DORWEST SAY RELAX!

Was I bothered? Not a bit...........

2011-11-06T20:52:00.000Z

Well it was a bit noisy last night and went on for hours, but was I bothered, no I wasn't. The Scullcap & Valerian Tablets did the trick and taking them for a whole week or so beforehand really paid off as I didn't so much as even slightly shake or jump or dribble or anything. What a brave Border Terrier I am ! In fact if you didn't know I was frightened of noises, you wouldn't have guessed.

I enjoyed my toy, a yellow ball on a rope, I stayed in my bed most of the evening and that was that. Apparently I even went out for a quick cock of the leg during the evening and didn't appear to even notice there were fireworks. I didn't even need to have any Valerian Compound this year. Do you know what? I think that maybe I'm not frightened anymore, but then again maybe without all the help and careful planning I would be scared.

I hope you all had a relaxed time of it, but take care there could be more to come - always someone who lets them off after the event just when you don't expect it.

The weekend starts here...........

2011-11-04T20:11:00.002Z

Well the weekend is nearly here. We've finished work, or at least I have, and all is well. There've been a few bangs, whizzes and crackles this evening but to be honest if one of the whippets hadn't told me about it when they came in from the garden, I don't think I'd have known at all.

I'm off now to get tucked up in bed in my snuggly blanket, with my new toy, the curtains are already pulled, I've had my Scullcap & Valerian Tablets with my dinner tonight, got some of the lovely Lily's Kitchen bedtime biscuits to settle me into my bed and Snoop Dog is playing on my iPod. I'm as happy as the proverbial pig in .... I hope you are too and that you have a peaceful weekend.

Remember to make sure your humans take you out for your evening walk well before it gets dark tomorrow evening and that they make sure that your cat companions are all indoors as well and have had a few drops of Organic Valerian Compound put on their bedding. Then all should be well.

See you soon and remember
DORWEST SAY RELAX - and I do too !

Ghoulies, ghosties and things that breathe down your neck..........

2011-10-31T22:29:00.000Z

I was right, they are preparing us for something. I know this because there are all sorts of strange goings on still. Firstly I found these big orange heads sitting on walls and doorsteps around here - they all had great big toothy grins and look pretty scary. But that's not all, this evening all these heads, which are without bodies as well, started to shine and light up and they look pretty frightening. We went to the local pub and that was even worse, there were spiders, skeletons, witches, ghosts and other horrid frightening things hanging up all over the place. So all I can think is that these are put there to see if us dogs and cats will be scared or not - well as I'm feeling pretty chilled I wasn't really scared at all, just a bit confused really, just what is going on?

Then, believe it or not, they decided that I should be really put to the test and they put this ENORMOUS big black spider on my head to see what I would do. Of course I couldn't see it, but it was breathing down my neck and I didn't like that much. Still I must have passed whatever test it was as they gave me a treat afterwards........every cloud has a silver lining!

Why is it dark and why's my dinner late?

2011-10-30T17:44:00.000Z

Something odd is going on here and I can't work out exactly what it is.
Everyone got up late and I didn't get my breakfast for ages and ages, it felt like it was nearly lunchtime when they gave it to me. Then this evening I got my walk later than usual, it was nearly dark for goodness sake. None of us got our dinner at the proper time and we had to gang up and pester them to give it to us. I can tell you that I'm pretty good at knowing when it's dinner time, and an hour late it not what I expect.

I suppose we'll all be going to bed late as well, very odd I just can't work it out. I think that perhaps they're getting us into training for something or other but I can't think what. I wonder if it's anything to do with 5th November? I just don't know but I hope it's better timekeeping in our house tomorrow.

Just as well I've been having my Scullcap & Valerian Tablets every day now for the past week, at least I'm not getting stressed about it, but you have to admit it is strange...........

Time to get your music sorted

2011-10-29T17:37:00.000+01:00

Just a week to go, although my friends tell me that in some places the bangers have already started and Diwali celebrations are already underway, so I hope that you dogs and cats are all safe indoors and feeling chilled.

If you haven't already done it, now is the time to sort out the music that you want playing when the fireworks start - I know some people like soothing classical music and others the old crooners, but myself I'm a fan of Snoop Dog. I like all that beats and rhythms and I find it drowns out anything else that's going on - why don't you see what music suits you and get it ready for when the fireworks, bangs and whizzes start?

If you are using a de-sensitising CD then you should have started this a few weeks ago and I'm told that they can be very helpful as they get you used to the noises, but it does take time, so it's not much use to start now as there isn't enough time for you to get acclimatised to the noises.

I met a very young pup when I was out for my walk today. It was a yellow labrador and is going to be trained to be a Guide Dog. It is living with it's puppy walker at the moment who's doing its basic training before it goes on to the proper guide dog training when it's older. It was a lovely little thing and I'm sure that it won't be frightened of fireworks as these dogs are so amazing that they are trained from a very early age not to be put off or frightened of anything. I do hope it does well.

One final thing - for those of you who have asked about the bit of a bladder problem I had a few weeks ago, well I'm pleased to reassure you that I'm fine again now, here I am having a very good cock while on my walk. (I promise I won't ever mention this again!)

Busy time - checked out the podcast, visited Bertie and slept through the storm.

2011-10-27T16:54:00.001+01:00

Everyone's been madly busy here this week, lots of phone calls, faxes and suchlike. Rushing around with sacks full of parcels, I thought Santa had brought my presents early but apparently they are lots and lots of parcels going to customers, vets, pet shops and the like who all need to get their products quickly. It's only a week to go now before Bonfire Night so not much time at all to get organised.

I found out about a really good podcast today - it's by Karen Wild a top behaviourist who knows all about us dogs. She's got a brilliant podcast that you can watch with lots of advice to help dogs and their owners overcome their fear of fireworks, so have a look at http://intellidogs.com/blog/dogs-and-firework-fear/ or go to the Dorwest Facebook page where there is a direct link. I thoroughly recommend this.

I went to visit my friend Bertie yesterday evening and very nice it was too - his humans have an AGA in their kitchen and it was lovely and warm. I wanted to check that Bertie is well prepared for firework night and he told me that he's already got his stuff sorted out - nice new toy, a warm snuggly bed that they've put into their sitting room for him, and he's already having his Scullcap & Valerian Tablets. So that's a comfort as I know how he suffers at this time of the year and glad that they've got all prepared. Before I left both Bertie and I had a special treat for being such good boys - well we're both quite elderly now and naturally are always good (especially when a treat depends on it!).

Last night there was thunder and lightning and I really don't like that much in the normal run of things, but thank goodness I've been having my Scullcap & Valerian Tablets for a week or so now, as I was nice and relaxed and didn't notice it was happening until someone mentioned it, but even then I couldn't really be bothered to lift my head from the bed to check it out. DORWEST SAY RELAX has definitely worked on me, I'm so relaxed.

A day of ups and downs !

2011-10-24T18:09:00.000+01:00

Well the rain came eventually but not until after I'd had my walk this morning, but I got myself into all sorts of bother. The thing is you see that in one of the fields I walk across there is a cattle water trough in the hedge between two fields, and everyday I have a drink from it as I pass by. What's the problem I hear you ask, well this morning there were two bullocks drinking from the other side of the trough in the other field. Well I wasn't having that, it's my personal drinker and I've never seen anyone drinking from it before, so I hopped through the hedge and barked at them and then chased them away from the trough. Seemed a sensible thing to do I thought, but my did I get into trouble. My humans just won't allow me to bark and chase stock in the fields and I broke the rules. I got severely told off, so I won't be doing that again, on the other hand I don't think the bullocks will either........ Result !

Then this afternoon one of the toddler humans told me that I smelt, and so what did they do, bathe me that's what! I don't know, it hasn't rained for weeks and the first spot of it and they decide to dump me in the bath - they could have just let me run around in the rain, that would have been much more fun. Still even I will admit that having been shampooed with the Pennyroyal Shampoo I do smell particularly attractive....... won't last long though you can be sure I'll find something more doggy smelling when I go on my walk tomorrow.

