Snapping a great dog pic

DPOTY 2009 - Overall Competition Winner and Dogs at Work Winner
Originally uploaded by thekennelclub

Taking a memorable dog photo can be a snap. Just take pictures of your dog doing what it does best - being a dog! Take from a dog's point of view, lower your camera to get the dog's perspective or snap your dog in action running, jumping, chasing or prancing.

Dog photography myth #1: You need an expensive camera to take a great dog photo.
Um, actually no. All you need is a decent camera (5.1 Megapixel is usually sufficient) and a steady hand.

Dog photography myth #2: Your dog needs to be groomed and posed.
Um, actually no again. Some of the most memorable pics I have of my beloved weimaraner Josie are of her being 'au naturel' in her favourite parks. (Probably a good thing that pictures don't carry smell as they would still smell like deer poo if that was the case) Remember pictures are OUR keepsakes of our pets - for us to enjoy and remember what we loved about them most. I often look at the pictures of my dog Josie and usually remember all the silly things she did every day not the time where she was most clean and groomed!

Dog photography myth #3 Dog Photographers charge a lot of money!
Um, actually I can only speak for myself! I charge very reasonable rates, often do free work for dog rescues and charities and always happy to work with people in their budget. If you want a memorable keepsake of your dog and for someone to capture your dog being a dog - call me!

What was it like judging Dog Photographer of the Year 2009?

I graciously accepted to be one of the lucky judges to pick winners for all the categories in this year's DOG PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION hosted by the Kennel Club. (I liked to think that I was the Cheryl Cole of Dog-FACTOR 2009 ;)

This is one of the most fabulous dog photographer competitions in the world because the money for entry goes towards the Kennel Club Charitable Trust (which of course is one of my favourite charities helping all kinds of dog charities) It was so tough to decide from all the great photos.

Please check out these amazing photos and get to snapping your own dog and upload to flickr to share!

Barking around the world -
Heidi The Dog Reporter©

The Divinity Of Dogs

Awesome video and I wholly agree with this video.

International Agility Festival Day One

Watch my first video from the International Agility Festival 2009! More to come very soon!!

Dancing with Swahili Dogs

I have been so busy the past few weeks here in Diani being an eco-volunteer for the Colobus Trust. www.coloboustrust.org I really can’t believe how fast time is flying and that I will soon be departing Diani later this week. I have been invited to stay longer or come back as a long term volunteer for six months or a year if I would like. It has been immensely rewarding to be of service and help out in a small way towards conservation. It is very tempting!

Although I am here during the rainy season it still is so beautiful. I have been lucky with the weather during most of my stay here but we did have quite a bit of rain this past week. We have also had many power cuts (courtesy of Kenyan Power Supply) intermittently so it’s one of the reasons to why I haven’t been able to update my own personal blog.

I have blogged for the Colobus Trust and you can read my blogs on their site which is sponsored by Wildlife Direct: www.colobus.wildlifedirect.org
I had also assisted one of the staff members here in writing his first blog (Hamisi) although he is already such a talented writer that I ended up only assisting him with word press and uploading photos!

Living and working in Diani has been such an amazing and fulfilling experience. Tourism and volunteer numbers are still so low from last year that even a few weeks here has made a big difference. Let’s hope that next month that tourist and volunteer numbers will return to Diani and Kenya.

As I have mentioned before I have a huge appreciation and love for the sun and the beach so every morning I have been getting up around 6 am and heading to the beach for my run and work out before we start work at 8 am. I don’t wear any thing of value (no watch, no jewelry of any kind) and use only my little iPod shuffle which I stuff down my shorts to keep out of view. I am one of those people that absolutely have to run with music so regardless of where I travel I somehow manage to hang onto my iPod and running headphones (although there was the time in Madagascar where I did have my old iPod nicked so the word is I “try” …)

Waking early and greeting the day (and the monkeys) has been bliss. I am the first one up in the volunteer house and I get the beach gate keys and make my way down the beach path hoping not to get attacked or swallowed by huge spider webs (bugs are my Achilles heel – don’t really like them on me in any way especially that lovely early morning ‘Amy -Winehouse- beehive -spider- web-do’ that I sometimes get when I walk into a big web) I say "Jambo" to the Sykes monkeys in the trees eating their breakfast and I take the risk of bugs and spiders early in the morning to arrive first on the beach with an amazing view of a burnt orange sun rising over the coolest blue Indian ocean. The sun’s glorious rays shine on the breaking waves in the distance on top of the coral reef and the sun’s rays glisten on the hand carved Dhow fishing boats bobbing up and down in the shallow waters awaiting the Swahili fishermen to hoist their sails and greet their day in Kenya.

I run on the softest coral white sand. Diani used to be under the sea hundreds of years ago so all the ground is made of what was pristine and virgin coral of all types. The sand is so fine from years of being pounded by nature that my shoes sink about 3 inches with each stride making my run more and more work. Sometimes I stop and walk a bit and look for unusual bits of old coral or small seashells that have been abandoned by their previous residents. The shells I usually pick up are the really small ones similar to the ones that the village people on Wasini Island scour the sands for to clean and dry and then sell to exporters. I saw what looked liked millions of them laid out on old sheets on Wasini Island. I asked the guide what are they going to be used for locally and he said they are harvested and then exported to China where they will be probably be used in mass production of clothing or curios items. My picking up 2 or 3 small shells that I then give to local artists for jewelry seem (well no pun intended) a drop in the ocean.

The last couple of days running in the morning there haven’t been many people on the beach not even some of the local fishermen as the weather has been a bit precarious with a lot of wind and heavy rain. I have been lucky as my runs have been perfectly timed with no rain and a bit of sunshine so early in the morning. I sometimes see some of the locals walking and exercising their dogs on the beach either on lead or off lead. I greet the dogs and the owners whenever possible.

Yesterday I met one of the locals, a lovely Indian woman who lives and works in Diani with her husband running one of the smaller hotels and restaurants. She walks three rescue dogs – one Dachshund, one Jack Russell and one Swahili bush dog that she adopted from the Mombasa KSPCA. We chatted about her dogs and then one of the local fisherman’s Swahili dogs came bounding over to her bush dog. I could easily see that they were best friends as they played and bounded into the water. I started my run again and both dogs starting playing with me almost egging me on to run faster. I must have had the biggest smile on my face as they continued to run with me for about 5 minutes down the beach.

This morning the sun decided to finally come out and I was so happy to be greeted first on my morning beach run by two different Swahili dogs (they must have been from the same litter as they looked like book ends!) These dogs were the same colour as Vizslas but they had the same build as a Swahili dog and the cute long, skinny and curly tail that goes up when they are happy. With collars and tags I knew these were pet dogs belonging to an owner of one of the many beach homes in Diani. They must have sensed I was a dog lover as they both came running over to me and greeted me with big licks on my salty, sweaty and white sandy legs. After a few pets and good scratches on their heads they decided to join me for the rest of my run. I ran a good portion of the beach with both dogs at my side who were playing, jumping, smiling and encouraging me to dance with them. I was the only one on this beautiful stretch of beach this morning with just these two dogs dancing in synch with me in the receding tide while listening to Take That’s “Greatest Day.” It certainly felt like it.

