InformPet Ltd

InformPet Ltd is a diverse new company whose sole aim is to offer effective natural food supplements to improve the health and wellbeing of companion animals, and this is our Blog - ENJOY!

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Albedo100 Reflective Spray - be safe, be seen this winter! Please share!

www.albedo100.co.uk

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Insights from Tom George of happy hour

We've all heard of Happy Hour. We are the creative agency and production company behind many of the adverts you see. We have produced adverts for television, in addition to sponsorship products and web videos. We thoroughly enjoy working with Animal Friends, and hope we continue to do so for many years to come.

  So, let’s get to know the story behind the animation:

We were originally tasked with creating a launch TV Ad that would be distinctive and stand out against the various other pet insurance TV ads which seemed to feature cute fluffy pet shots. We wanted to create something memorable, something that people found charming, with characters that could evolve and that the audience could relate to. That for us meant stop motion animation, because it is unique in being able to bring animal characters to life in a charming and fun way.

BAFTA and Emmy award-winning head of animation, Gareth Owen, produced and directed the ads. Gareth used to work for Aardman Animations, the makers of ‘Wallace and Gromit’ and ‘Creature Comforts’, and he brought with him a wealth of experience in this area. Our main characters were existing pets Cracker and Girlie, with Girlie belonging to Animal Friends’ co-founders Chris and Elaine Fairfax. We were tasked with bringing these characters to life and part of that process was working with the voiceover talent to create a calm and collected Girlie, to contrast with the young and excitable Cracker.

One of the most remarkable aspects about Animal Friends Insurance is the amount of money they donate to animal charities every year all over the world. We were incredibly impressed with their dedication to these charities and immediately felt that people needed to know about this. Pet owners are caring people and we wanted to focus on the feel-good factor of insuring with a company that do so much good for other animals, feeling that this was surely something that could bolster the impact of a TV advertisement.

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Exercising your pet has many Benefits

Exercise is very essential, not only in our lives, but also our pets. We have an obligation to make our pets' lives as happy as they can be and exercise is a big part of that. It is fun for you and your pets and allows time for you to enjoy each others company. Did you know exercise can actually increase your pet’s life by up to 30% and can decrease the incidence of orthopedic problems by a third!

  Exercise keeps your dog trim, and helps to maintain muscle tone and build strong bones. If our life consisted of a continuous nap, interrupted twice daily to chow down, we also would be a blob. Everyone needs to burn off at least as many calories as we take in or we will gain weight. It is not rocket science people, get up and make your pets move.  So how can you make sure that your cat or dogs lives for 4 or more years? One of the fastest growing conditions in our pets, is diabetes. Exercise can greatly reduce the incidence of diabetes, in people and dogs. The typical pet with diabetes is an overweight, middle aged female which is very similar in humans. Diabetes in animals is almost always type 2, meaning it is not a disease which is genetic; it is an acquired condition, a lifestyle disease. In the UK we have more diabetic pets then the rest of the world combined. Not much of a surprise there.

  Another great benefit of exercise is that it actually increases new brain cell growth. That is great isn’t it? The cells that grow the most are in the part of the brain involving memory, so basically exercise will make you and your pet smarter. So get you and your pets exercising. 

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What’s the squishy thing under my pup’s paw?

I may not always be learning something new when it comes to puppy raising and training, but I’m often reminded of something old that I may have forgotten. This past weekend we were puppy-sitting an adorable little puppy in training named Ted. Ted is the type of puppy you dream of bringing home.  

His Mom's is doing an awesome job raising him!  At only 7 months old he’s already very easy going, well behaved, very good out in public, super cute, and basically just a rock star puppy in training.  He isn't without his faults.  He really liked picking up the leaves and grass in the backyard.  So we worked on his “leave it” command.  We also heard he’s a seasoned veteran when it comes to destroying his doggy toys.

We heard he destroyed his black KONG!  Now that’s quite a feat, dogs easily damage their paws so whenever you notice that your dog is having a difficulty in walking or you see him limping take notice of this and take him to the vet asap before the pain gets worse.