Picking and shooting

2011-10-23T12:37:00.000+01:00

Well, no rain but it's very windy, quite bracing as I'm told they say!
We went out picking the last of the blackberries, sloes and some rose hips today which they make into nice things to eat, although I don't much go for jams and jellies. I wonder if they'll give me a snifter of the sloe gin when it's made though? I doubt it somehow. Anyway it was a very leisurely walk as we had to keep stopping and we did a lot of walking around fields and hedges instead of running across them. Still I don't mind too much as we were out for hours and hours.

It must be autumn properly now as not only are there all these fruits in the hedges but shooting has started. I couldn't tell exactly what they were shooting and don't really care as long as it isn't me! I'm told it's some sort of pigeons made of clay - very odd if you ask me I've never seen a clay pigeon, seen lots of real ones but can never catch them myself - perhaps that's why they use guns? Anyway I didn't worry about all the bangs that were going on even though they were only in the next field to where we were. Those Scullcap & Valerian Tablets must already be working on me as it didn't bother me at all.

Home for a nice snooze now - see you tomorrow.

They say it's getting cold in the new few days

2011-10-22T17:12:00.000+01:00

If the weather people are right and it does get really cold and wet everywhere in the next few days I shall be glad they've already got my cosy den set up, as I can get in to it and snuggle down until the weather gets better. I don't much like the rain, although funnily enough when I'm out for a walk in it I don't even notice it, but just going out for a quick cock of the leg on a rainy night is another thing altogether!

One of my whippet friends, Hector, has gone off on his holidays. He went on a aeroplane, yes actually up in the sky, must have been amazing. It seems a bit quieter here without him but he'll be back before long and I bet he'll have lots of stories to tell........ Of course he had his Scullcap & Valerian Tablets before he went on the plane, just so he would be super relaxed, as it's a new experience for him. Apparently he loved it and is having a great time in Finland where he's living with some other whippets and two cats. He's such a cool dude I reckon he won't take any notice of the cats and he's going to have a great time. See you soon Hector have a nice holiday. Woof woof.

Sorry Roxy, of course you're a girlie....silly me!

2011-10-21T15:57:00.002+01:00

A couple of weeks ago I posted a picture of Roxy, who won one of my Firework Survival Kits, and got myself into trouble....... Roxy sent me a message to say she is a girl and not a boy (which is what I had thought), so I just want to apologise to her for being so silly. It's no excuse I know, but I'm more used to sniffing dogs to find out all about them rather than looking at photos, but now I can see she has a lovely gentle face so obviously she is a girl, and a lovely one too. Still it gives me a chance to show you all her picture again sitting amongst all the great things I sent her in my Dr Monkey Firework Survival Kit.
I hope she's already started having her Scullcap & Valerian Tablets, as I know she's very scared of fireworks. Here's looking at you Roxy, what a beaut.......

There are more of my kits that you can win - I'll be doing more on-line competitions and you will also find more opportunities to win one in Your Dog and Dogs Today magazines and in Dog World and Our Dogs in the next few weeks. Outside our office there's a very nice metal drain cover, doesn't sound too exciting I know, but in this weather it gets lovely and hot in the sun and so today I'm spending my day stretched out on it enjoying myself. It's just Monkey sized so I'm sure they put it there for my benefit - nice humans to think of me !

I've started having my tablets

2011-10-21T15:24:00.001+01:00

Today it has been decided that it's the right time for me to start having my daily dose of Scullcap & Valerian Tablets. It's just 2 weeks to the 5th November and my people know that because I am so frightened of the noises, they need to start giving them to me now. I'm rather a large Border Terrier, about 15kgs, so I am having 3 tablets twice a day from now onwards and they'll probably also give me some Valerian Compound over the firework weekend. As they are sugar coated tablets I don't mind at all, in fact they put them in with my food and I don't even notice I'm having them - hey ho life's a breeze isn't it?

Make sure you can be identified

2011-10-20T16:04:00.002+01:00

It's really important that cats and dogs can be identified if the worse happens and he or she runs off in fright during the firework period. I've been microchipped so I'm pretty satisfied that if anything awful happened and I got lost they'd be able to scan me and let my people know.

It did happen to me once, when I was a bit younger - I chased a wild boar across some fields and got so carried away that I found myself on the main trunk road right in the middle of the traffic! Gosh I was frightened, but some kind person found me and took me to a kennel where they had a microchip scanner and before you could say "dogs dinner" my owners came and got me. So I'm now a big fan of microchipping.

There's still time for your owners to get you chipped, but if not then tell them they must make sure that you have a disc on your collar so that people know where you live, or who to contact if the worse happens.

As I keep saying - better to be safe than sorry!

Time to get the den sorted

2011-10-19T12:39:00.000+01:00

A lovely sunny day in Dorset and I've just had a lovely walk. See me here looking out from my perch on one of my favourite stiles!

It's time now for you to make sure that your family are getting a suitable cosy, warm and secure den ready for you so that when the fireworks start you have somewhere nice and safe to go. It makes such a difference if us dogs and cats feel ther is somewhere we can go when the noises start. It's also time for a new toy for you to have in the den - there's nothing like distraction, so being prepared with this now is the thing to do.

I saw Michaela Strachan on Autumnwatch on the TV the other day - was I proud or what? She is supporting our DORWEST SAY RELAX firework campaign this year with her dog Toto - wow isn't it great?

I've got a new friend.....and think I'm in love too !

2011-10-17T11:48:00.000+01:00

Have you seen this? My new friend Toto with his special human Michaela Strachan. What a picture it is and doesn't it just make you feel happy?

Apparently Toto is terrified of fireworks and so Michaela has needed something to help the fear and shaking that is so traumatic for not only us dogs but also their human friends. She is delighted that Scullcap & Valerian Tablets and Valerian Compound are available to help and sent us this lovely photo of her and Toto. I'm so pleased to have a new friend and although I know about Michaela from when she was on The Really Wild Show and now on Autumnwatch, I didn't realise quite what a stunner she is - I'm definitely in love. I must write to her and see if I can visit her and Toto, I'd love to run on that beach, it looks great! I'm sure we'll be the best of friends and I'm so pleased that we are able to help him overcome his fear.

Another busy weekend

2011-10-16T20:45:00.003+01:00

Had quite a busy weekend again. First I had to read all the captions that people are sending in on Dorwest website to go with my Hallowe'en photo - my some of them are funny, they made me laugh, but then some of them seem to think that I'm a bit of a scardy cat - and I'm here to tell you I'm not that, well not anymore. I've learnt that there's nothing to be scared of really although I'm a lot braver when I've had my daily dose of Scullcap & Valerian Tablets of course. This coming week is when they'll be starting to give them to me everyday as they know that I need them for about two weeks before bonfire night to make me super relaxed.

I also went to visit the vet, a nice lady called Alex at Girling & Bowditch. Don't worry there's nothing really wrong with me, just needed my annual booster - better to be safe than sorry and to be honest it didn't hurt at all.

Then this evening I went for lovely long walk across the fields with my friend Louis. He just loves coming out with me and we have such fun. We stayed out for ages and ages and there was a lovely sunset. So all in all it was a good weekend and has set me up for another busy week ahead.

Don't forget that if you leave some comments on my blog here and they take my fancy I might, just might, send you a little Dr Monkey present as a way of saying thank you. See you soon..........

Wow - Three more Firework Survival Kits to be won

2011-10-13T17:36:00.000+01:00

Another three of my Firework Survival Kits to be won - just go to the Dorwest FB page and get your entry in.....do it now, they are fantastic! I particularly like the snuggly blanket and the Lily's Kitchen Bedtime biscuits - yummy, yummy........
My tip for this week is to get your humans to start finding out what firework parties are going to be happening in your area. If they know when they are taking place then they can be prepared and make sure you are safe.
Last year they took me to the pet shop to buy me a special toy to keep me happy during the nights that the fireworks go off, but of course now I've got a whole big pack of toys here as they are the ones that go into my Survival Kits. There are all different sorts so I'll just have to have one of each - although they might have something to say about that !

