What is AMSR and what are the benefits for pet dogs? AMSR or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response is the new buzzword in the field of mental health and wellbeing in human beings.  However, the [...]

We’re open! First and foremost on behalf of all of us at Holidays4Dogs, we’d just like to say our thoughts are with anyone who’s been personally affected & lost friends or [...]

SORRY – THIS POPULAR SERVICE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE – PLEASE CONTACT YOUR BUTCHER DIRECTLY FOR REPEAT ORDERS.   DOORSTEP DELIVERY – Holidays4Dogs responds to COVID-19 lockdown [...]

In accordance with Government guidelines, all Holidays4Dogs Dog Carers will cease to work for a period of 3 weeks from 23rd March. We will continue to monitor the evolving situation and [...]

Coronavirus and the impact on rescue centres Times are indeed both worrying and trying for all of us and nothing has escaped the consequences of this massive public health concern.  Just [...]

Boo goes to meet Hylton the Hearing Dog Hylton is an official assistance dog and wears with pride the burgundy livery of a Hearing Dog. He has been Sheila’s partner for just 9 months, and it is [...]

Can dogs catch coronavirus from humans and vice versa? With recent media news reports on the case of the Chinese dog tested for coronavirus, many dog lovers the world over might be forgiven for [...]

Eye discharge in dogs – what does it mean if your dog has runny eyes? Many dog owners will be familiar with their dogs sometimes having runny eyes and largely, this is nothing to worry about – [...]

Why is that dogs like some people, but not others? Many dogs are happy-go-lucky fellows who love everyone and are happy to greet anyone they meet with a happy wagging tail.  But there are also a [...]

Dog snatching – tips on how to protect your pooch from dog nappers. Alarmingly, dog theft is on the rise in the UK.  An analysis by Direct Line found that dog theft rose by 27% between 2014 and [...]

Keeping your dog safe in floods. The rain this week has been biblical in many parts of the UK – and where I live, in a small town in Worcestershire, we were virtually cut off from the rest of the [...]

Loneliness and the Power of Pets. In this article Holidays4Dogs looks into the high profile subject of loneliness in people.  Loneliness is a very real issue for many people from all walks of [...]

Hypoglycemia in small breeds of dog. Hypoglycemia is a common problem in small breed puppies (and kittens) and it refers to the condition of the body when it is low in blood sugar.  All young [...]

What emotions do dogs feel? Most people would agree that dogs, (as well as many other species of animal) do indeed have feelings.  But to what extent do dogs feel emotion and how?  Emotion in [...]

Renting with Pets – new Government Announcement. It has long been known that pets bring many benefits to people. Dogs, in particular, provide a source of support that many would argue is [...]

Should you consider an imported rescue dog? Holidays4Dogs has written on the subject of imported rescue dogs in the past (Feb 2017 – see below), but three years on, veterinary and welfare [...]

At what age can I begin training my puppy? The idea that puppies shouldn’t start training until they are six months old is definitely a myth and it probably developed because puppies didn’t used [...]

What is ‘habituation’ in dog behaviour? There are three types of learning when it comes to the subject of dog behaviour – classical conditioning, instrumental conditioning and habituation.  In [...]

Help! – My dog is scared of the wind! Just as with people, dogs can have fears and phobias too and many of us may be familiar with some of the more common worries our pet dogs have, such as a [...]

Caring for giant breeds. Giant breeds of dog are the ‘XL’s’ of the canine world and common examples would be Irish Wofhounds, Great Danes and Mastiffs.  Despite their conspicuous size, these dogs [...]

Walking a large dog and a small dog at the same time – tips for success. I decided to write this Holidays4Dogs article having just recently taken on a very tiny Chihuahua puppy.  By tiny, I mean [...]

Do people really buy puppies at Christmas? We all know the familiar Dogs Trust slogan ‘A dog is for life not just for Christmas’ but Holidays4Dogs wondered whether this is still a big problem in [...]

The Mud and rain – we feel your pain! Is it me, or has it been the worst soggy winter thus far, for some years?  Every time I open the curtains and see a wet, dank day, my heart sinks at the [...]

Little dog tales (part 4) – a nightmare moment. Peggy has begun to understand the routine in her new home and this includes going on the same walk each morning where she can get used to traffic, [...]

How to spot a puppy farmer. This Holidays4Dogs article will focus on points to be aware of when looking for a puppy, especially if this involves internet or newspaper classified adverts; because [...]