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The Reasons as to why you should Crate Train your Puppy

If you have an experience in crate training puppies you probably know how frustrating the first few days are. When you first start crate training the future benefits of a well-behaved, crate trained puppy are not always apparent.

After crate training my last half dozen puppies I've found some future benefits that I didn't initially think about during those first few restless nights listening to my puppy whining, crying, howling, barking, scratching right, you get the picture don’t you? Every pup is different.  This isn't a post about how to crate train your puppy instead we are going to talk about some of the future benefits of crate training a puppy.

Linus is a rescue dog and he gets spooked easily.  Fireworks, thunder, heavy rain, wind, basically any kind of loud sound outside the house puts Linus on high alert.  Linus has a thunder shirt and it definitely helps although I wouldn't say it’s the end all be all of curing his anxiety.

However the thing that helps Linus the most during these stressful times is his crate.  The last few days when I've noticed Linus is nowhere to be found I would look around the house and low and behold he’d be lying there in his crate. When you are out on a drive in the car with your puppy there are several safer options then letting your puppy hop around the front or back-seat sticking his head out the window.  One option is crating your puppy while riding in the car.  If you've crate trained your puppy then they will easily relax in the crate while you drive without any difficulty. 

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Training a Puppy

Training a puppy is as important as giving it a home. Puppies, like children, are not born knowing what to do. As their owner it is down to you to decide how you want them to behave and train them accordingly. You can train them yourself or hire some professional help. There are also plenty of local dog training classes available too.

There are different kinds of training ranging from basic obedience to behaviour, working or even agility and performance. Whichever level you want your dog to reach, all puppies need basic instruction on behaviour and obedience.

Behavioral training relates to correcting bad habits that the puppy may go on to develop if left unchecked. Some of these bad habits can include, jumping up, chasing cars, destroying furniture and biting, in fact any unwanted behaviour is a bad habit to you.  Consistency is important during the training process. For example, only allow your puppy to sit on the couch if you are planning to allow it to sit on the couch in the future. Think long term in relation to what you want a big fully grown dog to be allowed to do. No matter how cute the puppy is now, you have to stick to your guns in terms of allowed behaviour. For effective communication with your dog, you need to understand natural puppy behavior and satisfy the natural instincts of your puppy – there are plenty of books and websites to help you in this regard.

Obedience training goes a step further by training your dog to obey simple commands. These could be commands such as stay, come, sit etc. You need to engage in training sessions but they must be kept short - otherwise, your dog will get bored. Training sessions that last ten to fifteen minutes, two times daily will be more than enough.

Whenever you give your dog a command, be sure to use its name. You need to address it by its name so it understands you are talking to it specifically.. After you have said its name, use one-word commands such as sit, stay or come. It is vital that you do not get impatient  you will have to repeat the same command many times over for a successful outcome – it can take weeks or months depending on the command. Always be careful to use positive reinforcement such as kibble, praise or a favourite toy or game. If you punish your dog, they are less likely to listen to your commands in future. Always give your commands in a loud and clear voice.

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How to Care for an Ageing Dog

As the years go by, you will begin to notice your dog showing signs of age. It is important to keep a few things in mind in order to keep your dog as happy and as healthy as time allows.

The first thing to remember is that your dog still needs to keep fit. Exercise is very important to keep its joints and muscles in good working order and to maintain a healthy weight. Your dog may not move as freely as it once did but regular walks are still important. Your dog will know its own limits so notice what those are and continue to take it out for walks and play games such as ‘fetch’ or ‘tug of war’ if your dog still enjoys them. Be attentive to your dog’s needs and notice when it’s tired or has done too much.

Diet is another factor that you need to look at. Diet significantly impacts your dog’s health and weight. Though this factor is relevant at any age, it becomes more important as your dog starts aging. If your dog is slowing down then its calorific intake may need to be reduced in order to stop it becoming overweight. Carrying extra fat can add to or complicate any problems encountered with advancing age. To ensure you are feeding your dog well, talk to your vet regarding its current diet and exercise plan.

A final and very important point to consider is your dog’s dental health. Dental care is just as important as your dog starts to age, in fact it is probably more important that you remain vigilant about the build up of plaque in your dog’s teeth. After all, plaque and tartar build-up can lead to bacteria entering the blood stream and harming the internal organs of your dog. This can sometimes be fatal over the long-term and so good dental care requires special attention.