Don't forget to enter the competition - I don't know how many more of these kits we've got to give away, but there are three up for grabs, so get going!

Dorwest Say Relax

2011-10-12T08:19:00.004+01:00

Relaxing is what we all need to do - so don't just say it, do it !

Follow this link to download the Firework Information Leaflet http://www.dorwest.com/files/Dorwest-Fireworks-2011-Email.pdf The new Coundown Calendar in this year's leaflet is just what you need to make sure that your humans know exactly what they ought to be doing and when to make it a relaxing period for you - from creating a safe den to providing a comforting toy and not forgetting making sure that they've ordered the Scullcap & Valerian Tablets and the Valerian Compound and are giving it to you in advance of the festivities. There are special Firework Packs of both these products on the Dorwest website which will save them money - all humans like that so make sure you tell them all about it.

My Firework Survival Kits are very popular

2011-10-10T12:44:00.000+01:00

Three more of my super Firework Survival Kits have been won over the weekend on the Dorwest Facebook Page - remember to keep checking it out as there are more to be won in competitions in the next few weeks.

I've been a very poor blogger this last week, but I do have an excuse because I was away at the weekend and couldn't get my paws on a computer. I had toddler minding duties you see and so was absolutely exhausted by the time I got home. It seems that these little human creatures especially like me and so when I'm around they are well behaved - well I'm not surprised I have that effect on everyone you know!

It's just under four weeks until November 5th so my tip for today is to make sure that by now your humans have got hold of the Scullcap & Valerian Tablets and/or the Valerian Compound. You really must tell them that they shouldn't wait until the last minute as these products go quickly at this time of year even though I know that our production unit has been working like mad to make sure that there's enough for everyone. I've been watching what's going on here, and everyone is very, very busy with lots of rushing around, packing parcels, phones ringing everywhere, big courier vans coming and going and all sorts............ If, like me, you are really, really, really terrified of fireworks and loud bangs (they call it a severe phobia you know) then it's a good idea to get your humans to start giving you the Scullcap & Valerian Tablets from now onwards - can't begin too soon in my opinion and I'd much rather make sure that I'll be suitably relaxed and I don't mind taking them at all as they're sugar coated and taste pretty good to me! Don't forget that you can download the Dorwest Say Relax leaflets straight from the Dorwest website and that will tell you everything you need to know, including a handy "countdown calendar" telling your humans what they should do and when they should be doing it. Another great tip that I'm really excited about - my friend Marc the Vet (you remember the funky one!) has just brought out his own app for the human's iPhones and iPads. It has all sorts of interesting things both for us dogs and for our humans as well. There are videos showing how human owners can look after their dog's health and a lot of fun stuff as well - and I hear some doggy recipes too. It's called Marc the Vet's Canine Care - so get hold of it quick, I think it's great !!

They've gone !

2011-10-02T20:28:00.000+01:00

Well, I was right - they must have been UFOs as they've all gone as quickly as they arrived! When I went for my walk this evening the fields were empty of the black shiny things - I looked everywhere and there was no sign of them. Still it was a lovely evening and sunset so all is well with the world again.

I had a bit of a sore foot today and it was irritating so I licked it, and licked it again as us dogs do to try and make things better. Fortunatley my human noticed me licking a lot and she had a good look and said I'd got a grass seed or something similar stuck in between my toes, so she bathed my foot in warm water (very comforting) and then sprayed some Garlic Juice on it to stop it getting nasty. Pleased to say that now I'm fine again.

Big black shiny things.

2011-10-01T11:41:00.000+01:00

Just been out for my morning walk in the sunshine and overnight the fields have become full of big black shiny things!What are they I wonder? Something all wrapped up I think, but what? I had a sniff or two and they didn't smell that interesting - so I cocked on every one I could find just to tell them I'd noticed! I climbed on top of one to get a better view and they are everywhere - I wonder if they are UFOs?

Last night was very warm but the noises outside were very comforting; I could hear the sea with it's rhythmic tooing and froing which made me feel sleepy, but I could also hear a tractor in the fields - I wonder if that's anything to do with all the black things? Hmmm must investigate more. I heard the humans say there may be thunderstorms after all this hot weather, so it's Scullcap & Valerian Tablets for me for the next few days - better to be safe than sorry. I don't mind the thunder too much, but if we get those sdevlish flashes and crashes then I won't be too happy unless I've had my tablets. Hope they are wrong - humans sometimes are you know, despite them thinking they know more than us. I reckon I'll be able to tell before them if there is a storm coming - who is the superior being - Monkey of course!

Well done Nicola !

2011-09-28T12:19:00.001+01:00

Well the competition to win one of my Dr Monkey Survival Kits got everyone going........thanks to all of you who sent me an email, to drmonkey@dorwest.com, to say that yesterday I was wearing a very nice green bandana with white spots and lines. The lucky winner is Nicola Bowers and so the very first kit that I've given away will be on its way to her shortly. My paws aren't very good at packing parcels (although I have been practising) so the humans here will be making sure it's safely packed and reaches Nicola safely. |I'll be giving away some more kits over the next few weeks so be sure to check back so you don't miss out on the chance of winning one of these great prizes.

Today they've put me in a bright red bandana (must be because I ran off across the fields yesterday). It's a bit bright but very fetching I think. It's a sunny day here and the fields I walk in have all been cut for hay so it's great fun running around in them. There is an incredible amount of noise going on outside our offices today. They're cutting hedges and things and all the stuff they are taking out is being shredded through a big machine right outside our window! The noise is so loud I can't hear myself think and am getting a little jumpy, so they've given me some Valerian Compound to help me get through the rest of the day without twitching everytime the machine is switched on - thank goodness for that. See you tomorrow folks.............

2011-09-27T12:21:00.000+01:00

It's a grey old day in Dorset today and on my walk this morning I found the grass was very wet which I don't like as it tickles my tummy and makes me all cold and horrid. Still I hear that very soon it's going to be summer again - whoopee, that suits me just fine! I'm a bit worried about what they are up to at the moment though, I'm wondering if there's some fancy dress stuff going on that I don't know about because today they've put a bandana on me, not a snazzy red one or a pirate type skull and crossbones thank goodness, but a nice spotty green one. They usually do this so that they can spot me when I go off free running across the field, so I don't think that's the reason this time because the green

blends in with the grass when I'm on my walks so they can't see me any better than before. I just put this to the test and scuttled off through a hedge to chase some bunnies and they couldn't find me, so that's okay. There was a lot of shouting of Monkeeeee, Monkeee but I just ignored it and came back when I felt like it - well you have to take charge of these humans sometimes don't you? No doubt I'll find out why they've put this on me at some time but at the moment I'm just ignoring it and sleeping my walk off.............

Well done everyone.......

2011-09-21T10:19:00.002+01:00

Everyone here was very proud that we were finalists in the Supplier of the Year category of the Pet Industry Awards 2011 and last night Jo and Roly, representing the third generation of Dorwest people, went to Birmingham for the awards ceremony. Unfortunately we didn't win this year but well done anyway to everyone at Dorwest for getting us into the final - woof woof, we are all very proud of you. I would like to send my doggy congratulations to all the winners and the other finalists who produce products, provide services and generally do a lot of work to make life easier and better for us pets. Well done everyone - I was just sorry that I wasn't allowed to go to the dinner - I bet they had some great food and I'm always up for some of that !

I'm back my fans !!

