The video, titled Puggles teach baby to chew, shows a puppy happily chewing on his bone, slobbering and licking with delight. The baby, who is laid opposite the puppy, clutches his plastic toy whilst staring at the dog. After a few seconds, the baby starts to imitate the dog and chews the plastic toy; but doesn’t lose sight of the dog and continues to hold the stare.

The 36 second clip has already had over 175,000 hits after being uploaded to YouTube only one week ago. Comments are already flooding in on YouTube, which include: “Baby’s first word: Woof”; “I suddenly desire a large inanimate object to gnaw on” and “Lol he’s learning from the master.”

The video is the first one uploaded on Puggles YouTube Channel, but after their first successful hit, DogDogs is sure it won’t be the last.

As a dog owner, I must admit to spoiling my two pets. From feeding them the occasional off-cut of steak, to buying an endless supply of cuddly toys (most of which, for the record, are headless and buried in the sofa cushions within half an hour), it’s fair to say my pooches live a relatively luxurious lifestyle. However, even I can draw the line somewhere – at least, so I like to think.

This is not the case, however, for the owners of some of Britain’s most pampered dogs. In fact, an ever-increasing number of owners are willing to ensure their pet looks and feels a million dollars, seemingly for a similar cost.

Harrods Pet Spa, in Knightsbridge, London, offers a huge range of treatments designed especially for animals. As well as standard services provided by your high street dog groomer, owners can choose from a catalogue of spa staples such as massage, Reiki therapy and mud wraps to help their best friend relax after a tiring day of toy dismemberment and tail chasing.

Yes, really.

Also on offer is the “blueberry facial”, which, at a mere £19.95, seems like a complete bargain when compared to the Reiki (at £175 per session, I think I’ll let my dogs’ chi’s remain as they are, thank you very much).

However, it seems like many dog owners don’t share my opinions, with a growing number signing their pets up for a day of “relaxation”. Head of Pet Spa Stephanie Mehanna is eager to point out that it is not only millionaires’ mutts coming in for pet-icures, although admits that the unique establishment tends to cater for a “particular kind” of customer.

“They tend to be those with homes in London and the countryside who bring their big dogs in to be cleaned up after a muddy weekend.”

She continues “And then we have the locals who book their pets in every week – our prices aren’t that high for the area and we do have the best pet stylists in London.”

To be fair, if I counted as a “local” in Knightsbridge – where the average cost for a house is £3 million – I’d probably think nothing of paying £125 for my dog to have a massage. Sadly, the Border Collie will have to settle for visiting the high street groomers, who, despite being slightly too enthusiastic with the clippers, ensure he is neat looking and happy.

And my Jack Russell, much to his dismay, will have to continue to endure my fumbling efforts with baby shampoo and a hose. But, at the end of the day, when you have two dogs whose idea of a “mud bath” involves a puddle and some horse poo, I think it’s worth saving myself some cash!

As for my dogs, when I asked their opinion on Pet Spas, the answer came through loud and clear; “Barking.”

However the sophisticated night-vision goggles have been distributed to council workers so they can catch dog walkers who believe they can get away with not cleaning up their pet’s mess at night. Other hidden tactics include surveillance vans to monitor areas where the problem is most severe and the use of plain clothes officers.

Residents are also being advised to report hot spots to the local authority to aid wardens to target the most affected places.

The idea, which is being trialled by Hyndburn Council in Lancashire, sees offenders handed on-the-spot fines of £75 fines in line with neighbouring authorities, whose penalties range from £50 to £75. Repeat offenders can be taken to Hyndburn Magistrates Court where they can face fines of up to £1,000.

The scheme comes in response to a surge in complaints from residents in spite of a recent campaign to control the problem in which tens of thousands of excrement bags were given out for free to dog owners.

Councillor Miles Parkinson of Hyndburn Council, told the Daily Telegraph: “Dog fouling is a major issue for us. It’s horrible to step in something unpleasant when you are out for a walk.

“Through the work of our dog wardens, we have managed to reduce the problem but unfortunately we do still have those offenders who let their dogs out in the evenings and early mornings, when it is dark and they think they will not be observed.”

