Nov 04

A Study Shows Dog Ownership Can Reduce Chance of Asthma

A new study in Sweden has shown dog ownership to reduce the chance of asthma in children, more reasons to share your life with a dog.

A Study Shows Dog Ownership Can Reduce Chance of Asthma

We featured a post recently highlighting a study proving that sharing your life with a dog can increase your lifespan, we have just heard about a new study showing that dog ownership can reduce the risk of asthma.

Read more…

Nov 02

Help calming your dog at stressful times

We have tried all sorts of remedies and techniques over the years to calm our dogs during fireworks, long car journeys and other stressful times, here's a roundup, whether they worked and a new product we tried that worked a treat.

Help calming your dog at stressful times

Some dogs get stressed – a lot. Others are so chilled out you often feel like you’re the stressed one. As Molly has gotten older, she has gone from the latter to the former. Nothing would spook her, loud bangs and she wouldn’t even bother to open an eyelid, car journeys, great where are we going? Read more…

Oct 13

Dogs help you live longer – it’s official

Dog owners have known this for years but now new research has proven it, dog ownership can help you live longer.

Dogs help you live longer – it’s official

Dogs bring so much joy, companionship and love to our lives that owning a dog realistically can’t not have a positive affect on our health. The feeling you get when their faces light up at seeing you even if you leave them for a few minutes or the joy on their faces as they bring a toy to play with melts even the hardest of hearts. Read more…

Jul 28

Giant Hogweed plant and your dog

Giant Hogweed has been commanding some media headlines over the last few weeks, if you didn’t know Giant Hogweed is a close relative of Cow Parsley (you may know it as one or the other depending on where you come from) and is identified by it’s thick bristly stem and white upward facing flowers. Giant Hogweed can grow up to 10ft (3m) high which makes it easy to spot.

The reason it has gained media focus is down to its sap which can cause severe skin burns if exposed to sunlight shortly after exposure.

Find out how to spot Giant Hogweed and what to do if you come into contact with it

Jul 20

Play Fetch dog blog update

After a spell of downtime, the Play Fetch Dog Blog is back up and running with some fantastic articles planned, guest authors and an all new 'Ask the vet' section.

Play Fetch dog blog update

Life has been pretty manic over the last few years, work has been busier than I could have ever imagined (which is great as I run my own business as web designers and developers), our beautiful daughter was born and we hame moved home to a wonderful part of Derbyshire.

Unfortunately my available time for Play Fetch drastically reduced, the website still enjoys a heck of a lot of hits but the content has grown a little old and sponsorship requests has reduced meaning I have not managed to earn as much money for worthy dog charities as I hoped.

Things are soon to change however as my life now is becoming pretty settled and I have a great team behind me with my business, taking the strain from me to spend more time on my family and of course the Play Fetch dog blog.

I have lots of great posts in the pipeline, starting with a new edition of the ever popular Where’s Molly. For those of you thinking that this sounds like a blatant Where’s Wally rip off, you’d be right. I take a photo of Molly blending in to her surroundings (the German Shepherd coat makes this quite an easy task for her) and you have to find her in the picture. It’s just for fun and Molly enjoys it too.

My local vet Jason Davidson has kindly agreed to host an ‘Ask the vet’ section on the website. Jason is highly respected and has performed wonders on Molly, Toby and our cat Jasper over the years. The Ask the vet section is very exciting, if you have any questions for the vet please fire them over via the contact page.

Jul 20

Where’s Molly

It isn’t easy in the heat when you have a thick undercoat like Molly, all of our dog walks involve a shaded rest, a dip in a lake or stream and a lavishing of fuss.

Can you find my dog in this picture, to zoom in a little make sure you are on the post page and hover your mouse over the image.


Wheres Molly the dog in Fritchley

Did you find her? Click here for the answer

If you enjoyed finding Molly, have another go with another picture in the Where’s Molly section.

Oct 22

Helping your dog through fireworks season

Most dogs don't like loud noises with fireworks being the loudest of them all. Here are some remedies to help get your dog through fireworks season.

Helping your dog through fireworks season

Fireworks season is one of the most stressful times for your dog. Bonfire night no longer exists with people releasing fireworks for several weeks before and after November 5th. There are lots of remedies out there, from simple training techniques to dedicated dog products to an array of medication. But which is right for your dog?

Read more…

Oct 12

Taking your dog on holiday

Dogs need a holiday too, I have never known a dog that doesn't adore the beach, going into the sea is another matter though haha. Here are some handy hints for taking your dog with you on holiday.

Taking your dog on holiday

From Paris Hilton’s tiny Tinkerbell to Ryan Gosling’s much-loved George (who has been his best bud for over 12 years), it seems like most celebrities aren’t ready to leave the house unless they have their adorable pooches by their sides. Coming in all shapes and sizes, these lovable beasts are our best friends and it’s tough to leave them behind when we go away.

However, there’s no need to miss your four-legged friend when you go on holiday – there are many options for them to travel with you too so there’s no real need for you to ever be apart. If you’re thinking of taking your precious pup away with you, you need to make sure they’re safe, comfortable and cared for, so here’s our guide to a happy holiday with your hound. Read more…

Apr 26

Best iphone, ipad and android apps for dogs and their owners

Dog apps are popping up everywhere, from providing sounds to calm your dog if they make noise to tracking their whereabouts using a GPS collar, chances are you will soon have a dog app on your iphone or ipad.

Best iphone, ipad and android apps for dogs and their owners

I expected this post to list some pretty silly apps and it doesn’t disappoint but there are also some very useful apps for your dog too. One will track medications, worming, flea treatments and remind you at key times.

Read more…

Feb 14

Does your dog affect your social life?

Does your dog smell or does owning a dog put off friends from visiting your house? A new survey has found that 27% of dog owners lose friends because of their dogs.

Does your dog affect your social life?

My dogs go almost everywhere with me, if it is possible to take them with me I shall and if I can’t take them I tend to be as quick as possible so I don’t leave them alone too long. Most dog owners are the same so it was interesting to read about a survey all about dogs and socialising.

The survey found that over two thirds of people (65%) believe dogs to be smelly and unhygienic. Admittedly most of these were non dog owners but even 24% of dog owners thought their dogs were smelly.

Read more…