The Dog Reporter
www.thedogreporter.com

KSPCA - Kenya Society for the Protection and Care of Animals

KSPCA

I was only able to volunteer for what seemed like a very short time of 8 days helping at the KSPCA. I was willing to do anything - help clean cages, pick up poop, walk dogs, anything! I was quickly ushered into the office where I was asked to put my marketing expertise to work. I started to brief them on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and other digital marketing means to get some attraction and hopefully donations from outside Kenya. The KSPCA are amazing for what they do to help support the local communities and villages with domestic animals in particular dogs. They run on a shoe string budget and I mean shoe string - we are talking child's shoe size 3.

www.kspca-kenya.org

www.facebook.com/kspca

www.twitter.com/kspca

A lot of people wonder and ask what is the point of having a SPCA in a third world country or developing country where people don't have money or care for their animals like we do in western civilisation. I beg to differ. No matter where I travel I see and meet people (granted not the majority) but people from the poorest communities who care and love their pets just as much as we do. They may not have the money to pay for vaccinations, spaying or neutering or even have the resources to feed their animal every day (people come first here when there is so little to eat) but they still love and care for their animal. It is just that their version of care is different from what we might expect or want. I always have to give myself a big pep talk when I travel to developing countries. I know what to expect and I know what I will see or hear. It can be heart breaking but my cause and my mission is to find the positive dog stories and the positive work that people do with their dogs. Dogs are so amazing (as most of you who read my blogs and updates know!) They are the only domesticated animal that has such a special relationship with man.

KSPCA are a fine example of what can be done in small ways to help support people less fortunate than us. They are very small and very poor but they help offer support, experience of animal care and a place to go for questions relating to care of their animals. Many dogs and puppies have been given to KSPCA instead of being tossed in a ditch (which sadly is very common here) where they can be given an opportunity for re homing or care temporarily.

The KSPCA also go to local villages and talk about spaying and neutering and will spay and neuter for free where possible. They have very little surgical supplies as they have one set for neutering and spaying but when possible they will spay and neuter as many dogs as possible if people are too poor to pay.

The in-house vet who is Kenyan is a lovely young man who cares greatly about dogs and the animals in his care. It was amazing to see him work with some of the sick puppies that came into the KSPCA whilst I was there working. I will be editing some more short videos to support the KSPCA when I return to the UK in August.

The KSPCA also support greatly the care and rehabilitation of donkeys. Donkeys are often mistreated due to poor care or ignorance of safety equipment such as no cutting bridles and well balanced weights for carrying. The KSPCA make and sell and sometimes donate where possible bridles and carrying tack so people can use their donkey without injuring them in the process. They also teach people in villages how to care for their donkeys so they can last longer and have a more sustainable livelihood. I filmed some great interviews with the Kenyan guys who hand make these bridles and carrying tack all from ropes and old blankets.

I am saving the best story from my time at the KSPCA for one of my videos. It is a story about one of the dogs that came into their care two years ago. He probably has the most amazing dog story I have ever heard in my life yet.

More to come ...

the Dog Reporter
www.thedogreporter.com

Jambo! In search of Kenyan Dogs

Hi everyone, very sorry for the long delay in blogging from Kenya. I arrived in Africa last month after departing London for Nairobi on May 19th. So what I have been up to you ask? Well so much! I landed in Nairobi and went directly to Karen (a suburb of Nairobi on the outskirts of the big bad city) Honestly I have no desire to really explore Nairobi too much especially after what everyone has warned me about in terms of crime. It was suggested I book into this hostel/camp in Karen which is 5 minutes by car to the KSPCA where I had arranged to volunteer for 8 days. I was very happy to have made those arrangements as Karen Camp is a great place and very secure. Best yet they have three big dogs who act as part of their security on the property. They bark for anything that gets too close to the fenced perimeter and as I discovered on one of my last days at Karen Camp they also bark like crazy when there are squirrels or monkeys in the trees. Karen Camp is very close to the Nairobi National Park so there are animals everywhere in close proximity.

KSPCA. Kenya Society for the Protection and Care of Animals. KSPCA will get its own blog following. I have been uploading like crazy as many pictures as I can to my flickr account so please, please, please check out my flickr to see some pics from my dog adventures.

After 8 days in Nairobi and working at the KSPCA I took a coach bus (a very nice coach I might add!) to Mombasa and from Mombasa I headed to Diani where I am now situated working as an eco-volunteer at the Colobus Trust . The Colobus Trust (again deserves their own blog so will write more about them later) is a fantastic NGO that was created here in Diani. I wanted to work with primates again as I did in Madagascar so I found the Colobus Trust which rescues and helps rehabiliate the endangered Angolan Colobus monkey as well as other monkeys from the area such as Sykes, Vervet and Baboon. However I have since learned that that Colobus Trust do so much more that just help with monkeys. They truly are a wonderful conservation NGO working with local Kenyans to promote the environment as well as keep the eco-system in place here. They do things from tree planting of indigenous trees in the forest and hotel areas as well as educate kids from all over the area in their learning centre. They also host eco-tours for the tourists and any visitors in Diani to help raise awareness about the Colobus plight as well as local conservation efforts. You can read more on their website and blog (which I have been helping to write the past two weeks) www.colobustrust.org

Now to dogs! Yes, I have seen many dogs since arriving from day one in Kenya. KSPCA I had the opportunity to meet and pet loads of their local residents who are so sweet. They also have the biggest collection of three legged dogs in one place! All very sweet and well tempered dogs that have been rescued or adopted by the KSPCA. There is the most amazing lady named Jean Gilchrist that runs the KSPCA. She has been there for over 40 years and is still going strong even though she is 73! You would never guess her age as she looks like she is in her 50's. Jean is one special lady and she has dedicated most of her life to helping Kenya with the care and support for domestic animals. She is heading back to the UK next month to pick up a long overdue OBE from the Queen herself. Jean was awarded one over a year ago but delayed it since there were more pressing emergencies at the KSPCA the last time the Queen was doling out medals. Her work is tireless and she often has about 3 or 4 dogs under her desk. I enjoyed working at the KSPCA so much and look forward to popping back in before I set off for my overland later this month.

Kenyan Dogs. I saw many mongrels, bush dogs, and african looking dogs at the KSPCA but Jean and others had told me that there is such a thing as a Swahili dog on the coast. I was very excited to head to the Colobus Trust as it sits right on the Kenyan coast and I would hopefully meet some people who could tell me more about the real Swahili dog.

Life is a beach. Now a quick update to where I am now and what I am doing at present.

The Colobus Trust is situated right in Diani meters from the beach. It is SO scenic and idyllic I think I will move here next year (actually it is very tempting to come back as a longer volunteer to be this close to such a beautiful beach!) For some of you that know me I love the ocean and I love the sun so Diani suits me perfectly. It is a lot warmer here than Nairobi (by many degrees) and you get the real tropical weather - humidity, rain and also the mosquitos to boot which is why I LOVE my mosiquto met even more. I have been getting up around 6 or 6:30 am and heading to the beach to run every morning and let the sunrise greet me over the lovely turquoise indian ocean. It is paradise here except when the beach boys hassle me (although I think I have managed to communicate through my weird exercise body language on the beach that I am unapproachable) Yes, I am that exercise nutter going up and down on the beach flapping my arms and boxer punching in the air to not only keep fit but to distract the beach boys from following me up and down the beach and guess what it works.

