Hound TV - The show for dogs! (and dog lovers) » Dog-related news http://www.houndtv.com TV show and video podcast for dogs and dog lovers Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:37:31 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Why Joe Helper’s propsed new dog laws for Victoria are dead wrong http://www.houndtv.com/2010/05/17/why-joe-helpers-propsed-new-dog-laws-for-victoria-are-dead-wrong/ http://www.houndtv.com/2010/05/17/why-joe-helpers-propsed-new-dog-laws-for-victoria-are-dead-wrong/#comments Mon, 17 May 2010 05:33:49 +0000 Steven http://www.houndtv.com/?p=946 By Steven Pam

Time to break with Hound TV tradition – and journalistic neutrality – for a bit of editorializing. Accordingly, here’s a disclaimer: these are my personal opinions, and may not be representative of our sponsors or of any other organization we work with. So there.

So, in case you haven’t heard, on 6 May 2010, Victorian Agriculture Minister Joe Helper tabled a proposed bill amending dangerous dog laws, essentially giving more powers to local council officers to kill dogs on the spot, as well as increasing fines etc. The bill is to be debated in a few days on 20 May.

As I see it, there may be a lot of issues in the fine print, but it boils down to about four major points:

1. Dog attacks are not a problem in our community

Controversial? Not if we look at the facts. Of course, any of us would be horrified if one of our children was attacked by a dog – and yes, every time a dog attacks a person – child or adult – that’s one too many times, but that doesn’t mean that jumping up and down hysterically and calling Today Tonight or A Current Affair is going to help. A calm, rational approach is called for.

I have yet to see anyone actually demonstrate compellingly – with facts – that there actually is a dog attack problem in our community.

A visit to the Australian Bureau of Statistics website and their reports on sources of injury reveals that dog bites are such a non-issue that there’s not even any separate data published on them – they’re lumped in with bee stings, spider bites, snake bites, etc. Falling is by far the largest cause of injury. So if we put even a tenth of the resources that go into dog bite prevention into fall prevention, we should see better outcomes.

Likewise, the ABS Causes of Death survey (2008) shows that dog bites are, as you might expect, way down the bottom of the scale. Most years there are no deaths from dog attacks, and three or four people would be a very bad year indeed. Again, we’d be better off putting more resources into some of the more common preventable causes of death.

2. Current laws are sufficient – just not enforced effectively

There are already comprehensive laws protecting people from attack by dogs; and making owners responsible for the conduct of their dogs. There is even provision for dogs that have attacked people to be put down. Perhaps these laws are not being enforced properly.

In any case, how does increasing fines – or putting dogs down on the spot after the fact – prevent attacks? Is there any evidence that when dogs seriously attack humans these are “repeat offences”? No one wants their dog to attack humans (controlled bite work, like military dogs, excepted) – the consequence of this is already death for the dog, plus exposure to extremely expensive civil litigation for the owner.

3. Making council officers judge, jury, and executioner on the spot

The new laws, if passed, would allow council officers to make a life-or-death decision about your dog on the spot if they have “reasonable grounds” to believe that a further attack is imminent. This is all very well if the council officer is a “reasonable person” – and I’m sure that many or most of them are, but the point is that laws should rarely if ever be framed that way. Otherwise why not just give the police the power to do anything? After all, most of them are honest and reasonable. Of course it doesn’t work that way. These are the freedoms that society has fought for since the 13th century or so – presumption of innocence, right to a fair trial, etc. Yes, we are talking about dogs, not people; but killing dogs on the spot, etc, is punishing their owners without a fair trial as well.

Even if you agree that dogs that have attacked someone should be subject to those powers – “innocent” dogs are not off the hook, either. If your dog is found “wandering at large” (maybe a tradesperson accidentally let it out, for example), it can be destroyed within 48 hours (the current laws provide 8 days). If you happen to be away at the time and hard to contact – bad luck.

4. Banning or killing dogs because they “look dangerous”
The final major flaw, as I see it, is the interpretation of what is to constitute a dangerous or restricted dog. It’s hard enough for even experts to determine the breed of non-purebreed dogs by appearance, so they’re proposing to create their own “standard” for identifying a dangerous dog – and it has nothing to do with the genetic breed! So if your dog happens to match this arbitrary standard – bad luck. This is unscientific to the extreme – and if such rules were used to classify humans, we would be outraged.

