A partnership in action

Today we had the immense privilege and pleasure of meeting Lorna Marsh, and her amazing Canine Partner Eli.  Lorna suffers from Cerebral palsy and is Quadriplegic, and we were visiting to see how much of an impact having a Canine Partner has made to Lorna's life. 

Having already filmed at the CPI headquarters a week ago, we ought to have been well prepared for what we were going to film today.  Not so.  We were simply blown away by what a help Eli is every day to Lorna, doing everything from opening and closing doors, retrieving dropped items, helping to remove Lorna's jacket, flushing the toilet and even clearing up his own dinner bowl. 

Lorna was a natural in front of the camera, and thoroughly enjoyed demonstrating the wide range of skills Eli has whilst explaining how he instills a very strong sense of independence in her. 

We will bring you Lorna's story in the May 2012 issue.

Breed library: Dachshunds

Today we met with Sue Seath who breeds and shows her wire-haired standard Dachshunds and smooth-coated minis.

We had great fun filming this adorable breed, and look forward to bringing you the breed library next year. Thanks very much for your time Sue!

Naturally Happy Pets

'Vets in Practice star' and TV vet Joe Inglis talked to us today about nutrition.  As well as talking to us about his own brand of pet food (www.petskitchen.co.uk), he also gave us an explanation of the different nutritional requirements of a dog as it progresses from puppy, to adult dog, into the senior years.

We thank Joe very much for his time today, and look forward to putting his articles live next year!

Roger Abrantes

It was a great privilege and honour to meet and film Dr Roger Abrantes of the Ethology Institute today. 

Dr Abrantes talked to us about various aspects of canine psychology, and gave an interesting angle on the topic of dominance.  Look out for these fascinating videos in the new year. 

We thank him very much for his time, in the middle of his busy seminar schedule!

Breed library: Australian Terriers

We were very pleased to meet Christine Foskett today with her five Australian Terriers, and delightful little dogs they were too! 

Look out for the new breed library early next year.

Canine Partners

We spent this morning in Midhurst in Sussex today to film at the Canine Partners training centre.

We interviewed CEO Andy Cook about the history of the charity, and got to film a puppy training session as well.  We then interviewed 'Puppy Parent' Sue Simms about the work she does for CPI, and also spoke with Rebekah Kendrick, an advanced trainer with Canine Partners who showed us some of the fantastic things the dogs will do for their partners after training. 

We were very impressed by the work this amazing organisation does, and look forward to making them a future charity of the month.

Breed library: Pyrenean Mountain Dogs

Today we went to visit Paul Meakin who shows Pyrenean Mountain Dogs and has them as family pets. 

We were pleasantly surprised to see them living happily side-by-side with 7 cats!  It was great to spend some time with this lovely breed, and we look forward to bringing you the breed library early next year.

NHD meets Victoria Stilwell!

What a great end to our first year, and we could not be more excited about meeting the star of TV's "It's Me or the Dog", the legendary Victoria Stilwell.

We were not disappointed; truly professional, she made light work of our articles, including topics such as compulsive disorders, dogs with children, and more.  We also spoke to Victoria about the campaigns she is involved in.  We cannot wait to bring you these articles in the new year, watch this space!

Pet Blood Bank UK: take 2

To follow up on our interview with Wendy Barnett of the Pet Blood Bank, we have been filming at Davies Veterinary Specialists in Higham Gobion, watching a number of donation sessions taking place.

We were delighted to see how much the dogs enjoyed the whole process, and how calm and relaxed they were too.  We very much look forward to bringing you this feature in March next year.

Countdown to Christmas 2011

With December rolling in and the advent calendars being opened, the Naturally Happy Dogs team was on the road again.  Firstly to Loughborough and the head office of Pet Blood Bank, and to film founder Wendy Barnett about the life-saving work that they have done since 2007.  Filmed in the laboratory where the blood products are processed and stored for later usage, Wendy gave us a brief history into the company and what they do.  We will shortly be filming a donation session to go with the interview, to show exactly what happens during a donation session.

Next, further north and the University of Lincoln, where we met up with Kerstin Meints.   Kerstin is a researcher at the University and has been running extensive studies into dog-child interactions, with particular focus on dog bites and their prevention.  The studies are based around a DVD called 'The Blue Dog'.  The creators asked Kerstin to look into how effective this is as a learning tool for children aged between 3 and 6, a key age group for dog bites in the home and therefore a key target for the education.  Thanks very much to Verity and Rufus for allowing us to film them in one of their sessions too!

But that's not all.  Wrapping up a very busy day's filming saw us further north again, filming for our upcoming breed library, and the versatile Glen of Imaal terrier… more news on the breed library soon, watch this space.

What a busy day, I've a feeling we'll be very glad of the Christmas break!

Merry Christmas to one and all!

In our last issue from our first year, we have a bumper Christmas special featuring some great advice for helping your furry friends cope with the festive season.  Hear advice from behaviourist Jez, and from Veterinary Surgeon Anna Marshall, about the potential yuletide pitfalls and how to avoid them thus ensuring a very happy Christmas for everyone.

Hot off the press is our article covering the Discover Dogs event at Earls Court last month.  That was filmed less than 3 weeks ago, and with Jez's 'Stress free Christmas' being filmed less than two weeks ago, it has been a rush to get it all edited in time... phew, great work Sally!

Also in this issue we hear from Turid Rugaas about coping with the teenage dog, and a feature on the Retrieva tracking collar, a great new product on the market now, well worth a look at.  You can also save £40 off one of these great collars by quoting our exclusive code NATXMAS when you order, so what are you waiting for?

Sally Rowe teaching targeting and another great scentwork video from Pam Mckinnon wrap up another action packed issue (wrap up, get it?)

We are really looking forward to bringing you even more great videos and the best contributors in 2012, have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year, see you in January!