Second day in Diani on the beach I met Peter who works at one of the nearby posh hotels. Peter every morning walks two lovely pedigree type dogs (Keeshond and a Tibetan Terrier cross). Peter had a very kind way with the dogs and I started to chat to him about dogs (as I do everywhere I go in the world). Peter introduced me to Elvis and Kozo (Kozo is for short as I can't remember how to spell his very long name the TT cross) and we hit it off as dog friends. Peter introduced me to some of the other dogs on the beach and I asked Peter if he knew any real Swahili dogs where I might be able to visit and take some pics. He said of course I know! He was very excited to propose that he be my guide to some local villages to allow me to see some real swahili dogs. Many people think that Swahili dogs are just mongrels but there is a certain type of dog that has been bred on teh caost of Kenya for over hundreds of years. The dog is skinny, long tail that curls up and big ears. They are often white with brown or tan patches and sometimes can be black with brown markings. They are used for hunting in the bush as well as the most important job of these dogs today - guarding. They will bark for alerting any intruders or animals (such as monkeys or baboons) that get too close to the huts or houses.

I really wanted to see a real Swhaili dog in a local village.

June 7th I had the opportunity to finally take a day trip with Peter to not only his village but to his brothers' village in the North Coast of Mombasa. Here are a couple of pics and I will tell you more tomorrow!

The Dog Reporter

www.thedogreporter.com

Wild Dogs of Africa

well I am off! One very heavy rucksack packed, small rucksack and the determination that I can carry this to the bus and to the airport! It is heavy because I ended up packing my DV camera as well as two smaller digital cameras. I was really torn to what to pack in terms of kit as I will be mainly roughing it. I just didn't want to miss out on filming any dogs or filming something if it comes up. I may regret taking this much though (and probably in about an hour or two)

I am heading to Nairobi, Kenya first then I will be hopefully joining an overland down to Cape Town (or at least that is the plan!) I am going to try and see as many parks as I can so I have the chance to at least spot one or two wild dogs. They are so incredibly rare now and sightings are even more rare. I have been in touch with a few people who work with conservation groups in Botswana and Namibia where they mostly are protected (or as best as they can) It will be a real challenge to get information as well as sightings. I am not a wealthy tourist and I don't have the means to fly into some very remote parks so the overland is my best budget option.

I will be on email (hopefully) so blogging and emailing back people. I have no idea what's going to happen and I hope and pray that I have luck and God on my side.

Watch out for my blogs in the coming weeks. I will defeintely be looking out for all kinds of dogs as well as animals!

The Dog Reporter ©
www.thedogreporter.com

Oh to walk a dog in France!

Sorry for the LONG delay in blogging. I am revamping my website www.thedogreporter.com as well as looking into switching my blog to Word Press. The word is that word press is a bit more flexible for what I want to deliver in content this coming year.

I have also been in France the past week staying with friends who live just above Grenoble in the mountain region of Vercors. It is stunning. I feel like I am in God's cradle up in the mountains with the mountains, trees, forest and wild flowers nestling me to sleep every night.

I am lucky to have friends in France as it is one of my favourite places to visit. My goal is to move here by end of the year if it is in God's plan. (Let us not forget that God is Dog spelled backwards.)

I finished my work at the Kennel Club last month. My producing of the Kennel Club YouTube Channel sadly came to an end in April due to severe budget cuts. It was a great beginning for the Dog Reporter© and I will always be grateful for the opportunity I had in setting up some new media for the Kennel Club. Everything has gone digital and my mantra for the past few years has been digital down baby! It is so great to see the KC now so immersed in all the new social media to engage, promote and market their key messages towards "making a difference for dogs."

Like many of you I have a lot of fear of the unknown and I can worry a lot about the future. I had taken some time out these past couple of weeks to ponder my next step towards my quest for positive dog reporting. My questions range from the mundane of "how will I pay rent and survive?" to the pinnacle of my being which is "how can I make money by doing what I love?" It's just not that simple for me to just go back to corporate life or my old life which was not really me after all. I have committed to following my purpose which is promoting positive dog stories from around the world and being of service. I love dogs, I love to travel and I really enjoy helping people who are less fortunate than us in the western world. Just in case there are any prospective employers, benefactors, sponsors or dog and travel related entities out there - I am happy to meld what I do with you! I will still continue to fulfill my vision which is simply this:

"To enlighten, share and promote the beauty of the world through DOGS." by Heidi Hudson 2009 © This is it in a nutshell. This is all I want to do now.

Sometimes I am very slow to accept change as being part of the plan but eventually I come around.
I always try and do my best to accept change as part of God's way of opening up other doors in my life. Just hoping they are some large french double doors!

France has been a wonderful break and time to reflect on what is really important in my life and what I really want - I think it is important to always ask yourself this time and time again. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"
I have always been a very goal oriented and driven person but today my life isn't driven by attaining huge material gains or career movements (believe me not too long ago it was pretty much all materially based!). My life is so different today in so many ways! Being in such a beautiful place where I have had the opportunity of walking a beautiful Chocolate Labrador every morning in the forest up in the mountains of Grenoble has been a real back to basics moment for me and allowed me the opportunity to reflect on "WHAT DO I WANT?"

What makes me happy is being in nature, being with dogs and helping people. And guess what? I have been doing this every single day here in France land but it took me a few days to settle in and really appreciate where I was and the goodness of everything that was presented to me in every waking moment.

Why I am in France now. A while ago my good friend who lives here in France with her partner asked me to dog sit their lovely dog "Dodi" while they went on a family holiday to Italy with their new baby. Just a couple of weeks before I was due to fly out to Grenoble I spoke to my friend who said there was a change of plans as a close relative was in hospital from a brain tumour. I was asked if I could still come out and help with the dog AND the baby while my friend's partner went on to Italy to be with his family. I didn't have any hestitation in continuing my trip to France albeit a 3 month old crying baby and hectic household awaiting me!

What France has been on this trip. A huge blessing. It has been such a gift to be with friends and be able to help out a small way by walking and training their dog and of course taking loads of photos.

Dodi the Chocolate Labrador is probably the most photographed dog now in my dog photographer's portfolio. He is cheeky, goofy, sweet, mischevious, food obsessed (what lab isn't?), a bit dopey at times and still bouncy like a puppy even though he is fully grown. He is huge for a lab (almost like a little bear cub), a stunning pedigree dog and perfect in my eyes even though he has his moments.

This time in France has really been what it was supposed to be on this trip or this time in life: a time to reflect, a time to decompress, and time to enjoy a dog as a daily reminder of being in the moment.

I have at times mistakenly called Dodi, 'Josie,' as Dodi and Josie do sound a lot like at times. (Especially if you are calling to get a dog out of something they are not supposed to be sticking their nose in!) Josie was my beautiful Weimaraner whom I lost a few years ago and whom I still sorely miss to this day. Dodi has been a lovely reminder of all the silly things that Josie did on our walks and at times I felt Josie was walking along right beside us.

Dogs are blessings in our life as they teach us patience, kindness, compassion and the simplicity of what is good right in front of us now. Whether it be good food, companionship, chasing after butterflies, sniffing wildflowers or long walks in the forest - it's all about enjoying the moment.

I will keep you posted in the week about my updated website and blog. I leave for Africa on May 19th to begin my dog quest and book "In Search of Dog©" more on this upcoming trip later.

Enjoy the moment!

The Dog Reporter©
www.thedogreporter.com

Dogville Shorts

Believe it or not the Dog Reporter© had never heard of Dogville shorts before! Amazing little films from yesteryear.