What do you think? Post your comments below. And if you disagree with the proposal, call or e-mail the Joe Helper’s Office (Agriculture Minister), or your local MLA, and politely let them know your thoughts.

(Hound TV have asked Mr Helper’s office for an interview. Our request has been acknowledged but no interview forthcoming as yet.)

—-

Post Script (20 May) – First this; now draft Code of Practice for animal shelters to ban community participation (foster carers) so the mega-pounds can continue the killing. I may post my thougths on this soon, but in the meantime see Pets Haven, Goodfordogs.org, or SavingPets

—

Further update (28 May) – Lawyers For Animals (LFA) have published a detailed and thoughtful response to the bill.

]]> http://www.houndtv.com/2010/05/17/why-joe-helpers-propsed-new-dog-laws-for-victoria-are-dead-wrong/feed/ 17 Free Dog Grooming Day for Bushfire Dogs http://www.houndtv.com/2009/03/08/free-dog-grooming-day-for-bushfire-dogs/ http://www.houndtv.com/2009/03/08/free-dog-grooming-day-for-bushfire-dogs/#comments Sun, 08 Mar 2009 08:57:39 +0000 Steven http://www.houndtv.com/?p=464 "Pampering the Pooch" by Leonard Low
“Pampering the Pooch” by Leonard Low

Sarah Rogers wrote to me to tell me about a Free Dog Grooming Day for those affected by the bushfires around the Whittlesea Area.

So if you’re around there, why not go get your dog squeaky clean for free! Or if you know anyone nearby, let them know.

Here’s the Blurb:

We are a group of mobile groomers from around Victoria who have been saddened to hear of the human and animal suffering in the recent bushfires.

We would like to offer our services to groom your dogs at no cost.

Please bring your dog down for a free pamper!

When: Sunday 15th March 2009, 10am – 4pm

Where: Whittlesea Vet Clinic, 9 Laurel Street, Whittlesea

For further info call Barb on 0433 831 421

]]> http://www.houndtv.com/2009/03/08/free-dog-grooming-day-for-bushfire-dogs/feed/ 0 Could your dog be a university boffin? http://www.houndtv.com/2009/03/02/could-your-dog-be-a-university-boffin/ http://www.houndtv.com/2009/03/02/could-your-dog-be-a-university-boffin/#comments Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:21:43 +0000 Steven http://www.houndtv.com/?p=455 Whew! We made it through our first “for TV” season of Hound TV.

It will now be repeated on Channel 31 Melbourne while we:

  • Work on our second season, which will air from June
  • Make up a DVD set of the first season
  • “Remix” some of the season stories for release here on our website / feed / podcast

A big thanks to all of you who helped out, whether personally or just by watching the show. Good on ya!

On a totally unrelated note, Tammie King e-mailed me to let me know that Monash University researcher and erstwhile Hound TV podcast guest Dr Jacqueline Ley is looking for dog owners to participate in questionnaires about their relationship with their dog(s).

To qualify, you need to have owned the dog for at least 12 months.

The questionnaires include a personality questionnaire for your dog, and a short one for yourself, a questionnaire about how attached you feel towards your dog and some questions about the activities you do with your dog. Ley advises that it takes about 30-45mins to complete all the questions.

Full details on the dog questionnaire page at Monash University.

Cheers,
Steven

]]> http://www.houndtv.com/2009/03/02/could-your-dog-be-a-university-boffin/feed/ 0 Fund-raising dinner for Animal Aid (Victorian Bushfires) http://www.houndtv.com/2009/02/19/fund-raising-dinner-for-animal-aid-victorian-bushfires/ http://www.houndtv.com/2009/02/19/fund-raising-dinner-for-animal-aid-victorian-bushfires/#comments Thu, 19 Feb 2009 07:55:59 +0000 Steven http://www.houndtv.com/?p=429 One of the organisations that’s doing a great deal to help animals (and their owners) affected by the recent bushfires is Animal Aid.

Animal Aid are providing numerous services including accommodation for small animals, food and bedding for small animals, a list of people able to provide agistment for large animals, and veterinary care.

Immediately after the worst fires on Saturday 7 February, Animal Aid were seeking donations of food, blankets, etc. I’m pleased to say they received so much of that stuff that they are now asking people to hold those supplies for future weeks, because they have run out of space to store it!