By keeping these important points in mind, you can keep your ageing dog fit and healthy.

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Tips for Selecting the Right Pet Carrier when Travelling by Air

Choosing the right pet carrier can be a bewildering task. There seem to be so many choices out there. However, when looking specifically at air travel, there are specific requirements you need to address. Many international airlines allow small dogs and cats to be carried in the cabin however, there is no accepted standard carrier size. We discuss a few of the issues you may need to consider if you want to travel with your pet in the cabin.

The first thing that you need to do is to measure your pet’s height. The measurement must be taken from the floor to its shoulders and this measurement will be the minimum height of your carrier. This makes it comfortable enough for your pet to sleep in with a little room to stretch occasionally.

Another important measurement is its weight. Each airline has their own weight and height requirements and it is important that you check. Some airlines do not carry pets in the cabin at all and most airlines will have some form of restriction depending on the country you are travelling to and from.

Once you know whether you can in fact carry your pet on board your flight and you are a regular traveler, then you would be advised to buy a good quality carrier. It may be expensive but it will have features that will help your dog be more comfortable. Good features to look out for include plenty of sturdy ventilation panels, visual access for your dog from above and good quality zippers. The features that are available in an airline carrier include mesh ventilation panels on a minimum of two sides and water replant fabric. It should also have sufficient room for your dog to be able to turn around.

Considering wheels on the carrier is also a good idea for moving around airports. You need to keep these tips in mind before deciding on the best pet carrier for your dog. After all you want your dog to have a comfortable journey.

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Finding The Right Training School For Your Dog

If you have recently added a new puppy to your family, then you will need to learn how to take care of it. Puppies have their own instinct when they are born but the knowledge of how to behave is something that they learn over their lifetime. Hence, it is essential that you teach your puppy the appropriate way to behave along with some fun tricks. You may do it yourself or enlist the help of a dog school.

When it comes to dog training, there are many different dog schools available that can teach your puppy or dog to behave properly. If you have decided on sending your puppy to a dog school, then you need to take several things into consideration before deciding which school would be best for your dog. Some of the things that need to be taken into consideration include:

Age

Breed

Personality

What you want your dog to learn

Start by first finding out what you want your dog to learn. Is it commands like sit and stay? Or do you want you want it to learn some practice drills or to keep it away from begging for food? If the answer to such questions is yes, then a local school dog would be the best one for your dog.

Such local dog schools can be found at city recreation centers, community colleges, and private dog schools. They also offer advanced training classes for your dog. You have the option of training your dog in group classes with about 20 other dogs. Such schools are less expensive than individual training making them much more affordable.

If you want your dog to be a guide dog for the blind or to be a service dog, then you would need to send it to the relevant specific guide dog training school. Such special dog training schools are needed because they train your dog to meet those specific skills. There are many guide and service dog schools all over the UK. So finding one would not be a problem.

Essentially, as long as you are clear on what it is you require from your dog in terms of behavior the right school and training will be obvious.

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Reducing your Dog’s Tendency to Bite

Dogs have a tendency to bite. The blame may be laid on the victim, the dog or the owner, but it is the owner who has shoulders the ultimate responsibility and cost. From pain to suffering to time lost from work to paying the medical bills, all liability is on the owner.

Dog owners have to take their share of responsibility in protecting other people and animals from their dogs. However, they also need to protect their dogs from people. Children have a tendency to jump and run around dogs or want to pet an unknown dog. Such acts can surprise or scare a dog and may cause it to respond by scratching or biting.

There is never a 100 percent guarantee that your dog will never bite someone. However, you can reduce the risk significantly by knowing more about dogs and ensuring they are treated in a way that makes sense to them. Spaying or neutering your dog often calms some more aggressive instincts and therefore is a first step in reducing aggressive behaviour such as biting. Such dogs are also less likely to roam or fight with other dogs.

Socializing your dog is an important step too as introducing your dog to different people and other dogs means that it learns to associate people and dogs with good reactions and safety rather than fear and therefore a temptation to  bite.