He further added: “It’s difficult at those times because the person has to be caught in the act. However, with night vision, the dog wardens can see that much further along footpaths where the problem occurs and catch offenders. We will use it in hot spots, where dog fouling is most prevalent.

“We hope that if people know that night vision is available to our dog wardens, it will serve as a deterrent and that people will clear up after their dogs.”

The council’s team of dog wardens already carries out regular patrols to catch negligent pet owners, however the new technology has allowed them to work at all hours in areas not lit up by street lighting.

Head of the council’s dog warden team, Fran Gibbons, said: “Dog mess can cause blindness-if any older person or young child happens to slip and get something in their eye, within months their sight could be gone.”

She further added: “It’s massively unhygienic as well as dangerous and there is no excuse for not cleaning up after your dog.”

Research conducted last year found that at least a dozen local authorities in Britain use the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act to use surveillance methods to catch pet owners allowing their dogs foul pavements, footpaths and parks.

Councillor Ken Moss, who launched a campaign last year urging the Government to award council dog wardens the power to impose instant dog fouling fines to £1,000, said: “Residents are completely disgusted by this problem and want to see us take action.

“I have asked wardens what they can do and they have pledged to act on any information they receive.”

The major threat to health from dog mess is toxocariasis, an infection of the roundworm tococaracanis. The eggs of the parasite can be found in contaminated soil or sand and if swallowed or contact is made with the eyes, can cause infection.

Hyndburn Council has previously taken a strong attitude on the issue, employing one of the first dog wardens, becoming the first to ban dogs without leads from cemeteries and piloting a special dog mess street sweeper nicknames the ‘Super Dooper Pooper Scooper’.

In the past three years, the council has fined 50 people for failing to clear up after their pets.

The pup came from a litter bred by Kate Middleton’s mother Carole, who is said to “adore the breed”, although it is not known if the Middleton family dog is the mother or father of the royal couple’s pedigree chum. Wills and Kate’s puppy moved into their Anglesey farmhouse in December and is said to be settling in well.

Palace aides have been asked by the Duke and Duchess not to reveal the name of the puppy, possibly due to concerns that public knowledge of the name would make dognapping easier. A spokesman for St James’s Palace, the couple’s London headquarters, said “He is a private pet and they do not want his name to be made public although the couple are happy to confirm that they do, indeed, have a new dog.

“I don’t know whether the Middleton family dog is a boy or a girl, but the Duke and Duchess’s puppy is the result of the family dog breeding with one belonging to another breeder.”

The new puppy joins a long list of royal canines, as dogs have been the pet of choice for Britain’s royal family for hundreds of years. In fact, family portraits featuring pampered pooches became common from the 17^th century, with breeds including greyhounds, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, pugs, and the current favourite of Queen Elizabeth II, corgis. Her Majesty currently owns three corgis, named Monty, Willow and Holly. She also popularised the breeding of corgis with dachshunds to create “dorgis”, of which she also has three, named Cider, Candy and Vulcan.

It was the late King George VI that introduced corgis to the royal household, with Dookie, purchased from a local kennels. The Queen’s love of the breed was cemented with a puppy called Susan given to her on her eighteenth birthday.

However, perhaps these particular dogs have had their day with the arrival of the new Cocker Spaniel puppy. Who knows, maybe in future royal family portraits, these outgoing little dogs will be the ones sitting in the lap of luxury.

Red and White Greyhound

Some lucky ones will get rehomed after they retire, thanks to owners who put the time and effort in to find them a loving home. But for many the story is far less sweet, as Trudy Baker, Co-ordinator for the Animal Welfare Campaign Group, stated: “Sadly, these dogs, bred for the gambling industry, are destroyed purely on economic grounds because they are either too slow or won’t chase the mechanical lure as puppies.

“Some are destroyed track-side after sustaining injuries, or destroyed simply because no retirement home can be found.”

However, the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) says it is not as black and white as Ms Baker makes out, as Kevin Stow stated: “Without question, sadly some greyhounds are put to sleep when they retire, either because they are unsuitable for rehoming or in some cases because their owners take that option rather than try to find them a home.

“I would suggest that the figures are nowhere near those put about by some anti-racing groups, who claim the majority are killed after racing.”

