On Saturday 31st March 2012, some the UK dog world’s most respected names are gathering in Gregynog Hall in Powys, to speak at the first Conference on Puppy Farming in Wales, hosted by C.A.R.I.A.D. (Care And Respect Includes All Dogs).

The keynote speaker is Professor Sheila Crispin who will discuss why puppies cannot be farmed. Professor Crispin Chairs the Advisory Council on the Welfare Issues of Dog Breeding.

Other veterinary professionals speaking on the day include noted veterinary surgeon and animal behaviourist Kendal Shepherd, animal welfare scientist Rowena Packer, and Dr Muriel Brasseur who is animal behaviourist and zoologist at Oxfordshire Animal Behaviour Centre. Representing the welfare issues associated with uncovering what really goes on in puppy farms is the founder of Puppy Love Campaigns Veronica Lambert, and discussing the rescue and rehabilitation challenges of ex puppy farm dogs will be Eileen Jones who is the founder of Friends of the Animals RCT.

Founder of C.A.R.I.A.D. Linda Goodman is covering the topic of mixed media messages and the public confusion that results. The conference is not an awareness exercise in what puppy farming is all about.

Those attending are all too aware of what it entails. But each speaker is coming at the subject from a different perspective and has years of experience to share with their audience. The objective being that a stronger and more united strategy will come from the one-day event and that this message will be more easily assimilated into the public arena across all areas of animal welfare.

Tickets for the one-day conference, sponsored by ecotricity, are a very reasonable £45 which includes morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea in the beautiful surroundings of Gregynog Hall.

Tickets are available by emailing cariadevents2011-campaign@yahoo.co.uk before 15th March 2012.

For more information on the conference agenda visit: http://cariadcampaign.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/the-first-wales-puppy-farming-conference-31-march-2011-book-now/ For more information about the work of C.A.R.I.A.D. visit: www.cariadcampaign.wordpress.com

K9 Magazine, a digital lifestyle magazine for modern dog lovers, has stepped up to help meet the increasing demand from its readers who are interested in moving abroad with dogs.

Editor and publisher Ryan O'Meara explains:

"Over the past 5 years we have seen a real rise in the number of readers who have asked us for information on what to do when moving overseas with their dogs. This trend reflects global movement as more and more people seek to experience alternative lifestyles in foreign lands. The big difference now though is, particularly for British dog owners, it is more accessible than ever for dog owners to travel abroad with their pets in tow thanks to the relaxation of regulations under the Pet Travel Scheme."

The Pet Travel Scheme is the system that allows pet dogs, cats and ferrets to enter the UK without quarantine as long as they meet the rules and people in the UK to take their dogs, cats and ferrets to other countries and territories, and return with them to the UK without the need for quarantine.

For dog owners thinking of moving overseas with their pets, K9 Magazine advises to focus on four main areas of research:

- Climate

- Culture

- Convenience

- Location

Further, the guide explains:

"It is imperative to bear in mind that other countries, even those in the EU have very different laws regarding property and acquisition. It's also important to become familiar with local laws and by-laws as they relate to dogs and people. Some countries have different laws on certain types of dogs and pet ownership regulations change from country to country."

The guide: How To Move Abroad With Your Dog, is available to access via K9 Magazine's website.

Canine osteoarthritis is a chronic condition that reduces a dog's mobility. A new report has suggested the problem is a growing concern for dog owners.

Arthritis in dogs is on the rise according to a study published by K9 Magazine.

The condition, which affects the mobility and joints of dogs of any age, is said to be increasing inline with the growing pet obesity problem which has seen more dogs than ever gaining weight and being above the normal healthy BMI for their age and breed.

Experts have suggested that canine osteoarthritis will continue to rise unless pet owners can gain control of their dog’s weight.

One of the key causes of arthritis in dogs is breed type and weight. It’s been claimed that as many as 1 in 4 dogs are above their natural weight.

Canine osteoarthritis is a chronic condition, meaning there is no cure. However treatment and management of arthritis in dogs is readily available, meaning a diagnosis doesn’t have to mean the end of a dog’s ability to enjoy life, go for walks and suffer in pain.

Learn more: https://www.prbuzz.com/home-a-garden/55209-arthritis-in-dogs-concerns-owners.html

After some 5 years, DogMagazine.net is on the move.

We're delighted to announce we've decided that we're heading off this .net domain name and on to a brand spanking, shiny .com.

We're re-naming the site MyDogMagazine.com with a greater emphasis on user comment, opinion and more articles from dog owners.

We'll be using the site to gather opinions on the type of content we should be covering in K9 Magazine as well as offering more functionality and a cleaner, faster layout.

You can update your bookmarks already to www.mydogmagazine.com and if you're subscribing to our DogMagazine.net RSS feeds, don't worry - we'll make the change automatically so you won't have to do anything.

Over the coming months we're moving over our most popular articles to MyDogMagazine.com with the aim to completely merge the sites within 2 months.

So, remember, if you want to be the first to get our news, articles and updates - the address you need is www.MyDogMagazine.com

In a case study that illustrates the need for people with diabetes to be cautious of foot injuries and to protect themselves from pets, a woman with numbness in her feet caused by diabetic neuropathy slept through a traumatic episode in which her Jack Russell terrier chewed off part of her slightly infected big toe, according to an article published in this month's issue of the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association. 

The patient's wound required surgery, and it ultimately led the amputation of her leg, leaving her a double amputee. 