Two sleepy to Care

Two sleepy to Care
Originally uploaded by Libby Hall Dog Photo

This is a brand new and original photo from famed photo journalist, professional dog enthusiast and dog book author, Libby Hall.
This is her lovely crossbreed - Pembury. I absolutely love this photo!

Do you have a favourite picture of your dog that you would like to share with the dog reporter©?

The Dog Reporter©
www.thedogreporter.com

Portuguese Water Dogs - why the silly haircuts?

First Dog! White House Dog "Bo" announced ... and it's a Portuguese Water Dog!

Congrats to the Obamas on their choice of a beautiful Portuguese Water Dog. Although technically not a rescue dog the dog was re homed after the original owners didn't work out. The Ted Kennedy Family have gifted the dog to the Obamas after being persuaded the Portuguese Water Dog is the right choice for the White House First Dog. You can read all about the Obama Dog now online. The Washington Post was the first official paper to break the story (through Michelle Obama)

Two photos have been released so far of "Bo" (named after Diddley). I love the name Bo. What a great first name for a first dog. The White House dog has been greatly anticipated and it was rumoured it would arrive around Easter so here he is. Bo Diddley is also a great blues singer and artist.

It will be disappointing for the rescue groups in America that the dog is not a shelter dog and not a mongrel or crossbreed (aka MUTT). It is stated that the Obamas will donate to the DC based Humane Society in lieu of getting a shelter dog. I am sure the Humane Society will be grateful for the donation but it shadows the huge issue of all the unwanted and abandoned pets that are sitting in shelters right now (of which it is estimated 25-30% are pedigree dogs).

I was a big supporter of the Obamas getting a rescue or shelter dog but in the end happy that they chose the right dog for the right lifestyle. I imagine it has been a very difficult decision to make in choosing a dog or puppy, pedigree or shelter or rescue. It still fascinates me that the "dog" has had more google hits than any other Obama topic (including the budget, the war and most recently the successful G20 trip) Obama seemed to tire of getting asked about the "dog" while doing press in Europe but jokingly said "it was top secret" (in answer to the dog question).

At least the Obamas took their time in making a very serious decision about choosing the right family pet. They also have a huge resource of information from the Kennedy family who have had the breed for many years. Reputable and caring breeders will know a lot of things about the particular breed that most people would not know.

I love the first pics released as it shows the cute little pup with a Hawaiian lei around his neck (aloha). Aloha is Hawaiian for many things but mainly used to say "hello" or "I love you."

I love the Portie and love the name Bo so happy the Obama girls will finally have that puppy to grow up with.

God bless the Obamas and god bless their new little dog,
Bo. I hope he has a very long and healthy life.

Happy Easter everyone and Aloha

xx

The Dog Reporter©
www.thedogreporter.com

Spring has sprung!

And if you are thinking of supporting any UK dog charities I have come across this lovely dog charity supporting the older dogs.
The Oldies Club is a wonderful charity that will put a little spring in your step by supporting.

I have had the pleasure of meeting so many people young and old along my dog journey so far and the older people and of course, older dogs always pull at my heart strings. As you would imagine older dogs don't get the first chance out of the rescue or placement as most people are looking for younger dogs. The Oldie Club certainly gives some support to finding new homes for older dogs that have sometimes been left behind by older owners who passed away or gone into care.

Enjoy this beautiful spring weather and hope to meet you on my dog travels soon.
xx

The Dog Reporter©

Busy Bee Dogs - Easter Dog Story

To get you in the Easter holiday spirit!

Funky Dog Dance - El baile del perro funky

The Dog Reporter© is trying something new! I will pick a new dog video to feature on my website every week from anywhere out in the world. Thought this one was cute (hopefully he got his treat after the funky dance)

The thing about Common Sense ...

So just as I predicted after blogging about shock collars and the other inhumane ways that people try and train their dogs the Google Ad Sense picked up my key words on my blog and put up pet collar adverts which include shock collars in their websites. I have been testing the waters with Google Ad Sense (where you opt in to try and make some pocket change for your blog) and it proves that you can't really be certain to which products will pop up! Gives me some ideas to blog about funny topics though!

I was going to immediately pull the Google Ad Sense link off tonight but thought I would leave up in case you want to see what is out there. Some people think that selling shock collars is archaic but they are out there waiting for unsuspecting people to buy into these false ideas of dog training.

Some of these shock collars go for about £200 ! So the positive here is that you can learn to save quite a bit of cash by not buying any of these! I'll be happy to recommend ethical dog trainers (doesn't matter where you live I know people all around the world) that use only positive training methods (no punishment, no tricks and no force used on a dog) Or if you are just looking for a flash new dog collar I will be happy to recommend positive (and beautiful) dog collars and leads.
Holly and Lil is to name one!

So use your own sense (not Google's) and always promote and pass on the positive for the love of dog.

xx

The Dog Reporter©

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The Dog Reporter©

Be shocked.

At Crufts I filmed quite a bit (yes I know I am still going on about this) in fact I am still editing! I believe I have now outdone myself (both personally and professionally) but hopefully it shows my dedication to reporting positive dog stories as well as "doin' it for the dogs."

I wanted to really show a side of Crufts that many people don't see outside the BBC coverage (which didn't happen this year anyway) and outside the wonderful and professional dog showing coverage hosted by Peter Purves and Frank Kane. I chose to focus on all the dog charities (pedigree and cross breed), the dog rescues (pedigree and cross breed), the Kennel Club Charitable Trust, microchipping and all the dog issues I find near and dear to my dog reporter's heart.

During one of my breaks in the press room at Crufts, I had the opportunity to meet up with Andrew Rosindell MP and speak to him about the anti-shock collar campaign which he is a big supporter.

I am proud of the Kennel Club and all the tireless work they do in campaigning endlessly to abolish shock collars which are cruel and inhumane. I was lucky enough to film Andrew who graciously volunteered to be "shocked" on camera to share his feelings on the issue of shock collars. It was real and it was not staged. I wouldn't recommend anyone (especially kids) to try this at home as dog shock collars can be quite dangerous. During my dog reporting I am always a bit surprised when I meet people who don't realise how much the Kennel Club campaign for dog rights including the tireless campaigning towards abolishing cruel training methods such as shock collars.

Shocking!

The Dog Reporter© gives a big thumbs up to the hardworking PR and external affairs department (Laura Vallance) in always keeping tabs on our elected officials and campaigning towards elimination of negative and dangerous training items.

It is clearly stated on the KC website that they only promote and condone positive training methods and positive training tools.
You can check out their link here and if you do have any questions about what or where they are campaigning to protect your dog rights (doesn't matter if you own a pedigree or a mongrel).

The Kennel Club have a full plate all the time no doubt. It is amazing to me how they keep up with all the dog issues at hand but they do it one paw at a time ...

If you haven't checked out my YouTube clip with Andrew you can click this link here!

Let's all promote the people that are "doin' it for the dogs" and promoting positive training methods. Dogs always want to work with us and dogs serve man kind in so many ways. Let's do them the favour and look out for them and protect them from cruel or inhumane items that are only deterring them from working with us.

For the record I personally don't condone any of these collars:
shock collars, collars with prongs or spikes, citronella training collars or any other collars that induce pain and suffering

If you want any personal recommendations on what collars to choose for your dog please contact me directly. I am always happy to recommend ethical, dog-conscience, humane dog collars out there.