Training your dog is essential. You need to accompany your dog to a regular training class. This will help it to socialize and it (and you) will  learn the proper techniques of training. Be sure to never send your dog away for training. You are the one who can teach it to behave properly at home. Training classes can be a great investment.

You need to be alert to your dog’s behavior when there are children around. Lively play may frighten or excite your dog. The dog in such a situation may respond by biting. You also need to make sure that unknown children stay away from your dog.

You also need to teach your dog the correct behavior. Be sure to never train it to chase or attack others, even if it is just a joke. This is because dogs cannot understand the difference between real life situations and jokes.

Through these tips you may reduce the chances of your dog biting others. 

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How to Groom your cat

Cats are lovable creatures and many people derive immense pleasure in keeping them as pets. In order to keep your cat healthy, clean and happy, it is imperative that you properly groom your cat. Some of the important steps in this regard are brushing your cat, bathing it, (if you're feeling brave), cleaning its ears and looking after its teeth.

Brushing and combing your cat is an important part of its grooming and your cat is likely to find it therapeutic. Cats spend around 10 percent of their time licking the dirt and excess fur off their body. However, these steps are not adequate enough to properly clean them, especially as they age.  Depending on the breed of your cat and the length of its hair, you may need to brush or comb them daily. While you groom your cat, be sure to check for fleas, wounds, scars, ticks and lumps. You may find it beneficial to buy a cat grooming kit, which would include a flea comb slicker and brush.  A Stroke Glove is another option for shorter haired cats and can be a ideal for grooming nervous animals, as it mimics stroking.

Start by placing your cat on a table or bench, depending on what your cat would be most comfortable with. Then start by gently brushing the head to tail using short and gentle strokes. Do not apply too much force as it would hurt your cat or cause it distress. Also remember to brush its neck and stomach.

A very important part of looking after your cat, is of course ensuring that it's teeth remain clean and well looked after. As with anything to do with 'grooming' your cat, it takes a little time and practice, but is well worth the effort.

If you are undertaking this, it is always good to make sure that your cat is used to having things placed in its mouth. You can always get it used to this over a period of time, by providing treats from your fingers (into your pet's mouth) for example a finger dipped in a liquid your cat might like.

Before you clean the teeth you should place some gauze around your finger. It is possible to do this with the same liquid (so dip the gauze in say tuna water). You would then gently rub the teeth in  a circular motion with the gauzed  finger;  this gets your cat used to this action, and associates it with the treat.

The next step involved using a cleaning tool. As your cat is used to the gauzed finger, you can introduce a toothbrush or a dental pad or sponge. Ideally let your cat lick something tasty off the brush, to get it used to this, but you have to remember, you are doing it in stages.

Now you are ready to properly clean your cat's teeth. You can add a cleaning agent on the brush or pad, this would be a pet toothpaste or rinse. Initially you may let your cat lick some toothpaste off your finger, and at the same time you can rub some into its gums, gently. Always comfort and calm your pet.

The final step is to start gently brushing your cat's teeth. Start by brushing one canine teeth as they are the easiest and will get you and your pet used to it. Slowly increase the number of teeth you are brushing and always praise and comfort your cat when you are doing so.

With these steps, you can ensure your cat is  properly groomed and its teeth are clean.

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Useful Tips On Training Dogs

Keeping a dog as a pet can be real fun. However, you would not want it to chew on your furniture or shoes or have accidents on your carpet! To avoid such unwanted behaviour, you need to have a dog training plan that will help your dog respect the rules you have in your house. Here are some training tips that you may find of great assistance.

Most people prefer to train their dogs by enrolling them in obedience classes. This helps a lot as it will teach your dog some commands such as stay, sit and run. These commands can be taught to your dog using verbal or physical signs. For example, when you want to teach the command of sit, you can start by saying sit and then gently pushing your dog in a sitting position. Once it complies give it a tasty treat.

Whenever you start training your dog, you need to remember that the dog is always ready to learn behaviour. This is because dogs always want to please you. If they do not follow your instructions, then it may be your fault. You may be giving them training instructions that are confusing.