The GBGB spends approximately £4 million annually on the welfare of greyhounds. £1.7 million is given to the Retired Greyhound Trust in a grant, and £232,000 is given to trainers so they can improve the conditions that greyhounds are kept and transported in.

Are you looking to get a dog? Would you be able to give an ex-racing dog a good home, with plenty of exercise? As Mr Stow says, they make great family pets: “Greyhounds are very adaptable and because they come from a kennel environment they usually have no preconceived ideas of what home life should be like.

“They adjust quickly, as opposed to rescue dogs, who have usually already lived in a home.

“Greyhounds make superb pets because they are lazy and are very tolerant of people.”

To find out all about greyhounds; their origins, temperament, grooming needs, and life expectancy, etc, visit our dog breed section for more information.

Mr Eyles was convinced his two year old dog was gone forever after he went missing 8 months ago in Bath, Somerset, and so was astonished to receive a phone call from Battersea Dogs Home saying Fido was safe with them. He had been found foraging for scraps in Kensington, West London.

A delighted Mr Eyles is now very relieved he had the foresight to microchip Fido, as he says “I didn’t think I’d ever see my dog again and it’s thanks to the microchip that we’ve been reunited.

“I couldn’t believe it when I got the call from Battersea and travelled to London immediately to get Fido. If it wasn’t for the microchip I’d never have found him – every dog owner should get it done.

“Fido is such a friendly boy and really popular where we live so I know lots of people in Bath will be pleased that he’s coming home.”

Staff at Battersea Dogs Home routinely scan all animals brought in to them to try and reunite lost dogs with their owners. Unfortunately, of the 6,000 dogs the shelter took in last year, only 28 per cent were microchipped, meaning that even if they had not been abandoned, it would be impossible to contact their owner.

This statistic makes Tracey Maskell, of Battersea Dogs Home, even happier that, for Fido and Christopher, the story had a happy ending. She says “Reuniting owners with their lost pets is the best part of the job and I was delighted to be the one to tell Fido’s owner that his dog was safe and sound.

“I couldn’t believe it when I found out how long he’d been missing and where he was from. The story just goes to show how important it is to make sure your pet has adequate identification.

“We encourage all dog and cat owners to have their pet microchipped and to wear a collar and tag.”

Currently, most dog rescue centres, including the RSPCA and Dogs Trust, microchip any dogs without an active chip in place before they are rehomed. This means that if you have a rescue dog, or are considering getting one, chances are your pet will already be covered. However, for owners with a new puppy, or for anyone considering buying one, it is important to take microchipping into account.

Who knows, it could save you a lot of heartache in the future.

In fact, North Clwyd Animal Rescue, near Holywell, North Wales, has had a record-breaking 16 puppies handed in to the centre over only five days. Several of them had been badly neglected, including Sam, a 12 week old Springer Spaniel who was suffering from mange, a skin condition. Sky, a 10 week old Staffordshire bull terrier, has also had a bad start in life, arriving in the centre having lived in a cupboard for all of her short life and sporting a broken leg.

Nicky Owen, who works at the shelter, believes that the majority of cases are due to breeders not being able to sell the puppies and choosing to abandon them rather than continue to look after them. She said: “Getting 16 puppies in five days is a record for our centre after Christmas. People have been breeding pups and just not being able to sell them.

“I think it has something to do with the recession. People think they can sell puppies for £500 each, but they don’t realise that they will only get that sort of money for pure breeds.”

This kind of irresponsible breeding has sprung up greatly in recent years, partly due to the increase in puppy farms. These establishments often have many different bitches that reproduce frequently, causing both them and their puppies a great deal of harm. Puppies from mass breeding programmes rarely get veterinary treatment such as immunisations and worming courses and are regularly separated from their mothers too early, which causes further damage to their immune systems.

North Clwyd Animal Centre also rescued a whole family of shih tzus, who had been abandoned in a cardboard box at the side of a busy main road. Ms Owen said: “It’s really sad, but the puppies are adorable.

“They are really cheeky, playful little things, so I’m hopeful we should be able to find good homes for them.”

Owner of dog grooming parlour ‘Hair off the dog’ on Hoyland Road in Kettlethrope, Amanda Abrams said Wakefield and District Housing (WDH) were influential in getting her business off the ground after she secured a lease on a commercial property that was more affordable than renting privately.