The Dog Reporter©

Cute doggy pic of the week!

My friend Susanna Schick who is an avid motorcycle enthusiast took this photo and posted to her FB page. I had to ask if I could re post and tweet as I think it is so cute. She didn't get the dog's or his dad's names. They were just cruising through the paddock at Indianapolis MotoGP.

Dog Saves its blind owner from mugger

(taken from the Metro, Friday March 27, 2009)

A guide dog was hailed a hero yesterday after saving its blind owner from a mugger who tried to snatch her designer handbag. Labrador Bumble, five, leapt at the man as he tried to grab the bag from owner Jo Spears' shoulder. Ms Spears, 48, said she felt a hand on her back but was powerless. She was saved by 'best friend' Bumble, who growled until the man ran off in Swindon. PC Damian Galley said: 'This is despicable. The fact Ms Spears appeared vulnerable is shocking."

This post is dedicated to all the wonderful Guide Dogs in the world.

Here is a link to my Guide Dogs clip. They are the most wonderful and amazing dogs!

The Dog Reporter©

Another happy rescue story!

Just a quick post here. Congratulations to the Stevens-Bachle Family for adopting a lovely rescue dog named Lily!

I was so happy to hear about their fostering of Lily (a former puppy mill dog) that was rescued after years of being forced to breed. They have now officially adopted Lily into their family and it is another happy Dog Reporter© story to report.

I met the lovely Stevens-Bachle family when I was visiting DC for the inauguration of President Barack Obama. I was overwhelmed by their kindness and genorisity towards helping me out with my "Bark Obama 2009" project. I was driven around Arlington able to visit some of the dog shelters for my documentary project about rescue dogs in America.

When I was visiting in January, they were just in the beginning stage of looking at rescue dogs in shelter for a possible new family pet. They did their homework and didn't rush the process (much like President Obama's family in doing their homework for finding the first dog) and waited to find the right dog for their family lifestyle.

It sounds like Lily is enjoying her new home and I can't wait to meet her later this year!

Dog treats will be headed to DC very soon!

xx
The Dog Reporter©

Google Ads

Do you ever wonder where or how google comes up with the ads that appear on one's website or blog when you sign up to Google Ad sense?
I just had "bad breath" and "are you single?" next to dog insurance and dog toys. Hmmm is google trying to tell the Dog Reporter© something?

Well for any one reading my blog recently the dog blogs have been slow or next to nil this past week. Sorry. I am almost done with Day 3 at Crufts then one more day to go before I am done editing all my Crufts footage. I think the Dog Reporter© Crufts 2009 show went really well! For a one woman show/production company I filmed almost 9 hours of footage and I have already edited about 70 clips. I have had amazing feedback (thanks to everyone who have sent lovely compliments on my youtube clips) My aim was to show the other bits of the show (outside the ring) because Crufts really is the world's greatest dog show in the world truly making a difference for all dogs. Watching the show dogs is wonderful but there are soooo many other great dog activities and demonstrations going on. It's really doggy overload! I rushed around off my feet to cover as many dog charities and dog rescues as I could find or get to speak to. Rescue dogs have a very special place in the Dog Reporter's heart. I personally was on a mission to get to as many stories as possible.
If for whatever reason I didn't get to your rescue or charity I am sorry! It was really one dog at a time for me and there is never enough time at Crufts.

It was truly a brilliant show this year.

Here is one YouTube posting below which is posted on the Dog Reporter© channel as well as the official Crufts channel.

Hope you are enjoying all the stories and dogs so far!

The Dog Reporter©

Crufts 2009 Gundog Day Vizslas!

HSUS Sues Petland

This is big news in America today and I have to give a big Dog Reporter's thumbs up to the HSUS. The positive in this story is somebody is finally taking some serious action in addressing puppy mills. It is heartbreaking to know that dogs are factory reared for the sole purpose of selling puppies in massive chain stores and mall pet shops throughout the US.

The HSUS get a lot of flack for being very assertive at times in their marketing and PR. This is one dog issue I am very happy they have placed in the forefront.

Puppy mills (or puppy farms as they are sometimes called) are 100% wrong. Let's support the HSUS and other dog charities who are working towards outlawing these farms and factories all together worldwide.

Let's all support happy and healthy dogs and support breeders who care for the health of their dogs.

I know the Kennel Club here in Great Britain are certainly doing as much as possible to support good breeders and people who put healthy and happy puppies first. It certainly showed through at Crufts!

The Dog Reporter©

The S.O.F.A. Club

Post Crufts editing is still going on. I basically created my own TV show at Crufts "Heidi the Dog Reporter©" behind the scenes!
I have edited about 2 hours of footage so far now just 6 hours of footage to go! The filming is always the easy bit! I am sure it will all be up by next week. I am now an editing machine. Hope some of you are enjoying some of my youtube clips.

Today I want to just give a big Dog Reporter thumbs up to the SOFA club whom I met at Crufts on the Petlog stand.
I received some lovely emails and updates from Sue Cole, the teacher and leader of the SOFA club this week.

The pics I have posted were kindly forwarded to me by Sue earlier today. They show the students celebrating the launch of their new website yesterday and the picture of Bobby the SOFA mascot (a rescue greyhound).

What is the SOFA club you ask? It stands for "SPEAKING OUT FOR ANIMALS." It is a wonderful way for young people to get involved in campaigning for animals by "Giving them a voice"

These young students were at Crufts 2009 campaigning and getting additional signatures to promote mandatory microchipping/pet identification in the UK. I was highly impressed by these young students working tirelessly at obtaining signatures near the Petlog stand (Petlog is the UK's largest microchip database)

I did an interview with SOFA which will be in my next batch of editing. Stay tuned!

I am proud to announce on my blog (ta da ... drum roll please) their new website which is
SOFA

www.speaking-out-for-animals.co.uk

Please offer your support where possible - signing their petition, visiting their new site or just sharing the link on your facebook, blog, or twitter feed.


Young people are not only our future but our dog's future as well.


The Dog Reporter©

Endal the wonderful service dog - R.I.P.

Today's dog blog is dedicated to Endal, the most extraordinary service dog. I have included the Wiki link to read all about Endal and the numerous accolades this one dog collected throughout his life in assisting Allan Parton, a decorated x-Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer.

These two were always a fixture at Crufts as well as any other dog event in the UK supporting and publicising service dogs.

It wasn't too long ago that I read about Allan and Endal being honoured by the Queen and of course Endal getting his pats and strokes from her royal highness.

Everyone at the Kennel Club and in the dog world are saddened to hear about Endal's passing today. He was a wonderful and most amazing dog to meet.

My prayers go to Allan and his family.

God bless

The Dog Reporter©

MISSING IN THE UK BRACCO ITALIANO NAMED JACOB!

http://missingbraccojacob.blogspot.com



Dear followers and friends of dog,

This blog tonight is soley dedicated to Jacob - a beautiful Bracco Italiano who went missing in January.
His family are helpless right now as they dont' know what happened to him or where he is.
If you attended Crufts than you might have seen his picture posted on some flyers that were around some of the benches on gun dog day.

Please pass on this link / blog and tell any caring dog person about Jacob. He might have been taken in by someone or maybe he is in shelter or rescue. Who knows but what we do know is that he is terribly missed and needs to be back with his family as soon as possible!

