Caption Friday

Can you add a caption to this cute picture of Bandit?

Here is Bandit on his visit to the Spout Coffee Shop in Leek, Staffordshire.  Spout is dog friendly and is just the job after a long walk in the countryside.  It appears that Bandit is taking no chances and he has made sure he is a fully paid up member of the RAC.


Please add your suggestions to the comment section below.

Pet Sitting or Dog Boarding Kennels

I want to start this post by stating a preference:  You cannot beat a good pet sitting service.

Who do you trust to look after your dog while you are on holiday?

Over the years we have used an excellent pet sitting service.  We know the experience was a resounding success because our dogs always returned home relaxed and content.

There are advantages to a pet sitting service, including;

•  Versatility.  A good pet sitter will often take your dog/s in to their own home and provide virtually 24/7 attention. This was the case with Belle and Bandit and they always loved returning their host every year.
• Illness prevention. There is a very low risk of dogs becoming sick while they are in the care of a pet sitter. Moreover, the best sitters would have animal first aid training.  Dog kennels present a very high risk of transmitting sickness.  Consequently, large kennels need to have access to an on call vet.

Pet sitters can give your dog a 'home from home' experience. On the other hand, dog kennels can only provide low levels of individual care and attention.  Our visits to kennels have always been met with lots of distressed barking from cooped up dogs wanting to escape.  Kennels always seem more like a prisons and not the comfortable surroundings you can get in a pet sitter's home.

Which do you prefer pet sitters or kennels?  Please vote for your preference in the survey to the left of the blog posts.

As always your comments would be most welcome.

Fun With Picasa

Today I did some experimenting with the some of the fun image processing functions in Picasa 3.  The picture that I have manipulated was taken at Reighton Sands near Filey in Yorkshire.  The picture features Belle and Bandit looking out to sea on a warm sunny day in 2011. This picture reminds me of the magical times I have shared with two special dogs.

Heat map processing function

Glow processing function.

Picasa 3 is wonderful tool.  It enables you to add a host of effects and design elements to unremarkable pictures.  I am not an expert in photography.  However, I am pleased with the pictures that appear throughout this blogs.  All the photographs have benefited from improvements made by using Picasa.

After all this site is not about photography.  It is about sharing my dog walking adventures.  I hope you have fun playing around with the image processing elements of Picasa as much as me.

Your comments are always welcome.  

Dog Day Care in Staffordshire

I have a question.  Does anyone know of a good dog day care provision in Staffordshire?

There are many reasons why a really good dog day care facility is needed.

These include:

• Dog day care frees owners up to explore without the issue of their dog restricting access to areas of interest.
• Dogs are often left unattended in cars during the summer.  This issue may never arise if more facilities for dog owners were available.
• As a family we try and take Bandit everywhere it is possible to go.  However, he is getting on a bit now and I am sure he would appreciate long slumbers during the day and not to be on his feet so much.  A good dog day care facility should be able to provide places for dogs to rest and sleep.

I am sure there are many more reasons for good dog day care facilities.  These reasons are unique and particular to every family.

I feel passionately about this issue.  For me the problem is two fold.

• Why is access so limited for dog owners in this county?
• Which day care facility would you trust and how do you know if they were any good?

There is a wide variety of places to visit in the beautiful county of Staffordshire, from stately homes such as Shugborough Hall to fun parks such as Alton Towers.  These places are wonderful to visit but they are not especially dog friendly.

I would welcome your doggy day care suggestions.  You can add your ideas to the comments section below.  I propose that places of interest should be able to provide temporary on site dog care.  This would free owners up and create a new revenue stream for the venue.  They could restrict the numbers of dogs that would make use of the provision and could charge an hourly fee.

Another proposal would be for more dog day care facilities to be created.  Sharon and I have often talked about taking on dogs when their owners have been on holiday.  This would ensure they get a more 'real life experience' instead being locked up in a boarding kennel.  Moreover, if we had all the money in the world buy a massive field and give dogs the time of their lives.   While we gave them first rate care.

Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Funny frogs at Consall

It is not everyday that you witness the tender moments of a frog's love life.

A frog he would a wooing go

This intimate picture was taken last year on a trip to the Black Lion Pub.  They found themselves in the middle of the road until we kindly moved them to a better spot. Frogs are not to all tastes but these two were very cute.

As always your comments would be very welcome.

Deep Hayes Country Park

Deep Hayes Country Park is a great place for a moderately challenging walk.  We enjoy this place very much and come here often in the summer.  However, this post describes a walk we took not long after Christmas.  The weather was wet and the water in the pools rode high. The overflows were flowing ten to the dozen. Nevertheless, even though it was bitterly cold the area held a 'Christmasy' (sic) beauty and charm.

Deep Hayes Country Park Visitors' Centre

We started at the Visitors' Centre and meandered round the edge of one of the pools.  Our circular walk took us through a wood and over purpose made paths.

Bandit ready for the off..

A walk through the woods - this terrain was quite slippy though

A pool overflow that we had to cross

The stepping stones where we made our crossing

The noise of the rushing water made the stones seem quite daunting.  Nevertheless, they are closely positioned and were easy to traverse.  

A bird watching hide.

The road home.

The entire walk took about an hour.  It remains one of our favourite places.  In the summer we often take a picnic and sit at one of the picnic tables.  There are many walks to explore in this area and I am sure you will love this area as much as we do.  Your comments are always welcome.

Directions and more information.