Dogs Trust tips to make Christmas extra special and safe for your four legged friends.

Happy Waggy Christmas!

Christmas is all about having fun with your loved ones, toasting yourself by the fire, exchanging gifts and stuffing yourself silly. Christmas really is a magical time of the year for all of us, including our furry friends. Make the most of the festive season by playing interactive fun games with wrapping paper, making some delicious crimbo Kongs and most importantly, keeping Fido safe this festive season.

Follow these tips below to make Christmas extra special and extra safe for your four legged loved ones (and the three legged ones at that)!

• Using left over cardboard boxes from Santa's gifts, scrunch up used wrapping paper and sprinkle your dogs dry kibble in the box so they can have to dig and sniff around in the box to find the food! Great for keeping your pooch busy!
  
  
• Make your beloved pooch a special festive Kong by stuffing layers of turkey, ham, carrots, veggies and topping off with half a teaspoon of cranberry jam. NOTE: Cranberry sauce can be very sugary so only feed a tiny amount as a special taster treat!
  
  
• Nothing beats a big family walk on Christmas day and regardless of how many mince pies you’ve eaten, your dog will still need walking! Wrap up warm and don’t forget the poop bags. Bring your dogs special new toys from Santa and have some festive frolics in the crisp Christmas air.

• Twinkly baubles on the tree could prove a little too tempting for some dogs! Never leave your dog unattended around the Christmas tree just in case he mistakes the delicate glass decorations for a toy!

• Baby gates are a great idea if you’re having friends and family over this Christmas. Section off a room to act as your dogs own retreat if he feels the festivities are getting all a little too much. Baby gates mean he won’t feel like he’s being isolated away from his family, but does mean he can feel safe knowing he’ll be left alone to relax, sleep or have a chew if needs be.

• REMEMBER, chewing helps your dog feel calm and relaxed. If your home is a little busier than usual, make sure your dog has the option to take himself away somewhere quiet where he can enjoy a chew in peace!

• Christmas is the tastiest time of the year and we’re all prone to over indulging. Be it cheese boards, Christmas pudding or our favourite cream liqueurs there will be an awful lot of temptation for your dog. There are lots of human foods that are highly toxic to dogs including Grapes and Raisins, so no Christmas pudding for Pooches! Turkey bones are very dangerous to your dog and even spilt alcohol could be lapped up from the floor, so please make sure your dog isn’t being sneakily fed under the table or has the option to steal food from the side board. 

• Indulge your dog with Toys and Games rather than food and treats to help prevent your pooch becoming sick!
  
  
  Merry Christmas to you and your furry friends, and remember; A dog is for life, not just for Christmas xxxx
  
  

Super Scooter!

  

Hi folks, my name is Scooter. I am an almost 2 year old Jack Russell Terrier crossbreed.  I arrived at Dogs Trust in January with a longstanding skin condition that was left untreated for quite some time. Although I have been told it’s all clear now, due to my weak immune system I am unlikely to be ever 100% better and will need ongoing medication.  The gang in Dogs Trust have been super duper. I got really sick recently they were afraid I wasn’t going to make it. They did all sorts of swanky tests and biopsies on me and have put me on the best of medication which I take everyday with a special treat.  I’ve even seen a veterinary dermatologist! 

To be honest, now, I just couldn’t be happier! Why wouldn't I be, I’m handsome, fun, brainy and have loads of energy.  The things I love are; cuddles, snuggles, treats, children and doggies my own size.

All the staff in Dogs Trust love me, I think I might be their favourite. They always want me to come visit them because I am so well behaved and I have no bother finding the ball when they lose it!

One of the nice people who comes into to Dogs Trust to help them out wrote a lovely poem about me which I thought you might like to read.  ‘Only a heart of stone couldn't see the beauty that lies within me, I may look tired and a little worn but please don't look at me with pity and scorn , I’ve kindness in my little soul it’s hard though always being on your own, I’ve fought my battles and I’m only small but my heart is brave and my courage is tall, maybe some day at me you will glance, and think i too like the others deserve a second chance’



And guess what?! That nice friend and her lovely family decided to adopt me last week.  They are the lovelist people and absolutly adore me. I am being spoilt rotten by my new Mom and Dad and their 2 kids Adam and Sam (that's them in the picture to the right) I also have a new brother and sister, Dubh and Candy, they are great fun to play with and even let me lie on the couch beside them.  I really have settled in so well, I'm healthy, have boundless energy and am loving life. Thanks so much to my new family for giving me a second chance and my forever home, lots of love Scooter x       

Dogs Trust Better Together Video

Hi guys,

We have a big favour to ask our you! Dogs Trust have produced and submitted a super 2 minute video for the Better Together online video competition. The little video features some of our current doggie residents as well as highlighting the great work that Dogs Trust does. We really need your help to get us to the next stage of the competition in order to be in with the chance to win a prize of €3,000, think of all the doggie Christmas pressies we could buy with that! All you have to do is click on the link and vote for us!

http://www.bettertogether.ie/content/dogs-trust-better-together

You can vote once a day EVERYDAY until the 19th of November. Please ask your family, friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, long lost school friends to share too.

