Have Dogs Taken Over Your Life? Quiz

Answer: Any one of them

I'm sure a lot of you recognise this situation, especially during the winter months.
Why do we tolerate all this dirt - I know, we just love our dogs so much.

Answer: Feature fireplace

Ground floor showers are invaluable when you come home with three filthy dogs. Of course solid floors are much easier to keep clean than the beige carpet we have just taken out of our new home.

One of our criteria, apart from the above, when we moved recently was room to park a caravan (that's a trailer in US speak) on the drive. This was purely so we can spend whole weekends at Agility shows. Incidentally the caravan is also done out in mud coloured throws and we took up the carpet and put down tough vinyl.

Answer: Whatever is cheapest this week at the supermarket

If you want a high performance dog it is vital that they are fed on the correct diet. Dogs are carnivores - yes look it up on Wikipedia - and should have a suitable food with the correct balance.

Swapping around from one food to another will result in tummy upsets at least and possibly an undernourished or overweight dog.

Many people in our category feed their dogs BARF (Bones and raw food) which is stuff like whole raw chicken wings, feathers and all. This better simulates the diet of a wild dog.

BARF doesn't quite fit with my life style and I like my dogs to have Chondritin and Glucosamine in their food to help combat arthritis as they get older, so mine get a good quality dry food with the correct balance of protein and fats, which I bulk buy from a specialist store.

Older less active dogs need a lower level of protein compared with a young very active dog.

Did you know that if your dog is a little (or a lot) hyperactive it could be related to their food. It is always worth changing food for a month or two to see if it makes any difference.
Lots of dogs have difficulty in processing wheat products. Change to rice and lamb and see if this helps.

Answer: sticks

There have been many serious accidents with dogs and sticks. They impale themselves, pierce their throats and tongues, get them stuck across their top teeth and injure themselves in many other nasty ways with sticks.

Tennis balls can be a problem especially with larger dogs that can swallow them. You should always buy proper dog tennis balls and not use cheap pound shop ones. The fluffy casing (which my dog likes to strip off) is very abrasive on cheap balls and can damage tooth enamel.

Balls on ropes are good but do make sure the rope is shorter than the distance from your dog's mouth to the ground. Otherwise your dog may trap a paw in the loop and fall, and even break a leg, as they are running back to you.

Soft toys are ok I just can't throw them far enough, and again they need to be proper dog ones for safety.

Answer: stick and flick

It is never ok to leave dog poo where anyone might walk in it.
The stick and flick method is being advised in Britain. You find a stick or take one with you, and flick the offending poo out of the walking area, where it will decompse naturally or feed some small creature. This is only acceptable in the countryside.

Poo bags are vital in town but they do add to landfill sites and the bag takes a long time to degrade.

A pooter is nothing to do with dog poo.

In Britain it is not always mandatory to pick up after your dog. Many local councils have bylaws enforcing this but it is the usual problem - how do you catch the offenders?

Our local park is a minefield of poo, no wonder very few children play there. I've spoken to the dog warden but nothing has been done yet. Many Americans are surprised that it is not always mandatory in Britain, but I have seen just as much poo on sidewalks in the States as in Britain.

Answer: Treatment for the condition

Although most obsessional dog owners will have a good idea what is wrong with their dog, they should expect the vet to put forward suggestions for treatment. If you are very experienced and you are not happy with the suggestions it is worth (politely) asking for alternatives. Most vets recognise the more experienced owners and are happy to work in partnership rather than dictating. Remember that vets spend a lot of time keeping up with new developments in veterinary medicine and will have more up to date knowledge than you.

It is useful to know where your dog's micro chip is as they often move around the upper body. My Yorkie's chip is over her right shoulder at the moment, although that is not where it started.

Answer: kitty litter

A clicker is a fantastically simple training device. If you haven't used one, go to a class and have fun! You can teach your dog loads of tricks and the dogs love it. There is a clicker quiz on FunTrivia why not try that too.

A dog owner should never be without a poo bag. Even if you dont need it, you can offer it to one of those unpleasant people who never pick up after their dogs. I always make a point of offering them and usually they are shamefacedly accepted.

Our local council offices provide free poo bags so there is no excuse here in Derbyshire, UK.

Answer: You know the shape, colour, size and texture of your dog's poo and that is not it

It is sometimes difficult to understand the fascination of poo. Those of us who do own working dogs will know a lot about our dog's poo as it tells us about our dog's general condition.
If a dog is fed on a consistent diet, poo should also be consistent. It should be fairly firm without being hard and should not be very dark. Small dogs do small poos while huge dogs do mountains! The better the food is matched to the requirements of the dog, the less poo they do.

Have you noticed that when a dog has eaten a raw bone the poo is much dryer and more crumbly?

There is no way you can keep a careful watch on three dogs unless you tie their legs together, it can't be done.
Dogs do sometimes poo more than once especially if they were interrupted. A desperate dog will poo anywhere.

Only true dog obsessives are poo experts.

Answer: run free in a safe area under supervision

All dogs need regular exercise, but they must be supervised. In days gone by dogs used to be sent out in the morning and they came home when they were hungry. With increased traffic, crimes against dogs and the possibility of them pooing in the street, this is just not sensible.

No dog should be allowed to breed unless it is planned and the puppies will be homed properly. It makes a lot of sense to have your dog spayed or neutered if you do not intend to breed from it.

Obesity in dogs is a growing problem in Britain. Overweight dogs cannot enjoy life as much as slim dogs. They are more likely to have illnesses and die earlier.

Dogs will eat and eat, they do not stop when they have had enough they keep going until they are full. They are likely to regurgitate food if they have over eaten and keep it for later.

Answer: you enjoy watching television

Well I'm totally guilty of dog obsession and have no regrets at all.

There are a lot worse things in life.

At least it gets you out in the fresh air every day which can't be bad. I bet you have made some fantastic friends amongst the doggie people you know.

Dogs always give you a warm welcome however late you are. They never answer you back and they never want to borrow money. What more can we want?