If this was your lovely pet you would do everything in your power to get him home safely. Let's all pitch in and do our bit by forwarding emails, posting on facebook, twitter, blogging and talking to people we know that might have seen a dog similar to Jacob in the last two months.

The email which I received is below with more detail. There are also plenty of pictures of him on his blog.

Thanks so much.

xx
The Dog Reporter©

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hello friends

As you may already know, we have been desperately trying to find our missing dog Jacob, a male Bracco Italiano who has been missing since 21st Jan.

I know you have most probably had numerous emails from either me, or our friends or the Bracco/Spinone groups who are helping in our search, but right now I am writing to you as the focus of our search has changed.

On Monday evening we had a call from a lady on a mobile (number was shown) and who told us they have Jacob. The call was short, as if she was disturbed and had to go.
We have desperately tried in vain to get to speak to the person on the mobile number again, many (many) times and left messages and pleas for this person to get back in touch with us.
I have additionally sent texts to the phone asking for them to let us know he is okay, to take him somewhere 'safe' for us to get him, and asking if it's about reward money.
So far, the phone rings and is aborted to answerphone every time one of us calls.
I am told that hoaxers do not usually show their mobile number, it kind of defeats the object of them calling up. Knowing this obviously adds to our concerns for our boy.

We have contacted the police, who seem helpless (or is that unwilling) in being able to trace the callers mobile due to their "certain criteria". This shocking lack of help just makes this all the more upsetting. If Jacob were a motorbike or car, then the 'criteria' would be helpful no doubt.
So, yet again I find I am left with no alternative than to take the matter into my own hands, and therefore I am asking you to email Jacob's details to as many people as you can, and keep an eye out for him in your local area.
He could turn up just about anywhere now.
If you know of rescues (large or small) in your area, can I ask you to please kindly send them the email to make them aware of Jacob's plight.
I have tried to cover all areas but cannot guarantee to know all the smaller rescues that you would be aware of because you live in the area....I need to contact everyone possible.

We all send those chain letter "send to 8 friends" emails round like wildfire, and I hope that we can do the same here but for more of a purpose.
Someone must know about Jacob, and through word of mouth we hope that it can feed back to us of any information of his whereabouts.
We are just utterly desperate to find him as you can imagine.
It's just heartbreaking the not knowing.

I really do appreciate your time is precious, so Thank You for reading this and passing it on to anyone and everyone you feel can help us spread the word.

Kind regards & Thanks

Shelley Haggerwood
http://missingbraccojacob.blogspot.com/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check our blog at http://missingbraccojacob.blogspot.com/

or www.doglost.co.uk for updates on this dog

HAVE YOU SEEN JACOB ?

Our Orange & White Bracco Italiano, 3 Year Old Male
Missing from Saffron Walden, Essex area since
Wednesday 21st January 2009

Jacob is microchipped - please scan well
No longer wearing collar and tags
PLEASE CHECK OUTBUILDINGS, SHEDS, BARNS & GARAGES
NOW BELIEVED TO BE STOLEN

COULD BE EVENTUALLY PASSED TO A RESCUE CENTRE

Have you seen Jacob with someone in your area, or maybe you have information about his whereabouts ?

For Jacob’s safe return we offer a
SUBSTANTIAL REWARD
No questions asked
CALL US ON
TEL 07828 671550

Still Editing Crufts footage!

Yes, yes, yes. I filmed so much great stuff at Crufts that I will probably be editing till next week (seriously!) I filmed almost 10 hours of footage and loving so much of it.
I am starting to get lots of emails, tweets and a few calls asking where and when people can see their dog.

You can view the Kennel Club Crufts YouTube channel as well as The Dog Reporter YouTube Channel this week.

Well back to editing.

There are loads of dogs and dog charities to promote!

The Dog Reporter©

Crufts Highlights!

Well I am knackered cream and crackered sitting back in Notting Hill uploading my photos and downloading hours of film footage from Crufts 2009. I had a great time and it was a fantastic show. I met the most wonderful dog people supporting all kinds of dogs both pedigrees and crossbreeds in every capacity - show, breeders, rescue, service, working, welfare, agility, dog activities - you name it! It was all about the dog and I am now dog tired.

I may need to just continue to download and get an early night tonight as I will be back at the dog house tomorrow (what I fondly call the Kennel Club offices on Clarges Street)

I have already been asked by some dog press and of course my friends and colleagues, "what have been my favourite moments at Crufts?" It's so difficult! I loved every bit but if I were to name some of the best moments for me personally they would be the following:

Friends for Life - meeting, filming and photographing all the Friends for Life 2009 nominees. I feel like I made new friends (both human and dog) and every single one of them was deserving for the Friends for Life. When Lou and Brock were chosen by the "text in to vote" during the Best in Show ceremony I was filming in the arena down in front. It was very difficult to stop my eyes from leaking during every single story being recapped on the big screen. I am very happy for Lou and Brock but also very proud to have met all the other Friends for Life nominees - Lottie and Takara,, Steve and Farley, Evie and Gem, Neil and Anya and Caroline and Harry.

Meeting all the rescues at Crufts - I spent quite a bit of time trying to meet and film as many of the dog rescues as I could this Crufts. It was great that the Kennel Club promoted breed rescue at the Kennel Club Charitable Trust stand in Hall 3. There were four featured pedigree dog rescues in the stand every day. I hope next more they make the stand even bigger and have more! It was awesome. I met so many lovely breeders, club members and passionate doggy people determined to help re-home and communicate key points about their favourite breed. I'll be updating my website in the next week adding all the rescues websites to help spread the word.

Meeting some of the wonderful international visitors to Crufts - As some of you know I love dogs but I also love to travel. I love meeting people from all over the world and learning about their culture, their food, their way of life and especially about their dogs! I met this wonderful family that travelled all the way from Bologna Italy with their Bolognese to participate in Crufts. They managed to place in the end for their breed as well! These two ladies were so sweet and although they didn't speak a word of English (except Crufts and pronouncing the NEC as the "neck") I felt like I made some new friends in Italy (through the kind help of their son Omar who translated for me!). I interviewed them after their showing and wins but sadly my camera crew encountered a technical difficulty (i.e. someone walking over the mic cord and disconnecting the audio) and I was beyond gutted that the one interview I was so looking forward to editing together the other night was not audible. It was one of those things and I had to get over it quickly as there was much more work to do at Crufts - people to meet, dogs to interview ... I did speak to the ladies before they left the "neck" and they have invited me to visit them and their dogs in Italy to re-do the interview in person with an offer to eat a real bowl of bolognese as well!
So you see things do work out in the end if you just let go.

Lastly I was one of the lucky few to really be behind the behind scenes at Crufts (well after getting about three different color passes and creditentials to add to my Crufts lanyard collection!) to film some footage of the dogs lining up ready to enter the ring for Best in Show. It was really magical.

Best in Show 2009
I was secretly hoping that the Vizsla was going to win but alas it was the cute little Sealyham Terrier (a well deserving vulnerable breed) that won the most coveted doggy prize in the world. I am going to paraphrase a bit as I wasn't recording the entire Best in Show ceremony but it went something like this ... It was so sweet when asked by press, "How are you going to celebrate when you get home?" the lady who won Best in Show simply replied, "I am going to just love him and love him for his entire life as he has been and will always be my pet dog ..."

Sweet!

The Dog Reporter©

Love supporting rescue and shelters!