2011-09-20T10:30:00.000+01:00

Well hello everyone - it's already time to start thinking about the horrors of firework night for us dogs, and cats as well of course, so I'm back to help you along, dispense my wise wisdom and hopefully make sure that you all have a peaceful time. In fact my aim is that you don't even notice that anything's going on.......... Make sure your friends know about my blog as I'll be posting tips and little bits and pieces of advice every day for the next few weeks. Yesterday we had the little toddler humans over for the morning; now normally I'm not too keen on it when they arrive as they are a very noisy lot and run around a lot being busy, busy. But yesterday was different and I really enjoyed it because they decided to make some home made dog biscuits and guess who was the canine taster - ME !! They made some lovely cheesy ones and then an enormous batch of ones with pumpkin and peanut butter, yummy, yummy they tasted good in my tummy............ I also got lots of cuddles and kisses - I quite like those little people now!

On my hols!

2011-07-28T14:50:00.002+01:00

So I've had a lovely long break from my taxing role as Dorwest's Firework Consultant - but good news, I'll be back in a few weeks with even more great advice and tips to keep your pet calm this Fireworks Night! So keep checking back and I'll be back in the swing of things soon.

DORWEST SAY RELAX!

What's going on and how I saved the hedgehog.......

2010-11-08T16:33:00.010Z

Fairly back to normal today, although not quite as normal as I would like. I tried to have a snooze under one of the desks and got told to move and stop getting under everyone’s feet. You’d think they’d let me have a well earned rest after all my hard work these last few weeks, but not a chance. I’ve never seen everyone so busy in the Dorwest offices and dispatch departments. I thought that it’d be quiet now that the worst of the fireworks is over, but no it’s not - all very odd………......

I shall have to ask what it’s all about, because I am getting confused by it all. Why are they rushing about? Has the firework night not happened yet? Maybe it hasn’t and nobody told me, but that can’t be right because lots of my friends have told me that they had a calm and peaceful time – so it must have happened even though I was so relaxed and laid back I hardly noticed it. I know that there have been bonfires built because we had one in our garden. I went out for a leg cock the other evening, just before dusk, and do you know what I saw? A hedgehog heading towards the bonfire – I wasn’t going to touch it ‘cos I’ve done that before and they are jolly prickly and hurt a lot, but I knew that it wasn’t a good idea for a hedgehog to go into a bonfire, so I barked and barked and barked and made such a fuss that my humans came out to see what the noise was about and then they saw the hedgehog and rescued him, or was it a her? Don’t know how to tell and I wasn’t going to get close enough to find out! So I’m a canine hero AGAIN – will my bravery and fame ever stop?

I seem to have got sidetracked with all my adventures so forgot to tell you that the reason everyone’s rushing about and very, very busy here is because Dorwest are giving 20% off two of their best selling products and so of course everyone is ordering them and that’s what’s caused the hectic day. I suggest that you get your humans to check out the Dorwest website (www.dorwest.com) and take advantage while you can – it’s only ‘til the end of the month they tell me – thank goodness for that, maybe then I can have a rest?

I slept through it all............

2010-11-06T17:32:00.006Z

Well - how was it for you? Personally I slept through it all last night and am just wondering what all the fuss was about. My friends on Facebook tell me that they all had a relaxing time too, so I'm really pleased for everyone.

They tell me that there were bangs, crashes, whizzes and flashes but I wasn't aware of them at all. I stayed in my cosy bed, with my new toy, having had a nice dinner, listening to Snoop Dogg, with the curtains drawn and my humans carrying on as normal watching the television. My dinner was particularly tasty as it had sardines in it which I love. It was laced with Scullcap & Valerian Tablets apparently but I didn't notice them among all the yummy food. So there we are - nothing to worry about.

They're following the same routine this evening - I don't mind at all as long as they make me feel safe and well fed, I'm a happy bunny (slip of the tongue there, I meant a happy terrier!)

Hope you all have a good evening too - and pleasant dreams.

Today's the day - but so is tomorrow !

2010-11-05T15:46:00.004Z

Well today’s the day, or so they tell me, but I think tomorrow evening is going to be the worst of the weekend for us dogs and cats as that’s when they tell me some of the organised parties are on.

I hope you all have a peaceful and relaxing evening indoors with your humans. They should have got everything ready now to keep you calm while the bangs and whizzes go off but if they need a reminder then read back on all the tips I’ve given you over the past few weeks and use them as a check list.

Remind them to give you your Scullcap & Valerian Tablets from about 4pm so that you are nice and calm by the time it gets dark. I’ve been given some very fancy ear defenders to wear as well – but I do look silly in them, still if they help who cares?

I had an email today from my friend Gucci, at the NOAH office, and she sent me her picture which I’m putting on the wall by my bed – what a pin up………… thank you Gucci

Have a safe and peaceful evening my friends

I like Jamie Oliver but thought they were sending me sailing too !!

2010-11-04T16:30:00.005Z

Well, it’s nearly the weekend already and I’ve had a busy week. My personal human was talking to some people from a place called NOAH today – I panicked a bit thinking they were going to put me into a big boat and sail me off somewhere to get away from the fireworks. It turns out that NOAH is the National Office of Animal Health and when they told me that I remembered all about it as I’ve visited their offices a few times. They are all very nice to me up there and I’ve got a doggie friend there called Gucci who like me spends her day in the office under her human’s desk – I hope you are keeping well Gucci and look forward to seeing you soon. She’s a lovely, lovely girl you know – woof woof.

Then last night my humans decided to have a bit of a bash and us dogs were all invited, which was great as we’re not often allowed to these human gatherings. My friend Bertie’s humans came round and they all ate some lovely smelling food – something to do with a chap called Jamie Oliver apparently. Well I may not know who he is but my goodness his food was good. I think they are being especially nice to me because they know it’s going to be a scary weekend and I WAS ALLOWED TO CLEAN UP THE PLATE with the sweet potato on. I think it’s because I looked at it with my very best appealing expression……… I was a bit worried about poor Bertie being left at home alone but I checked that they’d remembered to give him his Scullcap & Valerian Tablets, and of course they had, so I’m sure he would have had a very happy evening asleep in his bed. Still I missed seeing him, especially as I hear he’s had a smart new haircut. See you soon Bertie!

Get on the old dog and bone........

2010-11-03T09:14:00.001Z

Only two days to go ! If your humans haven’t got as organised as they should and still haven’t got around to contacting Dorwest, then all is not lost so don’t panic.
If they telephone the Dorwest Office the very nice girls there can tell them where they can buy Scullcap & Valerian Tablets or Valerian Compound near where you live. Although it is best to start giving the tablets before now, they will still help you and the Valerian Compound works in just half an hour so can be given just on the scary evenings.

Get the old dog and bone in your paws and hand it to your humans – quick !!!!

Talk to your neighbours

2010-11-02T10:18:00.001Z

It’s absolutely hectic in the Dorwest office today, not only sending out lots of orders for you fire phobic friends but also because they’ve decided to send thousands of people a very SPECIAL OFFER for November – it’s a 20% discount off two of their most popular products, no wonder they are going crazy!

My tip for today is to TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBOURS and find out if they’re having a firework party in their garden this weekend. Explain that you are really frightened of bangs and crashes and that if you know when it’s happening you can be prepared. Knowing when it’s likely to kick off and finish makes it easier to cope with – and easier to make sure that they give you a good dose of the Scullcap & Valerian tablets about two hours before it starts.

If you are one of my feline followers then ask your humans to put some drops of Valerian Compound on your bedding – it really calms you cats down a treat. Pity it doesn’t do the same for us dogs, we have to be given it in our food or even straight down the mouth, but it’s good stuff to make you reeeelaxed really quickly, so excellent in emergencies.

It’s also a good idea to get your humans to check whether there are going to be any organised firework festivities in your area – planning ahead is what it’s all about (must be the boy scout in me coming out again!)

