The chill evenings and heavy dew of September are here already and for most English children, the summer holidays end this week.  But here is a glorious photograph sent in by Paula - to remind you all of just how good it is to be beside the sea on a sunny summer's day!

This year I have had many emails from dog owners complaining of a dramatic increase in their pet insurance premiums.  For some, it's a hike too far - especially if the dog is getting on in years - and they have decided to stop paying. For the elderly on a pension or those on benefits, this is a very real worry.  If their pet needs an expensive operation, will they be able to afford it?  At the same time, vets' bills are also mounting.  A friend of mine has a 12 week old Border Collie who broke its elbow and required an operation that cost over £3,000.  This was the sort of accident that could have happened to any dog - but luckily, in this case, she was insured under the breeder's insurance. 

Another friend of mine decided to put what she would have paid as a monthly premium into a separate building society account.  Eight years on, she has never needed to touch it - and has saved a sizeable amount.  But this does require a great deal of self discipline - something I am not at all sure I have!  Over the years, I have usually insured my dogs for the first year of their life on the basis that this will be when anything inherited/serious will reveal itself such as hip displasia - and then just hoped for the best.  Insurance for some of my dogs would have been a complete waste of money over their lifetime; others such as my Newfoundland who had a tumour on the lung, it would have helped.  

Ultimately, it's a personal decision that only you can make - bearing in mind your personal circumstances.   But for those who decide against it, do remember there is always the excellent PDSA....

On Saturday I went to the NEFRA training day: a day when flat coated retrievers and their owners from all over the north of England get together for expert training and a social catch-up.  The gene pool for the breed is relatively small so you can be sure of meeting some of your dog's relatives!  (The picture below shows my Rosco on the right, one of his brothers Logan on the left and proud mother Fern in the middle).

The day started with an introductory talk - or rather, ego trip - by guest trainer Mary - who achieved the extraordinary feat of irritating practically every owner there.  One man described her as having her head in the wrong part of her body - a description I couldn't better!  It was just my luck that I had been allocated to her group.  Immediately she asked us all when we had started "training" - judging by the smirk in her face it was obviously a trick question.  Did she mean basic training or work with dumies?  She didn't explain because she was dying to tell us we were all wrong!  Desperate to get on and do something, Rosco was fidgeting appallingly.  Under normal circumstances I would have removed him a little from the group and got him to calm down and sit quietly - but I felt that was being rude to Mary.  She picked on him, told me she wouldn't accept that sort of behaviour - and hauled him out to her side.  Shocked at being dragged unceremoniously from me, Rosco sat somewhat cowed.  But what did this achieve?  Nothing. Would it not have been better to get on with training and then ask me whether I thought his behaviour was acceptable?  I realised I was going to learn nothing from this ghastly woman and so decided to leave the group.  

On my way back I passed another group where the trainer invited me to join them.  What a stroke of luck!  Gary was the complete antithesis of Mary.  He worked us as a group and expressed his comments on our performance generally rather than picking out anyone in particular.  He then worked us independently and offered a mixture of praise and justified criticism as well as useful tips on how to improve.  I found his advice invaluable but one suggestion he made to all of us I found particuarly useful.  He suggested that training is like building a house: if you don't get the basics right and keep returning to them but just keep adding layers, there is a very real danger that the whole edifice will collapse.  Sorry Rosco, but it's back to boring old heelwork for us!  Under Gary's superb tutelage, Rosco calmed down to such an extent that he won the award for our group! (As I walked back to my seat after receiving the trophy, Mary's look of loathing was a picture.  If looks could kill, I'd have expired on the spot...!) 

I was so pleased that I had had the courage to walk away from Mary - but wished I had had the courage to tell her what I thought.  If I'd been braver I would have suggested she needed to go on two courses.  Firstly to learn how to teach which in itself is a skill: a combination of praise and constructive criticism without needing to prove how very clever you are.  And secondly, she needs a social skills course because training dogs involves working with human owners - therefore, you need to learn how to assess individual humans and get the best from them.   Just as every dog is different so is their owner - and training needs to be adjusted accordingly.  Failing that, she should just spend a day watching Gary at work - and learn how it should be done!