The dismal summer has resulted in a plague of pests and parasites for our dogs.  These include slugs that may carry the parasite that causes potentially fatal lungworm, and ticks which can lead to Lyme disease in humans.  A study of 2,000 pet owners and 150 vets carried out by Bayer Animal Health (who, it has to be said, have a vested interest in promoting the explosion of parasites!) found that that only 33% of owners consider parasites a risk to their pets' health, 32% wait until their pet shows signs of infestation before starting treatment, and 78% do not bother with any protection at all.  

What sort of owner runs a pack of dogs that bite anybody and anything with impunity, cock their legs on the furniture, are fed titbits by hand from the table and are universally loathed?  Answer: Her Majesty the Queen! Many people express surprise that an apparently sensible woman allows her dogs to be so unruly and undisciplined.  Clearly, she is not an ignorant dog owner as she has beautifuly trained working Labradors.  So why does she let the corgis and dorgis run riot?  I believe that it is because her life has always been one of rigid control and duty; unlike the rest of us she can never rant and rave and let go.  So perhaps her beloved little dogs represent everything that she has personally never been allowed to do?

There have been two new dog programmes on television this week: For the Love of Dogs on ITV on Monday and Top Dog Model on ITV2 on Wednesday.  The first is a series featuring Battersea Dogs Home which can only be good for rescue dogs generally - although there is rather too much of presenter Paul O'Grady for my taste.  The other is the kind of programme that allegedly is a search for a dog to front an advertising campaign but will probably encourage lots of wannabe owners to - and abuse - their dogs in their desperate search for a few moments of fame.  One of the "judges" is singer Stacey Solomon ... Stacey you can do better than this!