Another important thing to remember while training your dog is that successful training is largely dependent on encouragement and positive reinforcement. This is what dogs thrive upon. Positive reinforcement includes being excited and loving your dog when it performs the correct behaviour during the course of training. It is in the nature of a dog to be close to you and please you. This is why demonstrating encouragement will help your dog train faster. This is why you need to ensure that you encourage your dog after each and every accomplishment during the training period.

Food is an important motivator for dogs. Use it to train your dog. The entire process of training should be a gradual one as you need to give time for your dog to properly understand the new commands – remember dogs don’t speak English! They will not understand what you say on the first day. This is why repetition and constant training with positive reinforcement will reap rewards in the end. 

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Understanding your dog’s behaviour

It is often said that the owners of dogs are the ones that need training, not the actual animals themselves. Often this is shown to become a truth, when you realise that many dogs that end up at dog shelters are there because of a lack of understanding on the part of the owner, not the animal. What compels owners to resort to this extreme course of action? In many cases,  dog owners are surprised at seeing their dog growling, barking or adopting an 'aggressive' stance. This causes immense worry among some dog owners and, out of fear of being attacked by the dog, they put these animals into a dog shelter.

As discussed, the problem, however, does not lie solely in the aggressive behavior, growling or barking. The problem is often a failure to understand the feelings and emotions of the dog. Dogs have their own language as does any other animal. The best way to prevent the occurrence of dog bites or undesirable behavior on the part of the dog is to understand your dog’s aggression and its language.

Aggression in a dog manifests when it feels its social position is being challenged. The challenger may be another dog or even a human. Dogs are pack animals and it is the social order that helps protect and feed them. However, owners of even a single dog may observe dominant aggression on part of the dog. This is because the dog sees the owner as a member of its own pack. For example, take the case of a dog who sits on its favorite chair. The owner may get angry and ask the dog to get down. The dog may respond by showing aggression and start growling.

The aggression that the dog owners see in such cases is on account of the challenge that the dog perceives to its social position. This is why it will try to claim – and fight for – the best seating arrangement. The reaction of the owner is key in deciding whether the dog’s aggressive behavior increases or whether the dog takes a more submissive stance.

This is why it is imperative that the source of the aggression be fully understood. Understanding a dog’s language, social perception and how it communicates is also equally important. Giving your dog away to a shelter is not always the best solution.

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Crucial reasons for a dog’s bad breath

If you’re a dog owner and have come across bad breath being exhaled by your pet, then have you ever wondered what is causing this bad breath? The major reason for such a problem is tartar having built up on the dog’s teeth. It could also be due to advancing gum disease if the tartar remains untreated for some time. The problem with dogs is that throughout their entire lives they get an accumulation of a material called tarter on their teeth. It is made up of tiny food particles, bacteria and mineral deposits. The bacteria break down the food particles and tend to live on the rough surface that the mineral deposit yields.

The reason behind the bad breath is the release of sulphur compounds into the air. These sulphur compounds are released due to the action of the bacteria on the protein molecules. The bacteria feed on the protein molecules for nourishment. This process is similar to the process in humans. It also causes bad breath in humans but the main difference is that in the human mouth, the bacteria are found on the tongue.

In order to avoid bad breath from your dog, it is imperative that the tartar be removed as quickly as possible. The situation can get far worse than just bad breath and hence needs to be addressed as soon as possible. A much better way to avoid bad breath would be to get rid of the plaque as soon as it forms. This is because it is exactly plaque that causes the formation of tartar. If tartar remains untreated, then it may cause gum disease and inflammation. Further delay in its treatment could cause the bacteria to enter the blood stream. Once it enters the blood stream, these bacteria could prove to be lethal as they attack the internal organs and cause complications such as liver failure, heart failure or kidney failure. So it may cause death.

Hence, it becomes very important that the issue of bad breath be treated immediately as any delay could lead to severe consequences.

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Interesting facts you should know before you train your dog

Training dogs is a favorite hobby of many people. Why many people fail to properly train their dogs is that they are unaware of some important facts about dogs. Once you learn these facts, it would be easier for you to train your dog.