All the serious stuff you need to know

2010-11-01T18:15:00.001Z

Right, here’s the serious stuff and a reminder about all the important things you need to know that I found from reading the leaflet the other day. So tell your human friends and get them to do all these as soon as possible – only 5 days to go before it all kicks off…………….

Get them to make you a nice comfy refuge with your favourite bedding and familiar things. Preferably somewhere nice and cosy and safe feeling. Get it planned now so that us animals are used to being in it well before the bangs start.

Send them out to buy a new toy that you can have in your refuge on the days leading up to firework night. This will keep you occupied, well it does me! I must remind them to buy me a new toy as well to replace the one that I destroyed………

Get organised with the music so that we’re used to having music playing to keep us relaxed but also to stop the bangs and whizzes being heard so easily. Try various types until you find the most suitable.

If they haven’t already done it, make sure they contact Dorwest straightaway and get some Scullcap & Valerian tablets to start giving to you from now onwards and some Valerian Compound for those extra scary moment - then they'll be all prepared. At the moment they can buy both of these together at a Special Price until 5th November, so tell them it won’t cost much (humans like to hear this!) but will make such a difference to you. Although it’s best to start the tablets about now, don't panic if they haven't got them yet as it will still help if they begin later, and anyway the liquid Valerian Compound works really quickly and can be given just on the day of the fireworks and will still offer some help. So if your owners haven’t got organised tell them to get on with it as there is still time.

Talk to them about curtains. It’s a good idea to make sure that the comforting refuge is in a room where there are blinds or heavy curtains which can be pulled when fireworks are going off, then we can’t be frightened by seeing them. I find that the sight of them is quite frightening, so I do advise this as a really good idea.

See you tomorrow .................

Don't they know what the time is?

2010-10-31T16:18:00.003Z

I had a very peaceful evening, no trick or treat people came round and rang the doorbell, but tonight is the official Halloween so I’m taking precautions again tonight and getting into my bed nice and early. Very strange day today, everything seems to be at the wrong time – I can’t work it out. I’ve been for a walk but they tell me it’s not time for dinner yet but I feel hungry already, AND it’s getting dark outside so it must be dinner time. Humans are funny they just don’t have the same understanding as we do about these things – I definitely know it’s time for dinner but they just say “No, it isn’t time yet you’ll have to wait.” So I will, but I know they are wrong about this. It’s also rained a lot today and I hate getting my feet wet, although I will make an exception if it’s to do with a romp over the fields; that’s different to just getting wet feet, it has a purpose and is fun. Just going out for a cock of the leg in the rain is no fun at all. I’ve been at home today with my friend Louis and we’ve spent a lot of time in between the showers just hanging out and looking around. Here we are on the steps with a strange friend – he never moves at all from this position but he is good to cock my leg on !
Have a quiet and safe evening everyone……… See you tomorrow

Happy Halloween

2010-10-30T11:39:00.009+01:00

Happy Halloween everyone...............do you like my friend, he looks frightening but really he's just a softie! Halloween can be fun but also it can be another scary time for us pets. I do enjoy all the dressing up and I like the idea of tricks or treats – if I'm very lucky I might get some treats but I’ve been practising my tricks,just in case! I know it's not the same as fireworks night and hopefully those dreadful small humans won't be letting off bangers or anything, but there might be a lot of noise and ringing of the doorbell and it's all very disturbing for us dogs. You never quite know what they might do, after all the whole idea seems to be to frighten people - and dogs! I suggest that you keep indoors and have some extra Scullcap & Valerian tablets a couple of hours before it gets dark, just in case. Be Prepared is my motto – I always wanted to be a boy scout but they wouldn't have me for some reason; shame as I'd love to wear a woggle or whatever it's called.......

The Pet Event - I was left at home again !

2010-10-29T12:42:00.006+01:00

I’m a bit put out as I was left behind again yesterday when my owner went up to London to go to the Pet Event in the House of Lords. It was all to do with Hero Pets and there were lots of doggie heroes there, but not me – I may be a celebrity but apparently haven’t done anything really heroic (I think that helping pets overcome their firework phobias is pretty heroic but that’s not what it was about apparently). They had lots of support dog organisations there – Guide Dogs, International Search & Rescue dogs, PAT dogs, Dogs for the Disabled, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, Explosive Detection Dogs, Canine Partners, Lowland Search Dogs, and of course Hounds for Heroes, who all went along to meet MPs and Peers and explained what they all do to help people in all sorts of ways. It was organised by NOAH and hosted my Lord Soulsby who is a big dog fan I’m told. Some of these dogs had worked in Afghanistan and during the bombings in London – so they are real heroes and do some pretty scary stuff. So I’m not complaining but I would really have liked to have gone to the House of Lords – do you think I could have worn an ermine gown? Talking of dressing up, my owner tells me that she talked to Marc Abrahams, the funky TV vet, when she was there and that instead of wearing his usual blue vet scrubs he was wearing a snazzy pin stripe suit and black and white brogue shoes – my, I bet he looked dapper! Just as well he doesn’t live down here as he’d get those shoes muddy for sure. Nice to know he made the effort though……… I would have been very impressed indeed. He's doing some great work to publicise how horrific puppy farming is for us dogs and remind people to always buy a puppy from a reputable breeder and to see the puppy with its mother - so I say "Well done funky vet, we're all behind you on that."

The French Fancies

2010-10-27T11:53:00.003+01:00

Just a week to go – I hope you’re all feeling nice and relaxed and prepared. If your owners are being a bit slack and haven’t contacted Dorwest yet then for goodness sake make sure they do – I find that leaving leaflets lying around where they can see them really does help. Humans are very curious creatures and always pick up things lying in strange places, so just leave them all over the place where they wouldn’t expect and you can be sure that they’ll read them – they says cats are curious but humans are worse I think. I went to visit my French fancies yesterday, two black miniature Poodles called Lola and Lily – my they are a feisty lot, always on the go, I just don’t know where they get their energy. If anyone needs to relax a little, they do, so I told them all about the Scullcap & Valerian tablets but it turns out that they know all about them already because they are given them before they go off to the grooming parlour for their monthly haircut. What a palaver that must be, I’m glad I’m a terrier and don’t have to go through all that fancy stuff, although I must say they do look very, very smart when they come back and with their sparkly collars on they make good pin ups. I must put their picture on my wall. It was good to see them again, nothing like a couple of young, black French ladies to give a boost to your ego !

Get with the music

2010-10-27T09:18:00.005+01:00

What a lot of rain we had yesterday, I really don't like getting my feet wet but they forced me outside on the wet grass and then I had to hop around puddles on my walk. Fortunately they didn't want to get wet either, even when they're all dolled up in their wet weather gear, so I only had short walks which suited me fine. Today the sun's out and things seem back to normal, thank goodness. So this morning I'm sitting outside playing with my ball - nice and relaxing. I must say I do feel relaxed too, must be the Scullcap & Valerian tablets beginning to do their work. Right, now for today's project for you all - it's time to get the music sorted out. Rock, classical, country & western, blues, rap or whatever rocks your boat. You need to decide what you like best and when you’ve decided get your owners to play it for you over the next couple of weeks. It’s a good idea to play it when you’re home alone or in your bed having a well earned afternoon nap! There’s two things about music that are good – it can be very calming and reassuring, especially the classical music or the crooning Frank Sinatra type, which if it’s played when the fireworks come will do a good job of chilling you out. If, like me, you prefer something a bit more rock and roll or rap and hip hop, then the noise will help to cover the noise of the fireworks, especially if it’s nice and loud. Either way music is good for the soul and good to help at this time of year.

10 days to go...........

