immediately realised something was wrong. The weather was atrocious that day and I dread to think what could have happened to Pete if Bentley hadn’t raised the alarm and helped us get to him just moments after he collapsed.”

Pete regained consciousness and was rushed to the vet suite where staff wrapped him in dog blankets to warm him up until the ambulance arrived. After hospital tests Pete made a recovery and was recently welcomed back to work by a delighted Bentley.

Pete adds:

“Poor Bentley has been waiting for months for a new home, but I’m so grateful that he was there with me when I collapsed. He has epilepsy and although he takes medication and his condition is under control, I think it made him sensitive to the fact that something was wrong. He’s an affectionate gentle giant and has been an absolute hero.”

Bentley is still looking for a home and Dogs Trust will pay all vet fees relating to his epilepsy. He would be best suited to a family with older children and he gets on well with other dogs.

The centre is also running low on blankets to make the dogs’ kennels cosier in winter.

If you are interested in rehoming Bentley or can donate any unwanted bedding please contact Dogs Trust Evesham on 01386 830 613 or visit 89 Pitcher’s Hill, Wickhamford, Evesham, Worcestershire WR11 7RT.

www.dogstrust.org.uk

Spike’s owners were astonished when they took their sick pet to the vet and discovered what had caused the stomach upset. Spike had started being sick just before Christmas. They took him to a vet in nearby Wetherby but initial tests failed to reveal the root of the problem.

It was only after an X-ray was carried out and they saw the perfect outline of a rubber duck in the dog’s small intestine.

Colin Smith, 52, of Thorner, near Leeds, said: “I was absolutely amazed. When we saw it after the operation it was the same duck he swallowed 18 months ago. We assumed he’d chewed it up and it had passed through him.”

The cost of the operation was £1,060, but they are now happy Spike is no longer in pain.

“It was just a relief to know there was something there causing the problem because we were quite worried about him,” he said.

“He eats absolutely anything. He must have seen the duck and thought ‘they’re not going to let me have this’ so he just swallowed it whole.”

Mr Smith said he had kept the duck as a memento.

“The only difference is it’s gone black after losing its yellow paint,” he said.

Lulu’s subsequent pet health insurance claim was one of 12 claims nominated by Veterinary Pet Insurance Co, the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, for the first-ever VPI Hambone Award. Created to recognize the year’s most unusual pet health insurance claim, the VPI Hambone Award is named in honor of a VPI-insured dog that got stuck in a refrigerator and ate an entire Thanksgiving ham before being found with the licked-clean ham bone and a mild case of hypothermia.

From Sept. 1 through Sept. 14, more than 3,400 people voted online for the pet insurance claim they found most unusual. At the close of voting, Lulu was the clear winner with nearly three times more votes than the first runner up. As the winner, Lulu, owned by Jennifer and David Zwart of Warson Woods, Mo., received a bronze trophy in the shape of a ham, a gift basket and an upcoming appearance on the nationally-syndicated Rachael Ray Show.

Second Place – Sugar, a Jack Russell terrier owned by Ginger Reynolds of Ocean Springs, Miss. Sugar snacked on a wild turtle that had wandered into her yard. In her hasty consumption, Sugar managed to get part of the turtle’s shell stuck in her nasal cavity. Initially, Sugar’s symptoms had veterinarians thinking she had a severe cold until an X-ray revealed the nasal obstruction. After surgery to remove the piece of shell, Sugar made a complete recovery.

Third Place – Scooter, a Siamese cat owned by Margaret Stedt of San Clemente, Calif. Stedt brought Scooter to the veterinarian for recurring seizures. As a technician prepped Scooter for an MRI, she noticed a sewing needle and thread lodged far back in Scooter’s throat. The sewing needle had pierced the back of Scooter’s tongue, the top of her throat and part of her brain, causing the intermittent seizures. Once the needle was removed, Scooter made a full recovery in a matter of days.

Other pet insurance claims nominated over the course of the last year included those resulting from a Labrador that suffered an allergic reaction after fetching a sea urchin, a Brittany spaniel that chewed the gel inserts out of his owner’s bra, a Belgian sheepdog that ran into a wheelbarrow while chasing a squirrel, a Labrador that inhaled a fishhook, a German shorthaired pointer attacked by wild javelinas, and a French bulldog that underwent surgery for a migrating corndog stick. Like Lulu, all pets considered for the award made full recoveries and received insurance reimbursements for eligible expenses. Full stories for all 2009 nominees can be found at www.VPIHamboneAward.com.