According to scientists, dogs are descendants of wolves. Even though the dogs are more compliant towards human command, yet they have maintained some of the characteristics of wolves like sharp eyes, smell and their urge to remain in a pack. The dog considers its owners and other members of the house as his pack. So keep this in mind, your dog would be considering you as the leader and other members of your house as his pack.

When you think of pack, the idea that comes to your mind is that a pack has a leader. As opposed to the prevalent view, the majority of the dogs do not desire to be the pack leader. They feel safe when someone else is in charge. So when you start training your dog, keep this important fact in mind. So for your training to be a success, you need to step forward as the leader of your pack. You need to be firm and consistent with the dog. This will make sure that the dog is aware that he will not be able to get away with everything. A good step is to pull rank on him every now and then to demonstrate who the boss is. Be sure to pull him away from his couch so you are able to sit in his place, and eat your food before you give him something to eat. Another important point is that you should not feel scared if the dog is growling at you when you have asked it to do something. All that you need to do is stand your ground, snarl at him without touching him and force your orders on him.

Dogs are always aware of the time. In fact they have an amazing internal clock. They seem to know all the time like when to eat, when to go for a walk and when to go to bed. They even know when you would get up in the morning and when you will return from work.

During the course of your training, you should be particularly careful never to hit the dog no matter how frustrated you get at the training. Physical abuse will only make the dog to be nervous in your presence and this will be making things harder for him to learn. Also, since it’s illegal to hit a dog, you need to be extra careful or else you would land up in a jail.

Another effective tool in helping the dog learn quickly is repetition and consistency. Good or bad habits are formed once an action is repeated again and again with consistency. So when you train your dog, do not give up on your dog until he has learnt the trick. After your dog has learnt the trick, you need to test him over and over again after some time to ensure he has learnt the trick.

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Proden Plaqueoff Gets Its Power From The Sea

The sea is an important source of power. It provides renewable sources of energy from oil power to wind power to many other forms of power. For PlaqueOff, it is no different. It provides it with the power of seaweed which then helps it to cater to the oral hygiene of cats and dogs through simple natural materials. The power provided by PlaqueOff helps reduce bad breath and makes your pet more acceptable to you.

The oral hygiene of pets has never remained a serious issue for pet owners. Until recently, adequate attention was never paid towards these issues. However, this has now changed lately with the issue of pet’s oral hygiene having received a lot of attention. Issues such as animals suffering from painful deterioration of teeth and gums need special attention. Getting involved in such issues will help your pet live healthier and longer.

ProDen PlaqueOff Animal helps fulfils your pet’s need without putting any considerable financial strains. Being a revolutionary product, its popularity has soared in a short time span.

The importance of removing plaque from the mouth of your pet cannot be underestimated. If not removed, it could lead to gum disease and accumulation of tartar. These go on to inflict harm much more than just being a source of bad breath. The germs that accumulate could possibly enter the blood stream and then cause various diseases. They could harm the heart, kidneys and other organs of the pet. In extreme cases, they cause death as is witnessed in case there is a kidney or a heart failure.

ProDen PlaqueOff Animal helps avoid that by removing the bacteria and plaque. Adding it as a daily supplement in your pet’s food can help avoid such diseases. This will help you avoid heavy financial losses which have to be incurred in extreme conditions by providing your pet with medicines.

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Is Your Dog The Brightest Canine in Britain?

We thought you might like to participate in the “BRITAIN’S BRIGHTEST DOG”. This interesting competition, devised to find ‘Britain’s Brightest Dog’ with dogs taking part in eight exercises to test their intelligence, is open to all dog owners, pets or working.

The organisers will be presenting the winner with a cash prize of £250, a specially commissioned £1,000 silver trophy along with a framed photograph by a top canine photographer, as well as a framed diploma and of course the very prestigious title of BRITAIN’S BRIGHTEST DOG. These are the mouth-watering rewards for the dog that comes up trumps in this unique competition. If you win, who knows ‘fame’ could soon be knocking on your dog’s door.

The organisers are not looking for another ‘Lassie’ but for a dog that is bright and enthusiastic and can successfully complete the eight exercises required of them. Each exercise lasts no more than 30 seconds. None of the exercises require the dog to be well trained but they must have a stay and recall ability and a good temperament.