The case study, co-authored by Valley Presbyterian Hospital specialist Lee C. Rogers, D.P.M., is only the second of its kind to be published in the medical literature, although more cases like it have been reported in the media.  This case highlights the need for diabetic patients with neuropathy to avoid having their feet or wounds exposed when sleeping with their pets. 

"Pets have a tendency to lick wounds, and that simple lick can turn into a bite, if there is no response from the owner. There have also been reports of dogs' saliva infecting diabetic patients with the antibiotic-resistant Superbug, MRSA, which can be deadly," Dr. Rogers said. "This case illustrates the perils of pet ownership in diabetic patients who have numbness in their hands or feet caused by neuropathy." 

The Centers for Disease Control estimate diabetes affects 25.8 million Americans --or 8.3 percent of the population--and report that it is the leading cause of non-traumatic amputations. In this case, the 48-year-old woman didn't feel any pain and only realized part of her toe was missing when she awakened in the morning and found blood in her bed and on the floor.

 She was sleeping with her 2-year-old Jack Russell terrier and realized it must have chewed off part of the toe during the night because the dog had blood in its facial fur. Doctors amputated part of her toe and, later, the lower portion of her leg because she developed other infections and neuropathic ulcerations, skin lesions that are common in diabetics who suffer from numbness.

"People with diabetes and neuropathy must take special precautions to protect their feet from infections to avoid amputations and other complications," said Dr. Rogers.

Dr. Rogers is the associate director of Valley Presbyterian Hospital's Amputation Prevention Center, an integrated limb-preservation center that is one of the nation's only facilities of its kind. Since its January 2010 opening, the Amputation Prevention Center's specialized multidisciplinary team of highly skilled professionals has treated more than 350 patients with leading-edge technology and achieved a limb salvage rate of 96 percent. 

"With its exemplary record of success, the Amputation Prevention Center is truly a community asset and an extraordinary benefit to patients in danger of losing a limb," said Gustavo Valdespino, President and CEO of Valley Presbyterian Hospital. "The Center is leading the way in patient care and treatment with its cutting-edge technology and innovative team approach pairing podiatrists with vascular surgeons." 

George Andros, M.D., the Center's Medical Director, notes the center recorded an average wound-healing rate of 52 days - less than half the national average of 120 days, in its first year.

 "At Valley Presbyterian Hospital, we are proud to be part of this pioneering effort to employ new technology to bring expertise to patients wherever they may be," he said. "The Amputation Prevention Center is on the leading edge of advancing the pace of medicine and improving the care of patients."

A nice little list today, gathered from search data appearing in our internal analytics spreadsheets.

The following is a top to bottom compilation of the search terms related to dog training problems that people look for via our search form.

You probably be won't be surprised to see 3 of the 5 but there's a couple of surprises!

5 - How to stop dog sniffing crotch
4 - Stop my dog pulling on the lead
3 - Stop puppy biting
2 - How to stop dog barking at cats
1 - How to get my dog to come back

Crotch sniffing dogs and dogs who like to bark at cats - dare we say that the evolution of the dog may NEVER truly eradicate these particular canine favourites!

In fact, the whole menu is pretty much par for the course for the immediate future.

Now, imagine you had a crotch sniffing dog who pulled you all over the place, loved to bark at cats and refused to come back whenever he was called.

Sounds like a pretty normal walk in my local park if the evidence of my eyes are to be believed.

Today I'm reminded of this famous quote by billionaire investor Warren Buffet on looking after one's physical and mental health...

"If you were given a car and told it's the only car you'll ever be allowed to own, you'd be sure to read the manual really carefully and service it all the time."

Our dog's bodies are the only ones they'll ever be allowed to own, but they don't have their own manual and they can only do so much in terms of looking after themselves. The rest is down to us.

So I thought it'd be useful to list some resources that we can use as our working dog manual....

1. Dog teeth
2. Dog joints
3. Older dogs
4. Dog worms
5. Dog fleas
6. Dog weight

If we can keep on top of our dog's oral health, their joints, look out for them as they get older, make sure they steer clear of fleas and worms, keep their weight under control and make sure their minds are kept active - we'll be doing our bit to ensure they are well serviced and their body's are in the best hands.

Can a dog truly smile with pure, unadulterated joy?

We think yes. Yes they can!

Mental stimulation and fully engaged body language - a perfect advert for the pleasure of bringing out a dog's full potential.

From July 1st 2011, owners of dogs that the city of College Park, Gainesvill  deems "potentially dangerous" must be registered, photographed and should be forced to wear a bright identifying tag to mark them out.

Ambrose Clay, the local Councilman, brought in the breed specific legislation following two high profile dog attack cases in his district.

"What the person has to do is go to the vet and get a chip implanted into the dog for identification purposes.  They also have to submit a photograph of the dog, and they'll be issued a brightly colored tag that will identify it as a potentially dangerous dog," said Clay.

The legislation has been opposed by anti BSL groups, including Dogs Deserve Bettter whose spokesperson Heidi Pollyea says:

"Breed profiling is wrong.  It targets the dog when the real problem with any canine is how the owners raise and treat it."

People who don't register their dogs face fines and Clay says owners will also have their dogs taken and impounded should they not comply.

The following are breeds of dogs required to be registered in College Park:

Pit Bull

American Pit Bull Terrier

American Staffordshire Terrier

Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Rottweiler

Doberman

German Shepard

Breed specific legislation is a concept that has been tried in various places around the world.

It has proven to be controversial, expensive and has never been proven to have prevented a single dog attack or death.