2010-10-26T10:30:00.001+01:00

Just 10 days to until 5th November , that’s when the bangs, whizzes and things that terrorise us all will begin. That’s just the start as being a Friday I’m sure that there will be even more fireworks going off over that weekend too. I’m already taking the Scullcap & Valerian tablets, they give me 2 tablets every morning and every evening with my meals – to be honest I don’t even know I’m having them as they just go right down with my food. I’m sure you’ve all got very clever owners and they’ll have already got their supply of tablets in, so now all you have to do is to make sure that they give you the tablets twice a day as well. If they haven’t got around to buying them yet, then tell them that Dorwest have got special offer prices on Scullcap & Valerian tablets and Valerian Compound which go on until the end of the month – so they should get onto www.dorwest.com and check the prices out. Remember the saying “keep taking the pills”, that’s just what you all need to do starting as soon as possible.

Thank you Lily's Kitchen...................

2010-10-25T14:34:00.000+01:00

I’m glad to say that they didn’t forget me when they were up at the London Vet Show, they brought me back a present – some of the new Bedtime Biscuits from Lily’s Kitchen which they sent as a gift especially for me. So I’m not sharing them with any of the whippets – they’re ALL MINE! Lily’s Kitchen are following my blog and we often chat on Twitter too – so thank you Lily’s Kitchen, much appreciated. My these biccies are jolly tasty too, I quite look forward to going to bed now and what’s more they give me TWO at night time. I think that having a really tasty treat all ready on hand that your owners can give you when the fireworks start would be really good. It would keep my mind off the bangs and whooses so I’m sure it would with you too. So that’s another tip to pass on for you all.

Being in the country is fun

2010-10-22T11:30:00.003+01:00

Well I’m stuck in Dorset while they are at the London Vet Show, but it’s not so bad really as the countryside has lots to do and you can’t say that about everywhere, so I’m a lucky Border Terrier really. All summer lots of the fields round here have been so much fun – it’s maize you see, grows really, really tall and the great thing is there’s lots of room for me to run between the plants and chase things. I have to be careful as the fields are so big and once you’re in a field of maize it all looks the same and it’s difficult to find your way out again. I often go missing in there for ages and ages but it’s great. This week though they’ve cut all the maize down so I know that winter’s on its way. All that’s left is fields of stubble – have to be careful with that is it is just belly height and is very scratchy. I am very well camouflaged when I’m in the field so can sniff around to my heart’s content and no-one can see where I am – can you see me in this picture, I bet you can’t, but I am there, honest !

Off to the London Vet Show

2010-10-21T10:55:00.001+01:00

I’m pretty excited because the London Vet Show starts tomorrow where there will be lots of people that know ALL about dogs, cats, phobias etc. I’ve never been to London before and hear it’s a big, busy place.
I thought it was funny that they haven’t given me my Scullcap & Valerian tablets yet, and I need those to keep me relaxed on the journey. So I’ve just checked and would you believe it they DON’T ALLOW DOGS to go, so I’ve got to stay back here in the offices – I can’t believe it, a celebrity like me not allowed! Still now my typing skills are improving I can keep in touch by email and so they can get in touch with me if they can’t cope without the doggie input and my specialist view of things. Some things never change – they didn’t invent the word “underdog” for nothing did they? I will have to explain more fully what being a celebrity is – I need my public……………….

Get yourself a copy quick

2010-10-20T09:33:00.002+01:00

Well apparently you can tell your owners that they can read this leaflet themselves as it’s on the Dorwest website at http://www.dorwest.com/files/1401ba31-5140-4dd7-a898-9dfe01118660/Dorwest%20Fireworks%20Leaflet_Web2.pdf

I strongly suggest you get them to do it. It’s got lots of tips and ideas – most of them were mine of course, but that’s humans for you, always taking the credit when it’s me that really knows what’s what and tells them. Still, I suggest you have a look for yourselves, I think you’ll find it useful. If you’re as clever as I am you could download it yourself and put it somewhere where your owners can see it. You can also pick it up from all those people that sell Dorwest products – lots of the independent pet shops and veterinary practices. If you’d like to know where your nearest one is then email laura@dorwest.com and she’ll let you know. Get to it my friends, don’t delay!

Studying hard

2010-10-19T12:32:00.005+01:00

Everyone is very busy in the Dorwest offices, rushing here and there. Carrying papers, packing parcels, taking orders, talking to customers. They never seem to stop, especially at this time of year and this is apparently to do with it getting nearer and nearer to November 5th. Luckily for me they haven’t got a lot of time to watch what I’m up to and today I found a leaflet called FIREWORK PHOBIA? NO FEAR! I grabbed it quick and it was just what I needed as it explains all about what needs to be done to help poor phobic animals like me to get through this wretched few weeks. I’m going to read it all thoroughly in my bed tonight and tomorrow I’ll tell you what it says.

I've got all MY faculties......

2010-10-18T09:58:00.002+01:00

I found out a lot about this Noise Phobia business and I think that all you canine friends should know about it too, so here’s the result of all my studying. It seems that if I start to go deaf then it may not worry me as much – well that’s no good to me I’ve got all my faculties thank you very much! Still it’s interesting to know I suppose and could explain why Bracken, the old Golden Retriever next door, doesn’t seem to worry about fireworks and loud bangs. He’s as deaf as a post and so he can’t hear them – that explains it. The bad news though is that if my owners don’t take action to help me then I’ll probably get worse and worse every year. Well that’s it, I must force them into action – and the sooner the better!

When things go bang and crash

2010-10-17T11:52:00.000+01:00

Definitely it’s a noise phobia I’ve got – yesterday we had a power cut, well not so much a power cut as a power crash. A tractor and trailer going along the lane by us hit a big tree and pulled one of its big branches down onto the road. The trailer hit the tree with a great crash, the branch hit the electric cables, there was a flash and a big bang and that was that. I wondered just what on earth was going on – were we now getting flashes and bangs during the day? I thought they only happened after dark. Eventually some repair men came and made even more noise as they cut down the big branches with a chain saw. I kept well out of the way – all that buzzing noise, just like a great big bee, best avoided I’ve found. We have electric again now so I can continue with my research. I’ll tell you what else I’ve found out tomorrow.

Searching on the internet

2010-10-16T16:19:00.002+01:00

Have I told you that I’m a very clever Border terrier ? I’m sure I must have. Well I put all that education into good use today and got onto the internet to find out about dogs that are frightened of noises. They call it NOISE PHOBIA. Apparently a phobia is when you have an unreasonable fear of something – well that sounds about right. After all I’ve never been hurt by a noise, but I still don’t like them, so perhaps a Noise Phobia is what I’ve got. Hey something with a complicated name, that makes it sound important.

Supermodelling is not for me

2010-10-15T15:00:00.000+01:00

I am a star at last! We had a photo shoot yesterday for the next Dorwest Catalogue and naturally they wanted me to be in it. Well three of us dogs were chosen to be in it actually, Hector the Whippet, Hawk the Lurcher and me of course. We all went off across the fields and Louise, the photographer, did lots and lots of shots of us – walking this way, walking that way, sitting, jumping and everything else that people and dogs can do together. Didn’t leave much time for sniffing and cocking, but not to worry I’ll make up for that later. Then I had to do all sorts of posing on my own; in the herb garden, down the path, at the computer – well you name it I did it. All very tiring it was, I don’t think I’d want to be a full time super model, much too much like hard work.

No one is mentioning fireworks today

2010-10-14T10:56:00.002+01:00

Suddenly no-one is talking about me being frightened of fireworks – very strange and I wonder what’s up? I think they’ve been reading about not reinforcing the fear by talking about it so they are practising at playing it cool and making out that it’s nothing unusual to worry about and not mentioning fireworks at all. Well of course it is just three weeks away and so I guess they need to practice! I’m not stupid, I know it’s coming and frankly I am scared – every year it seems to get worse and worse and go on for days and days, sometimes weeks. I shall have to take action and force them to think of me and how I feel…………… into action Dr Monkey !

One terrier who isn't going underground !

