Episode 26 - pets as therapy dogs, on golf links, search dogs in April Jones abduction

The Dog News Show

Episode 26 opens with the exciting news that Debbie has appeared on the Alan Titchmarsh show. You can find a link to the show on the Bravo Working Dog Rescue website and in this episode of The Dog News Show you can hear how Debbie got on during her TV appearance. Plus why was Alan Titchmarsh a naughty host?
The dog news discussion kicks off with coverage of the fact that stroke patients in hospital have been helped by visits from Pets As Therapy dogs. Cimla Hospital in Neath, Wales, has been allowing both dogs and cats in, and the results are that patients have been recovering faster and more fully. Pets As Therapy have over 4,500 dogs and 108 cats registered in the U.K. who visits hospitals, schools and other organisations. Interacting with dogs has an amazingly beneficial affect on humans, both physically and emotionally and studies have shown that it can even reduce the need for painkilling medication. Listen and find out how you and your dog could become involved. If you dog is already a P.A.T. dog let us know about your experiences.

Julie has spotted a potential business opportunity - training dogs to help golfers. This is inspired by the experiences of English golfer Paul Casey, whose golf ball was picked up by a dog during the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Quick-witted Paul tried to get the dog to drop the ball nearer to the hole, but sadly for Paul the dog made off with it, and was not stopped until he reached the next green. Between them Debbie and Julie develop the business idea into a pitch for a television format that Simon Cowell himself might well be interested in. So is the idea a "hole in one"? Or do they need to "iron" out a few creases?
The U.K. news recently has been dominated by the heartbreaking story of young April Jones who was abducted from Machynlleth, in mid-Wales. April went missing on October 1st and since then a tireless search for her has been carried out by police officers, members of the local community and of course many search and rescue dogs. Debbie has chosen this story to highlight one of the many ways that working dogs touch our lives. The dog and handler featured in this story have traveled from Sunderland to Wales to help with the search, and the handler points out that in a search like this one dog is worth twenty men. Everyone at The Dog News Show wishes the Jones family the very best, and hopes that April is found soon.
Have you neutered your dog? If you castrated a male dog did you consider replacing his testicles with implants? Apparently Tamara Ecclestone is considering doing just that, and she's following the lead of Kim Kardsashian. So is it setting a dangerous example when the rich and famous treat their dogs like this? And surely the company marketing fake testicles as "practical" is bending the truth? Julie is outraged by this story and points out that dogs don't have self-image to cope with, and will not feel "emasculated" by the loss of their testicles. Are you in favour of routine neutering or not? It seems attitudes vary around the world, and in Norway legislation is in place to keep dogs intact unless there is a medical reason to neuter.
Leading on from this, Debbie has the sad news from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home that it has seen a 40 per cent increase in the number of ‘handbag’ dogs coming into the home. This includes breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier with a 67% rise in the Yorkies arriving at Battersea, and Chihuahuas also suffering with a 36% rise in their breed ending up in the shelter. One Chihuahua involved was a small dog with a very big attitude - and he found help at Lizzie's Barn in South Wales. Diminutive Bobby's behavioural issues have been sorted out by Fionna Ashman at Lizzie's Barn, showing that pampering and spoiling a dog does them damage, but meeting their needs as a dog keeps them happy and healthy.
In Schmaltz Corner Julie has two stories for the price of one. In Massachusetts, a toy Poodle cross was hit by a car, but instead of being injured, she got stuck behind the grill of the vehicle and was only discovered after a further eleven miles had been traveled. Amazingly the dog survived. Meanwhile in Southern California, a Keeshond mix hitched a lift in a Chevy truck and was only discovered after an amazing hundred and ten miles - and again the dog survived. So do both stories get past Debbie stomp-free? - don't bet on it!