However, what they do still need, is more cash to fund their operations. Of course they are happy to take ordinary donations at their website or by phone – (03) 9739 0300; but there is also a very special dinner happening at Leonda by the Yarra in Hawthorn, on Sunday 1 March.

Tickets are $120 a head, which includes canapés on arrival, live entertainment, 3 course meal, unlimited red and white wine, beer and soft drinks, and most importantly, a warm fuzzy feeling for helping our warm fuzzy friends!

What a perfect way to wind down after the Guide Dogs Victoria Open Day – I hope you can make it! Details below, bookings via trybooking.com.la.

Cheers,
Steven

Animal Aid Dinner flyer

Animal Aid Dinner flyer

]]> http://www.houndtv.com/2009/02/19/fund-raising-dinner-for-animal-aid-victorian-bushfires/feed/ 2 Dog gives owner Heimlich Manoeuvre http://www.houndtv.com/2007/04/01/dog-gives-owner-heimlich-manoeuvre/ http://www.houndtv.com/2007/04/01/dog-gives-owner-heimlich-manoeuvre/#comments Sat, 31 Mar 2007 23:16:37 +0000 Steven http://www.houndtv.com/2007/04/01/dog-gives-owner-heimlich-manoeuvre/ From the Cecil Whig, Maryland USA: Toby, a 2-year-old golden retriever, is all over the news after saving his owner’s life by performing the Heimlich Manoeuvre on her.

Arwen posando
A Creative Commons Golden Retriever (not Toby) from flickr. Photo by jarapet.

]]> http://www.houndtv.com/2007/04/01/dog-gives-owner-heimlich-manoeuvre/feed/ 0 Why do people look like their dogs? http://www.houndtv.com/2006/10/15/why-do-people-look-like-their-dogs/ http://www.houndtv.com/2006/10/15/why-do-people-look-like-their-dogs/#comments Sat, 14 Oct 2006 22:00:01 +0000 Steven http://www.houndtv.com/2006/10/15/why-do-people-look-like-their-dogs/ Business/marketing writer Seth Godin postulates on his blog (Seth Godin: Why do people look like their dogs?) that it’s a psychological thing – and that it might be a marketing opportunity if you’re in the business of selling dogs!

people that look like their dogs

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]]> http://www.houndtv.com/2006/10/15/why-do-people-look-like-their-dogs/feed/ 0 Dog eats iPod (it had to happen sooner or later) http://www.houndtv.com/2006/08/17/dog-eats-ipod-it-had-to-happen-sooner-or-later/ http://www.houndtv.com/2006/08/17/dog-eats-ipod-it-had-to-happen-sooner-or-later/#comments Thu, 17 Aug 2006 04:06:41 +0000 Steven http://www.houndtv.com/2006/08/17/dog-eats-ipod-it-had-to-happen-sooner-or-later/ It had to happen. We should have warned you: “By all means, enjoy watching HoundTV with your dog, but please don’t leave your dog alone with the iPod!”

Photographer and photography writer/editor/reviewer/blogger, Mike Johnston, writes on his (excellent, if you’re into photography) blog that his son’s beloved dog ate his son’s beloved iPod. Bummer.

]]> http://www.houndtv.com/2006/08/17/dog-eats-ipod-it-had-to-happen-sooner-or-later/feed/ 0 Dog attacks: bad news, good news, and help at hand http://www.houndtv.com/2006/08/11/dog-attacks-bad-news-good-news-and-help-at-hand/ http://www.houndtv.com/2006/08/11/dog-attacks-bad-news-good-news-and-help-at-hand/#comments Fri, 11 Aug 2006 06:29:08 +0000 Steven http://www.houndtv.com/2006/08/11/dog-attacks-bad-news-good-news-and-help-at-hand/ A couple of items in the news today about dog attacks:

Melbourne’s Age newspaper reports this morning that an 11 year-old boy was mauled by two dogs in Far North Queensland. Unfortunately this is an unremarkable story, except of course for the boy and his family; as well as the dogs (who will be ‘destroyed’) and their owner.

Which brings us to the other, more encouraging story – ABC online reported yesterday that “The New South Wales Government is shifting its strategy on controlling dangerous dogs away from banning breeds to targeting individual menacing dogs” – surely a move in the right direction.