2010-10-13T14:16:00.000+01:00

I was very relieved to hear about the Chilean miners who are being rescued from underground after two months. As a terrier I know all about being underground, it’s in our blood you know. I must confess that I’ve not done it myself but lots and lots of my Border terrier friends go down holes underground looking for foxes, rabbits and other wild things. I am a bit of a woose myself and as well as having noise phobia I also have a touch of claustrophobia and so am not too keen on small dark places, and you’d have to give me a regular amounts of Scullcap & Valerian tablets to steady my nerves if I had to go down a hole. I wonder if they gave those miners the human equivalent to keep them calm down there? I’d have been terrified to be stuck underground all that time – give me a nice romp across the fields anyday.
I have been writing this blog now for over two weeks and I know that there are lots of you out there following my activities each day, but I’m worried that nobody has put any comments on the site – please let me know what you think and let me know you really are there following me. See you tomorrow………

Travelling to see Barney!

2010-10-12T13:03:00.001+01:00

The trip to visit Barney is worrying me a bit because although I’m normally a brave terrier I’m not too happy about all that travelling, it makes me nervous. It’s because when I was a young pup I used to get sick in the car, which was horrid. Then they gave me Dorwest’s Digestive Supplement tablets and that stopped the sickness but I’m still not very keen on cars. I think I’ll write to Barney and tell him about getting his boss to get him the Scullcap & Valerian tablets and then he can show the letter to him. I reckon that he will need to have them twice every day for a while to relax him as he seems to have got himself into a real state and so needs some serious calming down. If he does that and then gives Barney a larger dose a couple of hours before he goes on a shoot, I reckon that should do the trick for him. Thinking about it what I should do is to persuade my owners to give me some Scullcap & Valerian Tablets too, then perhaps I could manage the journey to Yorkshire without too much trouble. I’ll talk to them about it.

My friend Bertie

2010-10-10T13:44:00.007+01:00

I do believe the Autumn social whirl must have started already – I was invited to ANOTHER PARTY last night, and there were lots of nibbles and a very large and very delicious bowl of fresh rain water, which I love! The party was at my friend Bertie’s house, he’s a 10 year old Schnauzer and a very handsome fellow indeed. We had to guard the nibbles very carefully because those humans kept eating them and so we both did our best at looking appealing and longingly at them to get them to give us some. We are well behaved dogs you see and wouldn’t ever think of stealing anything, especially not at a party. I do like Bertie very much but he is a strange sort of chap, he has a long beard which gets very wet when he’s had a drink and he shakes it everywhere – his owners get very cross about it and have to wipe his mouth after he’s had a drink. It’s really funny to watch but must drive him mad. He’s also got big eyebrows which make him look a bit fierce, although I have a feeling that he has them because he thinks they make him look intelligent. He’s had a bad time over the past year and had to have an operation on his leg, cruciate ligament I think they call it. So he was a bit out of sorts for a while but he’s better now and hardly limps at all thanks to his owners giving him the Dorwest Glucosamine & Chondroitin tablets every day to keep his joints in good shape. He is very, very worried about the forthcoming fireworks though – he suffers like I do from a fear of the bangs and crashes and is worried that his owners might forget to give him the Scullcap & Valerian tablets this year. He needn’t have worried as we had a good discussion about it all and decided to have a sneaky peek in his owner’s kitchen cupboard while they were busy doing what humans do – drinking and eating. When Bertie saw the Scullcap & Valerian tablets there on the shelf he was so relieved that he jumped up and down, ran around a lot and barked. Everyone wondered what on earth was going on, but I knew it was just relief. I reckon he’ll have the best night sleep for weeks now he knows that everything’s under control. Thank you for the party Bertie, it was good to see you and I did enjoy the nibbles……….

Dr Monkey meets Tumble

2010-10-08T15:02:00.002+01:00

Went to a party last night – well that’s a bit of an exaggeration as it was actually our local dog training club but I’m sure that all the dogs there, about thirty or more, didn’t know it was training and just thought like me that it was a good opportunity to talk to their mates, have a good sniff at both ends and get lots of praise. There was food and drink though – well a water bowl and some training tit bits, but nice anyway. I wasn’t there for training of course, I did that when I was a pup and I’m very well behaved and have certificates to prove it. No, I was there because the club had asked the local council to donate some money for dog poo bags and the council hadn’t come up with the dosh, so they’d put an appeal in the local paper and we saw it and thought that we could help. So Dorwest gave them a cheque for £50 (my that’s a lot of poo bags, but they are biodegradable ones) and I went along to present it to them so they could make sure that everyone does their bit in clearing up the smelly dog poo. It struck me that many of the dogs there, in particular the young ones in the puppy class, might not know about the bangs and crashes that happen over the fireworks period so I should have a word with them, and their owners, and explain that help was at hand. I told them about my blog and my Facebook page so they would know where to go for help if they thought they might need it. I must say they were all very nice to me, I met lots of different dogs – a Westie, Springer, Boxer, Staffie and lots of crossbreeds and a very cute and pushy Border terrier puppy called Tumble. She was VERY impressed with me and my superior Border terrier knowledge and wisdom, as you can see from the photo, and I was pretty impressed with her too! So thank you to Bridport Dog Training Club for a lovely evening – and I hope to see you all again soon…………

Barney gets in touch

2010-10-07T11:39:00.000+01:00

I’m quite excited as I had a letter today from my friend Barney, he’s a working Springer Spaniel and he moved away to Yorkshire where he works on a shoot so I don’t see him very often. He’s invited me to visit him as he needs some advice. He’s in a bit of a bad way as he’s worried he’s going to lose his job. The problem you see is that he’s suddenly got frightened of loud noises and of course working closely with people firing guns, they have told him he will get the sack and have to stay at home. He’s only a youngster and the thought of not working and being stuck indoors is really frightening him. So he’s asked me to explain all about Dorwest’s Scullcap & Valerian Tablets so he call tell his boss to get some for him so that he won’t be scared in future. I’m always happy to help with advice and I’m sure I can help Barney. I’m looking forward to the trip up north I’ve never been there before!

Trouble again - and on with the music

2010-10-05T10:47:00.004+01:00

Oh dear I’m in trouble again today – is this becoming a trend in my life? It’s not really my fault, they should have known what would happen. It’s the new toy we bought the other day that’s the problem. They were supposed to save it for when the fireworks come, but they let me have it because I nagged and nagged them and I whined and whined and looked pathetic – every trick in the book. They tried to hide it but I knew where it was and in the end pester power won the day. So far so good, the problem was that I loved it so much I chewed and chewed it to make it stop squeaking and then to make doubly sure it was dead I ripped it to pieces. As I said it’s not my fault, I am a terrier and it’s what we do. My mistake was that I left all the bits lying around in my bed and when they saw them there was hell to pay! Now they are going to go and get me another one, but this time they say it won’t have a squeaker and I can’t have it no matter how much I nag them - spoilsports.

Only a month now ‘til Guy Fawkes – must keep on track, forget all this frivolity and get down to the serious stuff. My tip for today is music - yes music for dogs and cats! Some dogs like classical calming music, others are real country and western fans; myself I'm a big fan of Snoop Dogg. I like a bit of rapping and hip hop, it's the steady beat that I find reassuring. If you make it clear to your owners that you like to have music playing too then they can make sure that when the bangs and crashes start they will put on the radio for you when the fireworks start. Nothing like taking your mind off it I say.

Sorry boys!

2010-10-04T16:11:00.003+01:00

I’m in trouble – I told a little white lie when I showed you the picture of me in my day bed on Friday. The thing is that it’s not really my bed, it belongs to the whippets, Louis, Hector and Smithy and it’s where they spend their days lazing about while their master is at work. Louis was not impressed with me when he saw my picture and now the truth is out – when they are not around I sneak into their office and relax on their bed. Oh damn, now they’ll close the door I suppose and make sure I don’t invade their privacy. They are very snooty dogs you know, not rough and down to earth like me. Anyway to try and make amends I’m going to show you a photo of Louis on the bed, looking very superior, and also one of him with Hector and Smithy at his feet – just where he likes them! So sorry boys, I won’t do it again (at least I won’t let you catch me!).
It’s getting colder now and they’ve turned on the central heating here which is great, but now they also light the log fire in the evening as well and I don’t like that at all – it makes strange crackling noises and sometimes loud bangs as well. I try and keep away from it and go and lay in my bed where I feel safe and secure – no one bothers me there and so I can sleep and dream of nice calm things. I’ll have to remind them to give me some Dorwest Scullcap & Valerian tablets if they are going to keep lighting fires – that’ll make me more reeeelaxed.