WDH, who are the leading social housing providers in the Wakefielddistrict with 31,000 homes, presently rent out 109 commercial properties to support local businesses and the local economy.

Mrs Abrams, who worked for a similar firm for 12 years, was determined to start up her own dog grooming business; however she felt the cost of finding a suitable property in the private sector almost prevented her from getting underway.

Mrs Abrams said: “I’d never opened my own business before so it was a new venture for me. I was really determined to set the business up but when I was looking at private rental properties they were really expensive.

“I got a good deal with WDH. The rent was crucial to the business starting-it definitely helps the bottom line. Once I settled on the premises, WDH helped me with everything. They made the whole ‘starting a business’ ordeal a lot smoother than it could have been.”


Dog grooming business Hair off the Dog opened in September 2011 and, according to Mrs Abrams, she feels she has found a niche in the market and business is thriving.

David Bancroft, WDH Asset Management Officer, who helped Mrs Abrams set up Hair off the Dog, said: “We make sure that our rents are affordable in order to encourage new businesses to start up and to support those that are already established.”

Although Uggie shot to fame for his role in The Artist, he has performed in previous movies, Mr. Fix It (2006) and Water for Elephants (2011), which starred Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon.

However it seems that the Jack Russell has had enough of the limelight, as his trainer, Omar Von Muller stated: “He may do a couple of little things here and there because he enjoys them, but I don’t want to put him through long hours anymore. He’s getting tired.

“Uggie is 10-years-old and has done a lot of work, he wants to relax at home,” Mr Von Muller added.

Although Uggie cannot be nominated for an Oscar, as the Academy Awards do not recognise animal talents, Uggie did receive a Palm Dog Award for Best Performance by a Canine at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival for his role in The Artist.


However, Uggie’s fate was not always to act. When he was a puppy, he was rejected by two previous owners for being too boisterous. The previous owners sent Uggie to the dog pound, where his fate would be sealed. But Omar Von Muller heard about the Jack Russell and decided to adopt him. Uggie now lives in North Hollywood with the family and seven  other dogs, who all work in the movie industry.

It’s a dog’s life!

Could One of Britain’s Oldest Dog Breeds Really

Follow These Animals into Extinction?

These days, “celebrity culture” is often discussed at great length in blogs, magazines and newspapers. In fact, it is virtually impossible to walk down your average high street without encountering some reference to the celebrity phenomenon. However, is Britain’s obsession with emulating the stars having a knock on effect on Man’s Best Friend?

The Kennel Club has this week announced that the English Setter is to be included on its Native Vulnerable Breeds list, after the number of puppies registered dropped to below 300. In fact, only 234 of the breed’s puppies appeared on the register in 2011 – a massive 32.9 per cent drop from 2010.

Meanwhile, more than 6000 long- and short-coated Chihuahua
puppies were registered by The Kennel Club last year, a figure KC Secretary Caroline Kisko puts down to the increasing influence celebrities have over our lives.

She says “Celebrities, popular culture and fashion play a big part in today’s society and unfortunately, dogs are not immune from our fickle tastes.

“The latest victim is the English Setter, a wonderful and loyal breed, while the numbers of Siberian Huskies have more than trebled in this country in the last 10 years.

“This unfortunately is reflected in the growing number of exotic breeds seen coming into our breed rescue societies, as people realise that they can’t give them the exercise, grooming or other care that they need.”

Other breeds appearing on the list are the English Toy Terrier, Otterhound and, most significantly, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier, whose number of puppy registrations fell by a whopping 35 per cent in the past year. Compare this figure to, say, the Cardigan Welsh Corgi, whose registrations rose by 350 per cent, or the Standard Mexican Hairless, with a staggering 1000 per cent increase, and it is plain to
see that certain traditional dog breeds are being elbowed out in favour of more fashionable, celeb-friendly companions. The sudden popularity of Corgis could be attributed to the Royal Wedding, for example, according to Ms. Kisko.

She continued “We can only surmise that the increased interest in the royal family last year may have made people more aware of the Queen’s favourite dog, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, and had a knock on effect on the Cardigan Welsh Corgi as well. “

Therefore, the message from the Kennel Club is clear – dogs are not fashion items, but lifetime companions.