Blaming particular dog breeds for aggressive behaviour is ignorant and old-fashioned. Any breed of dog can be conditioned to behave well or badly.

Reducing the risk of dog attacks is really not rocket science – it’s just that governments are busy and it gets pushed down the list behind terrorism and everything else. There are just two things that would make a huge difference:

  • Dog owners must be compelled – by law, and preferably through social methods like advertising campaigns – to keep their dogs safe.
  • Kids need to be educated about how to deal with dogs. Most kids learn either that dogs are friendly (especially if they have a family dog), or to be feared. Neither belief is useful for avoiding or minimizing an attack. One visit per year by a behaviourist or vet to a primary school would be ample to educate kids sufficiently. This could probably even be arranged for free – as a marketing opportunity for the practitioner (I’ll give this a try at my step-son’s school and report back!). Or what about integrating it into the existing ‘life education’ curriculum (along with ‘say no to drugs’, healthy eating, etc)?

    • As a sidebar – parents of young children need to be reminded that they need to be supervised at all times. – Although I suspect that the very parents who need reminding are the ones who would pay the least attention to such a message.

Any other suggestions? Leave a comment.

…and of course HoundTV is getting involved too – our resident veterinary behaviourist Dr Jacqui Ley will reveal a few tips on preventing dog attacks for both dog owners and parents, on the show in a few weeks.

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]]> http://www.houndtv.com/2006/08/11/dog-attacks-bad-news-good-news-and-help-at-hand/feed/ 5 It gets worse http://www.houndtv.com/2006/08/06/it-gets-worse/ http://www.houndtv.com/2006/08/06/it-gets-worse/#comments Sun, 06 Aug 2006 01:31:00 +0000 Steven http://www.houndtv.com/2006/08/06/it-gets-worse/ The other day we reported that 50,000 dogs had been slaughtered in China’s Yunnan province in a bid to curb rabies.

Well, it gets worse: According to the official Xinhua News Agency, Officials in the eastern city of Jining said on Thursday they would kill all dogs within five kilometers (three miles) of villages where rabies was found – and the city has about 500,000 dogs.

Why doesn’t China have a vaccine for rabies? I don’t know. It’s been around since, like, 1885 (really).

What can we do? There may be very little we in the West can do to help, especially in the short term. Although surely awareness of the problem is the first step.

Other ideas:

  • Write to the Chinese Embassy in your country to express your outrage
  • Phone talkback radio and discuss the topic
  • Contact the peak animal welfare bodies in your country (e.g. RSPCA) to see what they are doing
  • Write to Bill Gates and ask him to consider expanding the scope of his charitable works to introducing rabies vaccinations to China

Did we miss anything? Leave a comment.

– Update –
There is an interesting and eloquent (if somewhat long and rambling!) post about all of this over at the big dog blog. Well worth a read if you have time.

]]> http://www.houndtv.com/2006/08/06/it-gets-worse/feed/ 2 50,000 dogs slaughtered in China http://www.houndtv.com/2006/08/02/50000-dogs-slaughtered-in-china/ http://www.houndtv.com/2006/08/02/50000-dogs-slaughtered-in-china/#comments Wed, 02 Aug 2006 00:18:26 +0000 Steven http://www.houndtv.com/2006/08/02/50000-dogs-slaughtered-in-china/ As you have probably noticed, the editorial policy of HoundTV is usually to report the up-beat and entertaining side of the dog world.

This is so awful, I don’t even know what to say about it, other than to report it: Death squads in Yunnan round up 50,000 dogs

The mind boggles.

(A search on google news reveals several other reports on this, some including quotes from World Health Organisation officials on how rabies should be dealt with)

]]> http://www.houndtv.com/2006/08/02/50000-dogs-slaughtered-in-china/feed/ 1 Your dog has something to say to you http://www.houndtv.com/2006/08/01/your-dog-as-something-to-say-to-you/ http://www.houndtv.com/2006/08/01/your-dog-as-something-to-say-to-you/#comments Mon, 31 Jul 2006 21:32:11 +0000 Steven http://www.houndtv.com/2006/08/01/your-dog-as-something-to-say-to-you/ The Bowlingual dog translator is (apparently) a device which decodes your dog’s barks and growls. A small transmitter is worn on the dog’s collar, and the receiver looks a bit like a tamagochi (maybe it is?). They’re not for sale at the Bowlingual site, but seem to be on eBay for around US$100.