I'm a bit stiff today

2010-10-03T11:47:00.001+01:00

I’m a bit stiff today, must be that running around after bunnies and the buzzard. They say it’s my age and that I have to expect this sort of thing now I’m getting elderly – what rubbish! Anyway they’ve decided that I might have a touch of arthritis so I’m having two Mixed Vegetable Tablets and two Garlic & Fenugreek Tablets in my food twice a day, which they say will make me feel better and have me dancing about as usual in no time. I’ll let you know how I get on. I thought I was supposed to be talking about nasty whizz bangs and thuds not telling you about my ailments but they say that I have to be honest about everything as that’s what a blog is all about. We’ll see about that………… anyway I’m taking it easy.

Do you know that I have my own email address? It’s drmonkey@dorwest.com and if you want to get in touch then I’d be pleased to hear from you. I had an email yesterday from a lady asking if it was absolutely necessary to have a bucket on your head while Monkey dancing . No it isn’t Susan, you can do it with a ball, a ragger or anything else. I’ve even tried it with balloons, but they always seem to disappear with a bang which frightens me so now I steer clear of them.

What a dilemma.........

2010-10-02T12:29:00.003+01:00

A miserable day yesterday, not much fun for dogs ‘cos it rained all day so I didn’t get a decent walk until the evening, but what a walk it was – gave me a bit of a dilemma actually. We walked into this field and believe it or not there was a large fat bunny sitting there and a few feet away was a buzzard sitting looking at it. They just stared at each other, well I just didn’t know what to do. Doggie instinct took over so naturally I chased the bunny, but the buzzard wasn’t at all pleased as the rabbit popped into the hedge and disappeared, so it flew up and circled me a few times – I didn’t know what to do, did he think I was a rabbit? I hope not, I may be small and brown but for goodness sake I am a DOG. So the upshot was that I saved a bunny, which goes right against the grain as its not what dogs are supposed to do, I upset a buzzard who didn't get his dinner and finished up just running around a field on my own! Some days things just go like that – oh well better luck tomorrow.

I love my bed !

2010-10-01T09:26:00.003+01:00

I love my bed, it’s where I feel safe and comfortable. My owners have made it really comfy for me, it’s warm and dry and I can hide in there when I need to and it makes me feel safe. When I was small they gave me a cardboard box and covered it with a blanket to keep me snug, but now I have a more grown up bed as befits my status! If, like me, you’re happier in a safe, secure place then ask your owners to make you a place to hideaway and feel secure – if they do it now then it’ll really feel like home when those bangs, crashes and zooms start at the end of the month. Here's a picture of me on my "day bed" at work - very smart don't you think?

Off to the shops I go

2010-09-30T08:55:00.004+01:00

Usually I go for walks across the fields and footpaths around here – I love it! I chase bunnies, but never manage to catch them; I watch the deer in the fields and sniff all those lovely animal smells in the hedges. But yesterday they decided to take me shopping – shopping I ask you! Why would a dog like me want to go shopping? Well apparently I should show more interest in where the little luxuries in life come from – what luxuries you might ask? It seems that all the squeaky toys, raggers and frisbees have to be bought from a pet shop. So we had to go along so that I could look at the choice and pick a new toy for myself to have ready to comfort me for when the fireworks start. We went into the local pet shop and the ladies in there were very nice and showed me all the toys they had – my it was like an Aladdin’s Cave! In the end I choose a soft toy that looks like a pheasant and it has a lovely squeaker too – a lovely noise which I like. Although it’s very nice to have the toy they won't let me play with it until nearer the fireworks period so they've hidden it away - that's not fair! I really didn’t enjoy the experience of walking down the high street to get to the pet shop very much. I’m a country dog you see and all those cars, lorries and people are a bit too noisy for me. Next time they decide to do that I’m going to INSIST that they give me some of Dorwest’s Valerian Compound before they take me to town – that’ll make the whole experience less scary. It’s organic too which is good as I’m very environmentally aware you know……………

Doing what I do best......

2010-09-29T11:07:00.002+01:00

I have a pretty laid back sort of life, a lot of sleeping and lying around. Today it’s raining but here’s a picture of me doing what I do best, snoozing in the sun! I go to work everyday with my owner and sit under her desk just dreaming away. Sometimes I like to play with the others or with my friends Hawk, Peggy and Elsie who all come to work with us as well. I may be the smallest in size but I’m not a pushover. Not much worries me, apart from loud noises – bangs, crashes and things like that frighten me, always have. I just don’t understand what they are all about and it makes me really upset. Over my 9 years I’ve learnt what I need to do to cope with the noises and also what my owners need to do to make me feel better. There are lots of simple things that can make it so much more bearable and I’m going to tell you later this week some of the things I’ve found that help - so that all of you my canine, and feline, brothers and sisters can get through the bangs and crashes too.

Monkey dancing !

2010-09-28T12:57:00.002+01:00

I live in Dorset, near the sea, with three whippets – we’re all boys together but I’m the oldest and the wisest and no one messes with me! I know a lot of things that they don’t and I like to keep it that way………….. a bit of respect for your elders is what I reckon is required, and they all know it too. It’s not that I’m stuffy or anything, I like to play as much as the next dog and believe it or not I do break dancing – yes really. They call it “monkey dancing” but I’ve studied it and practised a lot and I can spin and jump and toss things in the air – it’s great and keeps me fit. I do find it quite exhausting though but no one can keep up with me when I’m in full action………Yay ! I’m big and I’m tough like a terrier should be; I will admit that I’m not at all keen on things that go bang and loud noises but I’ve learnt over the years how to not be so frightened and I’m going to let you all into some of my secrets. I’m not frightened of the dark though, in fact I quite like it. Last night they took me for a walk at dusk along the cliffs and it was so exciting, lots and lots of fat bunnies all over the place, but you’ll never believe it they wouldn’t let me off the lead to chase them – frightened I would run over the cliff apparently, do they think I’m stupid? Still the smells were pretty good and I slept well and dreamt of rabbits all night.

Good to know you all...........

2010-09-27T13:10:00.001+01:00

Hi, I’m Dr Monkey, welcome to my blog. Monkey is what they call me but really my official posh name is Farmway High as a Kite. I’m 9 years old and I’m a Border terrier. Everybody calls me Monkey, or sometimes even Monks which is a bit odd, but I answer to most things. I was called Harris, and they still call me that when they’re really mad with me, but Monkey or Dr Monkey is how everyone knows me. I don’t remember how it came about ‘cos I was only a pup at the time but the story goes that someone said I was a cheeky monkey, something to do with a TV advert apparently – oh well we all have our crosses to bear……………….. Anyhow, I work at Dorwest Herbs and I’m their canine consultant which means I’m the one who tells them how dogs think and what they need to be given to make them feel better. I’ve become quite a celebrity and over the next few weeks I’m going to give you all some tips and ideas form my own experience about how best to get through that terrible time of the year for dogs – FIREWORK SEASON ! So keep checking my blog for some “straight from the dog’s mouth” sensible advice and clever tips to get you through the next few weeks.

2010-09-21T16:19:00.000+01:00

Woof woof! My first blog - what a lucky chap I am, my blog really starts next week but I am busy practicing typing with my hairy paws, not easy!

Tune in and learn lots about how you can help your pets with their Firework noise Phobia
Dr Monks