1 Dogs will make you healthier – fact!

If you want to live a healthier life get a dog.  Dr Deborah Wells a psychologist from Queen’s University, Belfast, said dog owners tend to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Writing in the British Journal of Health Psychologyshe revealed how pet owners tended to generally be in better health than the average person.

2 Dog owners have fewer minor ailments and serious medical problems.
It’s long been theorised that dogs can aid recovery from serious illnesses such as heart attacks, and it’s now well proven that dogs can spot oncoming illness, even the presence of cancer or an impending seizure. We haven’t even begun to scrape the surface of how much dogs can still do to aid human health.

3 Having a pet can help children develop better social skills.
Researchers at the University of Leicester discovered that children up to the age of six, living  in pet-owning families have better social skills, better speech, better co-ordination, more confidence and will be less likely to suffer from allergies by the time they start their second year of school.

4 Dogs aid children cope with stress.
A five-year-study of 600 children aged 3-18 years highlighted how children in pet owning homes who suffer from learning difficulties or come from a home where parents have split up, are better able to cope with stress than those children who don’t have access to the companionship of a pet.

5. No more sneezing.
It is traditionally thought that allergy sufferers shouldn’t have a furry or feathered friend. However, recent scientific evidence suggests that the opposite may hold true and pets have an important role to play in building up a child’s immune system. Children who live with a cat or dog in their first years of life have a lower incidence of hay fever and asthma and are less likely to develop animal-related allergies. Recent studies also show that the immune systems of children (particularly between the ages of five and eight) of pet-owning families are more stable than those of children from non-pet owning families – the result being that making pet-owning children are better able to fend off illness. (see PHC ‘Pets & Allergies’ leaflet on this website).

The latest research
New research was presented at the 10th International Conference on Human Animal Interaction in October 2004. This was the first time this triennial conference came to the UK.

Some of the highlights are summarised below:

A PET ALL DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY – Bruce Headey, Melbourne, Australia
A large-scale survey of more than 11,000 Australians, Chinese and Germans proved pet-owners enjoy better health. Over a five year period, pet owners made 15 – 20% fewer annual visits to the doctor than non pet-owners. Results showed that the healthiest group – those who went to the doctor least – was those who continuously owned a pet. The next healthiest group had obtained a pet during the study period, having not had one before. The least healthy groups were people who had never owned a pet, or no longer did.

KIDS WITH PETS TAKE FEWER SICK DAYS – June McNicholas, Scotland
Dr June McNicholas, a health psychologist, presented findings of a study which examined 256 children (aged five to eleven years) in three schools in England and Scotland. The key findings were:

* Absenteeism through illness was significantly less among pet-owning children
* Children in reception and Year 1 classes had 18 per cent and 13 per cent better attendance respectively than non-pet owning children
* Pet-owning children attended school for an additional three weeks extra school compared to non-pet owning children (aged five to seven years).

6 Stroking a cat or dog can bring down blood pressure and one study of 369 heart-attack survivors found that those who had dogs were less likely to die within a year than those who didn’t.

6 The British Medical Journal found that pets can often act as social catalysts’. This was particularly important for those at risk of social isolation, such as the elderly or those with physical disabilities. A Warwick University study said 40% of dog owners say they make friends more easily due to their pet.

7 Pets can help recently widowed people deal with stress. A UK study revealed that three months after bereavement, pet owners had fewer physical symptoms, such as crying, than non-pet owners.

8 Cats can help you overcome stress. A Cats Protection study of 500 cat owners aged over 55 revealed 82% found that their cat helped them overcome feelings of stress; 62% said cat ownership helped overcome feelings of loneliness and 75% sometimes preferred to share their feelings with their cat rather than a partner or friend.

The same survey also looked at 100 cat owners aged 13 years or under where 80% said their cat helped them get on better with family and friends while 87% of children regard their cat as a close friend’.

9 Whilst it may seem obvious, owning a dog is a sure fire way to make sure you – and your pet – get some regular exercise by taking it out for walks on a daily basis – dog owners often reason that their dogs keep them fitter than they would do if they didn’t have the incentive to take the dog out.

10 Dogs make us laugh. They’re naturally comedic. Don’t believe me?