Little dog tales (part 3). It has been three weeks since Peggy moved in and we now have the official ok from the landlord that she will be allowed to stay if we wish.  She is mostly a delight to [...]

Little dog tales – Peggotty settles in; (but makes up her own rules! part 2). It’s been five days since Peggy entered our lives as a foster dog that needed a place to stay.  The first couple of [...]

Safe play between children and dogs; how to supervise interactions – part II Following on from part I of our Holidays4Dogs article about safe play between children and dogs; part II will focus on [...]

Little dog tales (part 1). Last Friday I had an unexpected message from a friend of a friend about her dog.  She had been given a tiny Chihuahua a few weeks previous, but a couple of months on [...]

Safe play between children and dogs; how misunderstandings can occur – part 1. This Holidays4Dogs article will concentrate on the relationships between children and  family dogs.  Sadly, there [...]

What does ‘responsible dog ownership’ mean to you? Holidays4Dogs considers this interesting question about just what it means to be a responsible dog owner.  What do dog owners and non-dog owners [...]

Can dogs detect human hormones? It is certainly not unusual for a dog to have the ability to pick up on changes in human scent, because we already know that dogs can sense low blood sugar in [...]

5 Independent dog breeds; (if you would rather not have a Velcro dog!). There are many different breeds of dogs in the world, all with different characteristics and personalities.  Whether you [...]

If you love dogs, you will love these natural home made cleaners! Whether you’re a dog owner of one single pooch, many or a Holidays4Dogs carer with lots of individual coming to stay; you’ll love [...]

The working Golden Retriever in the UK. Golden Retrievers have always been popular pets in the UK, but they are still not as common as Labradors and other gundog breeds, both in the pet and [...]

When walking the dog means running the gantlet! I sometimes despair when I’m out walking Floss and Buster these days – is it really just me, or are there many more hooligan dogs and blasé dog [...]

The Benefits of Kefir for Dogs. Kefir, pronounced ‘Kah fear’ is, according to the people who live in the Caucasian Mountains, the “grain of life” and it contains many probiotic organisms that [...]

Separation anxiety in older dogs – How to help – Part II. Following on from Part I of our Holidays4Dogs article about separation anxiety in the aging dog, this section will look at the best ways [...]

Pyometra in dogs.  Following on from our previous Holidays4Dogs article about the behaviour of bitches in season, we look this time at the condition affecting female dogs called Pyometra. This is [...]

Separation anxiety in older dogs – Part 1. Holidays4Dogs has written on this subject in the past; but a recent situation with Floss the collie, who is now ten years old, made me decide to [...]

Walking your dogs near cattle – is it safe? Last month, a lady dog walker was seriously injured by cows while walking her dog near the village of Sheldon in the Peak District and the incident [...]

The changing shape of the dog human relationship. I am a great people watcher, but my favorite thing is watching dog owners with their dogs – I just find it fascinating watching the interaction, [...]

How to get rid of dog smell from you car! Dogs are the most wonderful creatures and it’s great to be able to take them out and about in the car. But, they can be quite smelly too and more so in [...]

How to stop your dog from speed eating! We’ve all heard the phrase ‘wolfing it down’ which refers to the behaviour of a person – or dog in this case – eating their food very quickly; ravenously [...]

How to improve your dog’s recall. We have written on this subject before for Holidays4Dogs, but getting your dog to come back reliably can, for many, remain an illusive task.  There are often [...]

Five breeds that are always ready for a snuggle! I’m sure that most dog owners will claim that their dog is always ready for a cuddle and  as Josh Billings said; it would certainly seem that a [...]

Read this before you get a Husky. Huskies are indeed a striking breed and much admired by dog lovers the world over; but in recent times, both here in the UK and in the United States, the numbers [...]

Canine Idiopathic Sterile Nodular Panniculitis. One of our Holidays4Dogs carers came across this condition affecting one of her doggy guests and thought it would be a good subject for an [...]

Is dog sun cream lotion necessary? With the recent heat wave, everyone has been reaching for the sun lotion to protect against harmful UV rays – but what about your dog?  Should your dog wear sun [...]

Boris Johnson – the new Tory leader 2019. What? I hear you cry, has Boris Johnson got to do with dogs?  Well, he hasn’t. Although, you could argue that the whole unpleasant political business of [...]