The Dog Reporter finished another great day at Crufts! I was very busy running around the NEC (or "neck" as our Italians friends call it) and tried to film as many rescues as possible. It is so great seeing so many charities and rescues supported here at Crufts.
I also spent a bit of time in the Dog Activities area watching some of the gun dog and heel work displays and demos.
There are so many things to do with dogs!

I also learned about some new products as well as some new dog charities.
The ones I want to shamelessly plug are the following:

www.fish4dogs.com some natural dog treats that are made from skins of fish (usually thrown away). I spent quite a bit of time talking with Jill who started fish4dogs with her husband and learned some really cool things about their eco-friendly and health conscience dog treat company. I am now a big supporter! I remember how much my dog Josie LOVED salmon skins and I saw first hand how much these dogs at Crufts were going crazy for fish treats. (although I do admit it smelled a bit fishy around there!)

I met so many wonderful people at Crufts and just a couple more I want to mention as they are "making a difference for dogs."

SOFA Club is a new charity comprised of some young students from Norwich. They have taken their own time to champion and support microchipping for all pets - especially dogs. These young students were at Crufts working all day getting a petition signed to help support mandatory microchipping in the UK. I will write more about this club later as well as post an interview so you can hear all about their support for microchipping.

I also interviewed another new charity to Crufts -Nowzad Dogs.
I met and interviewed Royal Marine Pen Farthing who published his wonderful story about saving dogs in Afghanistan while on duty. He even had on the stand two rescues from Afghanistan named Tali and Helmand! I managed to hold my composure while speaking to him about the dogs he helped save. It was very difficult though not blubbing like an idiot!

Lastly I interviewed Andrew Rosindell MP who is a big supporter with the Kennel Club in campaigning against dog shock collars. Dog shock collars are cruel and inhumane and if you have ever tried one on yourself (like Andrew did for my YouTube filming) than you know! They are not the way to train dogs and they should be outlawed not just in the UK but worldwide. If anyone tells you they work then let them wear it for a while and sporadically buzz them an electric shock from time to time.

Just want to say thank you to everyone who helps make Crufts a great show. My own experience of Crufts is positive and a warm place for people to learn about all things dog and also support those charities that are making a difference for dogs.

Big woof xx

The Dog Reporter©

Crazy at Crufts!

Well The Dog Reporter© has been a bit behind with some blogging. I want to say so much but there is so little time.
I am basically a self producer, freelancer and one woman show. I do all my own photography, uploading, backing up, filming, editing. I also do all my own blogging, uploading, tweeting, twitpicking and facebooking. Whew! I really need an iPhone. I feel like a maroon but I forgot to bring my phone charger up to Birgmingham and I am now out of phone juice. Bugger. So hoping to find a kind soul to loan me their blackberry charger or I will have to be at the mercy of free wifi when available for tweeting and uploading tomorrow and Sunday. Bugger again.

Day two at Crufts wrapped up hours ago but I am still up editing and downloading my filmed content. I had another great day filming some of my favourite things at Crufts - dog rescues, dog charities and international visitors. It was Toy and Utility Group day and I have to admit that I was so busy in the Toy halls that I didn't make it to see many utility dogs today :(
This is the thing at Crufts it is SO big and SO canine massive that you really need to wear comfortable shoes (preferably running shoes) to almost literally run around. It boggles the mind how big Crufts really is until you experience it yourself.

If you love dogs than you would love Crufts as it is all things dog.

I have visited some lovely dog rescues, charities, service dogs, working dogs and of course watched some of the dog showing in the breed rings.

Tomorrow is my favourite day - gun dog day (or in America sporting dog group) Some of you may know that my favourite breed is the Weimaraner and of course the weim is a gun dog so I will see lots of grey ghosts running around tomorrow.
William Wegman eat your heart out.

So how has Crufts been for me? Exciting, happy, inspiring, heartwarming, fun and of course tiring!

I am off to bed and will be dreaming about lovely dogs.

I will be editing like a mad woman all next week to get up all my clips on YouTube asap. I really take the time to look through my footage and choose the best dog shots to create my dog stories and dog YouTube content.

Looking forward to sharing some of my Crufts experiences with you next week!

The Dog Reporter©

Hoping for Success this week

Bessie Anderson Stanley wrote a poem in 1904 entitled "Success."

He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much;
Who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children;
Who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
Who has never lacked appreciation of Earth's beauty or failed to express it;
Who has left the world better than he found it,
Whether an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;
Who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had;
Whose life was an inspiration;
Whose memory a benediction.



Look for me near the rescue dogs at Crufts...

The Dog Reporter©

Learning new tricks

Just a quick bloggo for all you doggos. I had the lovely pleasure of meeting and interviewing one of the UK's most renown dog trainers and behaviourists - Carolyn Menteith.

I was filming some new "How to" videos with her gorgeous Polish Lowland Sheepdog - Digby. Digby even has his own website and fan pages online!

He is quite a handsome boy for being 11 in human years. I would have guessed he was 2 or 3 years as he is so active and sprite!
We filmed some easy training tips for "sit", "stay", "down" and Carolyn and Digby even showed me a few new tricks.
You'll have to watch my youtube clips next week after I finish editing and posting.

Carolyn is very inspirational and I had another dog affirming day even though the UK weather wasn't playing nice.

It is now chucking it down with rain in London but no matter as I will be traveling to Birmingham tomorrow to set up for Crufts "behind the scenes" filming for YouTube.

I will be filming, snapping, blogging, tweeting, barking and talking to everyone. If you are coming to Crufts look out for me in my new t-shirt and interviewing the cutest, smartest and most fit dogs in the world.

Please also VOTE for Friends for Life 2009! I am so excited to see all my new friends that I met while filming Friends for Life last month. Everyone single nominee is fantastic and I will be casting a vote for each one (it's only fair as I loved meeting each one of them!)

It's now your chance to vote for YOUR favourite. Watch the films I helped produce and also watch my "behind the scenes" filming of Friends for Life on YouTube as well.

You can also view my pictures of all the FFL nominees on my Flickr.

So I will leave you with one of my photos of Carolyn and Digby and you can see all the rest of their snaps on my Flickr.

Safe travels to everyone who is heading to Birmingham this week. Crufts will be great!

The Dog Reporter©

Follow me on Twitter for all my dog-o updates!
www.twitter.com/thedogreporter

You would be barking not to follow me!

Doin' it for the Dogs

Well just a couple days away from the world's largest and greatest canine celebration called Crufts.

I am very excited about this year's Crufts as I will be filming "behind the scenes" for YouTube.
Of course I will be snapping away and also trying to meet as many like minded dog lovers as myself (which there will be plenty to choose from at Crufts!)

I get many google alerts and emails from fellow dog friends around the world and I just want to mention how hard many kind and generous people are working right now at finding good homes for dogs in need of adoption. Adoption and shelter dogs are a big topic at present. I would personally like to thank my President for wanting "a mutt like me." The Obamas have opted for a rescue pedigree which is something that makes me even more proud of my President.

The recession, the depression, credit crunch, toast and punch - whatever you want to call "it", this big wake up call after years of over consumption is upon us. People are losing their homes and in turn are losing their dogs as they can't afford to keep a roof over their head. I just want to applaud all these hardworking shelter and adoption centre, foster home volunteers who are stepping up to the plate in assisting people with their dogs. Not all dogs up for adoption are abandoned or abused. So many dogs end up in adoption for financial or hardship reasons. I am happy that the Kennel Club are giving a big push to rescue dogs this year at Crufts as I have already mentioned in one of my previous blogs. Rescue dogs have always had a special place in my heart as I worked with rescue when I lived in Los Angeles before my relocation to the UK years ago. I know how hard these wonderul unpaid volunteers work as I worked along side some of the best.