Meanwhile, The Dr Dolittle Project at Marquette University in Wisconsin, USA, aims to ‘develop a broadly useable framework for pattern analysis and classification of animal vocalizations, by integrating successful models and ideas from the field of speech processing and recognition into bioacoustics’.

It may all sound a bit silly, and of course dog owners know that they already know what their dog is saying to them, but the Dr Dolittle research potentially has genuine applications in animal welfare and wildlife research and preservation.

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]]> http://www.houndtv.com/2006/08/01/your-dog-as-something-to-say-to-you/feed/ 0 Building a new home? Don’t forget about the dog! http://www.houndtv.com/2006/07/03/building-a-new-home-dont-forget-about-the-dog/ http://www.houndtv.com/2006/07/03/building-a-new-home-dont-forget-about-the-dog/#comments Mon, 03 Jul 2006 03:12:46 +0000 Steven http://www.houndtv.com/2006/07/03/building-a-new-home-dont-forget-about-the-dog/ From News-Leader.com (Springfield, Montana, USA): A story about home designs that incorporate features for the family pooch – and we’re not just talking doggy doors, here.

How about a special shower (with entrances from outdoors as well as the garage), or a special lift (elevator) for a dog with an amputated leg?

Even if the budget doesn’t stretch that far, including your dog in your house plans is good thinking.

For dozens more tips on setting up your space so that it works well for you and your dogs, the article also references the book, Animal House Style : Designing a Home to Share With Your Pets (buying it from this link helps HoundTV – but feel free to shop around!). – We haven’t seen a copy of the book, but check out the reviews on Amazon; several people thought it was a nice coffee table book but not terribly useful as a dog-friendly home design textbook. So leave your expectations at the door :-)

]]> http://www.houndtv.com/2006/07/03/building-a-new-home-dont-forget-about-the-dog/feed/ 0 What’s your dog’s personality type? http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/22/whats-your-dogs-personality-type/ http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/22/whats-your-dogs-personality-type/#comments Thu, 22 Jun 2006 05:17:56 +0000 Steven http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/22/whats-your-dogs-personality-type/ If you always thought your dog was an extrovert, you could be right. A Monash University study has found dogs can be grouped into personality types that parallel human traits.

Dr Jacqui Ley, from the Animal Welfare Science Centre at Monash, found that dogs fit into five personality dimensions — extroversion, trainability or cleverness, self assuredness and motivation, amicability with other dogs and people, and cautiousness.

(From the Monash University website)

]]> http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/22/whats-your-dogs-personality-type/feed/ 0 How do you say ‘sit’ in Slovak? http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/17/how-do-you-say-sit-in-slovak/ http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/17/how-do-you-say-sit-in-slovak/#comments Sat, 17 Jun 2006 06:43:47 +0000 Steven http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/17/how-do-you-say-sit-in-slovak/ This is a funny one…

A dog’s life, but only if you’re bilingual

British police have had to import German Shepherds from other countries due to a shortage in Britain. Only problem is, the dogs are trained to obey commands in the languages of their countries of origin – not English!

So what did the cops do? Take language courses and hire interpreters, of course!

(from The Age)

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]]> http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/17/how-do-you-say-sit-in-slovak/feed/ 0 World’s most expensive sheep dog? http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/13/worlds-most-expensive-sheep-dog/ http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/13/worlds-most-expensive-sheep-dog/#comments Tue, 13 Jun 2006 01:56:57 +0000 Steven http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/13/worlds-most-expensive-sheep-dog/ A couple of weeks ago we wrote about the The Australian Landmark Kelpie Muster, which was held this weekend in Casterton, Victoria.

The Muster included a working dog auction at which Kelpie Bagalla Mick was sold to a Tasmanian farmer for $5,400, breaking last year’s $5,000 record.

According to The Age newspaper, Mick’s trainer, Ian O’Connell said he was not surprised by the amount paid.

“Most tractors cost $100,000 or more so when you think about that, $5400 is not very much,” Mr O’Connell said.

Keplie Begalla Mick hard at work (photo: theage.com.au)

]]> http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/13/worlds-most-expensive-sheep-dog/feed/ 0 Doggy Dining http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/07/doggy-dining/ http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/07/doggy-dining/#comments Wed, 07 Jun 2006 11:51:01 +0000 Steven http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/07/doggy-dining/ NEW HAVEN (Connecticut, USA) – CHOW is one of the few bars where “You’re a dog” is less a rebuke than a mere statement of fact, reports the New York Times (6 June 2006).

