Your Dog April 2024

Spring photo competition Still dark mornings, dreary skies and water-logged muddy fields, but Spring is so close the cherry blossom is budding! It’s my favourite time of the year, and most years, I take a trip to Kew Gardens, London, purely to see the lines of blossom trees. Unfortunately, dogs aren’t allowed at Kew, but there are plenty of parks and wildlife areas where we can share the delights of Spring with our four-legged companions, and we would love to see your spring photos… you can send them directly to me (james.buzzel@warnersgroup.co.uk), and we’ll publish a selection in next month’s magazine. All published entries will receive a Your Dog goody pack in the post. It’s been that wet in 2024 I am more than ever looking forward to brighter skies!…

Your Dog Magazine, Warners Group Publications, The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincolnshire, PE10 9PH Call 01778 395070 Email: Editorial@yourdog.co.uk EDITORIAL LARA CRACKNELL is a cocker spaniel loving Your Dog content editor (across multiple platforms). ANDREA McHUGH is a freelance journalist and author of several dog-related books. She competes in agility and heelwork to music. MICHAEL HALLAM is a pet-loving content editor and longstanding team member! JACQUELINE BOYD is an animal scientist, canine coach, nutritionist, writer, lecturer and cocker spaniel aficionado. JACKIE DRAKEFORD is a behaviour trainer who has worked with all types of dog but specialises in sighthounds, lurchers and terriers. JOANNE BEDNALL has been a freelance journalist, writer and author, specialising in dogs and horses, for the past 30 years. OUR EXPERTS TONY CRUSE is a member of the…

Ashridge Estate was taken over by the National Trust in 1926 and covers 5,000 acres of the Chiltern Hills AONB. The National Trust team manage the landscape, continuing 3,000 years of tradition. Using livestock to help look after the different habitats and foresters to fell timber – ensuring the health of the woodland. With stunning beech and oak woodlands, commons, to chalk downlands, each of the differing landscapes is home to a variety of wildlife – from beautiful butterflies in the summer, fallow deer in the autumn and the captivating carpets of bluebells in the spring. If you visit the estate with your dog in the spring, don’t miss the chance to take a walk through Dockey Woods, which sees a large area of bluebells flowering at this time –…

As the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches, it brings to mind two years of brutal, active hostilities in the country, resulting in numerous horrific events, casualties, and shattered lives. This also means many beloved pets are in dire situations. Research conducted by the Save Pets of Ukraine initiative to quantify the catastrophic impact of the Russian war on the lives of animals, states that as of January 2023, 25,799 dogs, and 19,473 cats are under the care of shelters and volunteers. These pets are evacuated, treated for injuries, cared for and fed, and efforts are made to find them new homes. The U-Hearts Foundation, which has supported the Save Pets of Ukraine initiative since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, reports that in two years of full-scale…

The popularity of dog parks being set up in unused fields is only set to increase after a leading property consultancy won a planning appeal to create one in Cheshire. Property consultants Fisher German helped Steph Cheadle, director of the Dog Paddocks in Lower Whitley, gain retrospective planning permission on appeal after Cheshire West and Chester Council initially refused the application. Nia Borsey, Associate at Fisher German, led the appeal and believes the precedent set will result in an even bigger increase in an already popular diversification strategy for landowners. She said: “We’ve seen demand for dog parks increase significantly since the pandemic when many people decided to welcome a dog into their home but were not able to socialise them properly. Dog parks provide a private space for training…

Dog owners making an environmental New Year Resolution have boosted the ranks of the “Paws on Plastic’ campaign to 25,000. The environmental dog charity (SCIO51306) encourages dog owners to pick up a couple of pieces of litter on every walk, every day, removing over 36 million pieces of litter a year from our streets, beaches, parks and countryside. Founded in Stonehaven, NE Scotland, in November 2018 by Primary School Teacher Marion Montgomery, Paws on Plastic continues to hit a chord among dog owners keen to play their part in fighting plastic pollution, attracting new members and followers on social media. “We’ve had an awesome start to 2024!” explained Marion. “Picking up a few pieces of litter is such a simple, but extremely positive thing to do when we’re out anyway…