I was very moved in reading about one adoption centre in the US which is closing due to the recession. It was very sad to read that this adoption centre survived two previous recessions but not this one. I am saying a little prayer for the dogs (and cats) that they will all get happy and loving homes. If anyone can offer any support (or homes) to any of these animals it would be great.

This is the little blurb about Bideawee

Founded in 1903 by Mrs. Flora D'Auby Jenkins Kibbe, Bideawee, which means "stay awhile" in Scottish, is one of the oldest humane organizations in the United States.

I guess this wonderful Scottish expression and animal shelter won't be staying a while any more. Ironically it closes down on the last day of Crufts which is another reason I want to highlight this particular shelter.

Please support adoption of dogs where possible. It doesn't matter where in the world you live, we can all do a little bit to "make a difference for dogs."

Come and meet all the lovely rescue dogs at Crufts at the Kennel Club Charitable Trust stand.

I'll be there petting all the lovely rescue dogs!

The Dog Reporter©

PS don't forget to sign up for my Twitter tweets and barks!
www.twitter.com/thedogreporter

HOORAY! POWER OF THE INTERNET.

The Dog Reporter© is happy to report that the two labs shown below found a new home two weeks ago.
Here is the reply that was passed back to me.

"I contacted the owner about a week ago, and the dogs have already found a new home (together). Yay! Interestingly, the owner said her e-mail message took on a life of its own, so to speak, and she received over 3,500 responses from people all over the country wanting to adopt or help her dogs! So great."

Now please keep in mind that just because these two lovely dogs found a happy home doesn't mean that there aren't many other dogs in need of temporary or permanent homes due to the recession. People are losing their homes and sadly their dogs.

Please support rescue where possible. It can be as simple as forwarding an email (like below), posting a link on your facebook, donating a few dollars or pounds, offering to foster a dog or two or donating your time at a local rescue.

Thank you!

The Dog Reporter©

Lovely article about this woman named Kate Ward from Camberley, Surrey (England) who rescued dogs her whole life and now the town wants to celebrate her life with a plaque. It is a very sweet story that BBC Southern Counties reported on and thanks to Daniela who shared it with me.

These are the positive dog stories I am talking about!

Please help recognise those that help dogs today and those of yesteryear.

The Dog Reporter©

TWO BEAUTIFUL LABS NEED A NEW HOME ASAP!

Please pass along to all family, friends, coworkers - spread the word andhelp find these two adorable labs a home.
Two females, both have chips implanted and are very well cared for. Their family is losing their home and they are desperate to find a loving home.

Already housebroken, trained, love kids, spayed, up to date onshots....what more could you ask for. But must stay together. These are life long friends.

Contact: Katherine at:
kjmorris74@yahoo.com

Thanks for your help spreading the word.This family has lost their home and the apartment does not allow dogs.They are looking for a home for the two Labs.

The story...As many of you know, we are moving in just 2 weeks. Unfortunately, I have still not been able to find a good home for Cookie and Coco .We're not able to take our beloved doggies with us and I've been desperately trying to find a home for both of them 'together'. They were raised together and pine without each other. The Lab rescue has alreadysaid that they would probably separate them, so this is my last resort.
Recently I tried to take Coco out in my car alone and she TOTALLY refused to even get into the car without Cookie.....!!!! She absolutely pulled back on her haunches until Cookie was by her side. Both doggiesare in great health, have been spayed and have ID chips implanted underthe skin.
Cookie turned 3 December 10th and Coco will be 3 April 1st. Cookie ismy mellow-yellow, and just loves her tummy rubbed. Coco is adorablyfunny and lives for her "ball". She also loves the water..... Cookie loves lots of attention. Both doggies are loyal and love to walk. Theyhave been raised with my 3 kids running around all over the place, andhave survived Sammy's constant hugging and love of 'dress-up', sothey are fantastic family dogs. This is by far one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make, but under the circumstances I have no choice.

Please, Please forward these pics to all you know and help me find agreat home for these fabulous doggies. They are just adorable and it's heartbreaking to let them go. In a perfect world, I hope that we couldfind someone local so that we can still keep in touch and visit them.I pray that someone, somewhere can help us keep Cookie and Coco together, and love them just as much as we do. Thank you all from thebottom of my heart.
 
Contact: Katherine at:
kjmorris74@yahoo.com
 

Blogs behind!

So I update on YouTube, Flickr, Blogger and most importantly the Dog Reporter© tweets! (or I should say barks really)
I am very excited to be the official - unofficial tweeter at Crufts 2009. I will be filming "behind the scenes" at the world's largest and greatest canine celebration and I will be tweeting like crazy. I am not paid to do this nor I am an employee of the Kennel Club (although I do freelance my photography and filming services when needed) I have been given an all access Crufts pass to film great dog stories behind the scenes for the KC YouTube channel. I have a natural knack of finding the warm, fuzzy, uplifting, positive, want-to-tell-your-mom-about-it dog stories.
I am all about the positive and finding all the good that is out there in our world around dogs.

I am the Dog Reporter© hear me woof!

I am very lucky to be receiving filming assistance from my friend Daniela Tranquada, The Kennel Gazette Editor and Kennel magazine goddess extraordinaire, with filming and tweeting throughout Crufts. We both are passionate about dogs (in particular Weimaraners) and we are going to try and bring some amazing, funny and brilliant behind the scenes stories to you live from Crufts.

Here is my shameless plug on Daniela who has the best Weimaraner website!
www.castanhoweimaraners.com

You will be able to see all our "behind the scenes at Crufts" YouTube clips on the official Crufts YouTube channel the following week (allow me some time to edit please)

www.youtube.com/crufts

www.crufts.org.uk

Keep up to date with all my postings on all the usual social networking sites. I am brilliant at at multi-tasking in writing, taking pictures, blogging, uploading, filming and overall gushing over gorgeous, gregarious and glorious dogs of all nature (pedigree and crossbreed).

I am very excited that there will be lots of breed rescues at this year's Crufts. As some of you may know my lovely dog, Josie, who was the most special being in the world to me was a Weimaraner breed rescue. I had adopted Josie from Friends for Pets sporting dog rescue in Los Angeles many years ago. She was the best dog ever and I will always be eternally grateful to Diane at Friends for Pets for introducing me to such a special dog. It has now been a few years since Josie's passing but I still visit FFP when I go back to LA and drop off dog biscuits or a small donation.

www.friendsforpets.org

They are still a breed rescue that I wholly support in whatever way I can. Breed rescues do amazing work and like all other hardworking and tireless shelters and rescues, they too help inform people about specific breed characteristics and attributes insuring people get the right dog for their lifestyle.

I will be spending loads of time around Discover Dogs and the Breed Rescue stand (near the Kennel Club Charitable Trust stand) throughout Crufts as I want to meet and interview as many rescue dogs as I can.

I will always promote adoption and rescue whenever and wherever as I know there are so many dogs out there in the world in need of homes. It gives me great joy to support through my work and creativity all people who are saving and rehoming dogs.

The Dog Reporter©