Yes, the bar has a “Yappy Hour”, every Wednesday night, when patrons can bring their furry friends to join them for a bevvy.

On a related note, Central Florida News (and others) report that Florida Governor (and presidential sibling) Jeb Bush has signed the so-called Doggy Dining bill, enabling restauranteurs to allow dogs to join their owners in outdoor dining areas. Of course this has been common practice in many European contries for years but is surely a move in the right direction – although the introduction of the bill only marks the beginning of a three year pilot program.

Down, Spot – off the table!

We hope to add our own report to this topic soon by paying a visit to Melbourne’s My Dog Café and maybe even Peraz restaurant in Bowral (if Ita puts us up for the night and someone pays for our fuel!)

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]]> http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/07/doggy-dining/feed/ 0 Is your dog a Mummy’s boy? http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/06/mummify-your-pet/ http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/06/mummify-your-pet/#comments Tue, 06 Jun 2006 00:53:45 +0000 Steven http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/06/mummify-your-pet/ For many dog owners, their dog is a part of the family. When the dog dies, families often wish to pay a proper tribute – hence the increasing popularity of pet cemeteries and associated services.

But isn’t this taking things a bit too far? Pet mummification:

Doberman Pinscher, Butch

According to the Summum Modern Mummification website,

“A very complete, precise, yet gentle process, Mummification will shelter the essence and body of your pet forever”

(Oh, and they do humans, too)

And the price? From about US$4,000 for your Chihuahua up to about $50-100k for you Great Dane. Start saving…

My very cursory research (I put my ‘scept-acles’ on while viewing the website) indicates that this is real. If you can show that I am mistaken, please leave a comment!

(via BoingBoing, via OhGizmo)

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]]> http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/06/mummify-your-pet/feed/ 0 DogBlog http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/04/dogblog/ http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/04/dogblog/#comments Sat, 03 Jun 2006 22:34:04 +0000 Steven http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/04/dogblog/ This looks like fun: DogBlog. A guy from San Fransisco (Jon), as he walks around town doing whatever it is he does, has been taking pictures of dogs – mostly tied up outside stores – and blogging them. Some of the captions are pretty funny, too. Enjoy.

“There are times when I look at a picture I’ve taken after it comes off my camera and realize that what I own is a tiny device whose sole purpose is to capture the pure essence of absolute champions like this dude right here”

]]> http://www.houndtv.com/2006/06/04/dogblog/feed/ 0 One in five dogs eat better than their owners http://www.houndtv.com/2006/05/25/dogs-eat-better-than-their-owners/ http://www.houndtv.com/2006/05/25/dogs-eat-better-than-their-owners/#comments Thu, 25 May 2006 13:24:32 +0000 Steven http://www.houndtv.com/2006/05/25/dogs-eat-better-than-their-owners/ Meal for a human
Photo:Ehud Kenan

A survey by a UK pet insurance company has found that one in five dog owners admit that they feed their pets a better diet than they eat themselves.

I’m not sure whether this is good news for the dogs, very bad news for the owners… or both.

Seriously, though – feeding your dog your own meal scraps may not be in his or her best interests. Dogs are just as prone to health problems – including excessive weight – from an unsuitable diet as we are. Research a suitable diet for your dog from reputable sources on the web (sorry, the Hound TV dog diet page isn’t finished yet!) or ask your vet.

(Source: Life Style Extra)

]]> http://www.houndtv.com/2006/05/25/dogs-eat-better-than-their-owners/feed/ 0 Off-lead dog parks http://www.houndtv.com/2006/05/23/off-lead-dog-parks/ http://www.houndtv.com/2006/05/23/off-lead-dog-parks/#comments Tue, 23 May 2006 00:43:02 +0000 Steven http://www.houndtv.com/2006/05/23/off-lead-dog-parks/ The Boston Globe reports that following the recent opening of an off-leash dog park, dog owners are pushing for more such parks in other areas: Going to the dogs: Pets get their park

City-dwellers – are there any specific off-leash dog parks in your area?
Should we start a worldwide database of them right here on the Hound TV website?

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