Thanks so much everyone xxxxx

Cruel Abandonment of Terrier Shocks Dogs Trust Staff

Staff at our Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre were left shocked last weekend after examining CCTV footage that revealed a man throwing a terrier cross over the 8ft fence leading into the staff carpark in broad daylight.

The incident took place at approximately 09.50 hrs last Sunday morning. Dogs Trust centre manager Catriona Birt said “the footage clearly shows a man driving a dark coloured Mercedes Benz pulling into the car park of Dogs Trust and taking out a little dog from the back seat of the car, walking straight over to the fence and throwing him over. You can see that the poor little dog is distressed, trying to understand what has happened and frantically looking for it’s owner’ The dog was quickly seen to by the Dogs Trust vet on call where he remained under medical supervision for 24 hours. Catriona said “The dog was shaken and confused but has come on leaps and bounds in the last few days.  We have named him Memphis, he is a gorgeous little man so full of love and life’.
Mark Beazley, executive director Dogs Trust said “Dogs Trust’s door is open to anybody who would like to come in and have a chat about rehoming a dog or any other aspect of dog welfare. We are aware that people’s circumstances change and understand it’s a very sad and sometimes traumatic situation for somebody when they can no longer look after their pet.  We would encourage people to seek information about the proper way to deal with such a situation, for instance going to other welfare organisations close to them for advice on the options open to them.Mark added “Our centre is been run at full occupancy since the day we officially opened our doors in 2009, our priority is to rehome as many dogs as we possibly can.  We cannot, as is the case with all animal welfare organisations, take in every surrender enquiry that we receive, we just don’t have the room but we always give advice about the best course of action to take.”

Dogs Trust are searching for the next ‘Santa’s Little Helper’

Dogs Trust are searching for the next ‘Santa’s Little Helper’

Can you believe it’s that time of year again!  If you would like to see your dapper doggie on the front of a Dogs Trust Christmas card then get cracking!

We are currently designing our 2012 cards and have 1 spot to feature a photo of your pooch!

Anyone can submit a pic and we are not restricting this to rehomed Dogs Trust dogs. Please feel free to share this with your dog owning friends and family.

Here are the Guidelines

1. The photo must be Christmas themed. (Think snow, Christmas trees, fairy lights, stockings, tinsel, Santa, winter coats, presents etc.) It’s okay to stage it!
2. The photo needs to be high quality so that we can print great quality cards. (It is ok to upload a lower resolution photo as long as you can email us a high resolution photo at a later date if required.)
3. We will not be able to use any blurred photos as they will not print well.
4. Make sure the photo is nice and bright.
5. Dogs only in the photo! We cannot have any of the other family members in the photo, so animals only!
6. We cannot accept any dogs in fancy dress, but props like crackers, Christmas hats, stockings etc. are fine.
7. The photo must belong to you as we will need your permission to use the image for all uses.
8. Tip: Try not to have too much going on in your photo, after all it’s all about the dog!
9. You can upload the photo directly onto our facebook page or email it to dtmarketing.ie@gmail.com
10. Include some information about your dog like name, age, where they came from etc.
11. Entries are restricted to 2 photos per person.

The closing date is 12 noon on Thursday 6th September 2012 so send in your pics ASAP!

Please don’t be disappointed if your photo is not picked, as we will only have 1 spot to fill. This year 9 of our Dogs Trust current residents will be featuring in the pack in order to try and find them a home.

Kayleigh and DeeDee review W. Bruce Cameron's A Dog's Purpose

Kayleigh, from our Fundraising team and her dog DeeDee the Staffy cross, let us know what they think about this charming tale of a dog's lives...
(which has been 49 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list!)

DeeDee takes a closer look

Despite my best efforts, DeeDee was having none of it when I tried to convince her that what we really wanted to be doing on a rainy Saturday afternoon was going for a nice long walk. So instead of enjoying the great, very wet, outdoors we spent the afternoon curled up on the sofa with a cup of tea (for me), a fresh bowl of water (for DeeDee) and A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron.

It's a heart warming tale, narrated by a dog recounting the journey of being reincarnated through many lives trying to find and fulfil its purpose.

The simplistic writing style makes this book a very easy read and you’ll find yourself chuckling out loud, although be warned: any pet owner will undoubtedly get a lump in their throat at a few poignant moments. 

If ever you find yourself looking at your canine companion and wondering what they are thinking and the stories they could tell you, you will almost certainly enjoy this book. DeeDee and I found it perfect for whiling away a rainy afternoon, and with our wonderful "Summers" we can guarantee there are going to be a few...

Dogs Unleashed Campaign

We're supporting the efforts of Dogs Unleashed campaigning for fair and balanced bye-laws in Dun Loghaire-Rathdown, where the County Council has recently proposed considerable restrictions on dog walking in the area.

Check out their video and sign the petition at http://www.dogs-unleashed.org/category/campaign/

DunLaoire Rathdown County Council (DLR) has proposed amendments to the beach bye-laws that ban dogs from ever entering the designated bathing area at Seapoint and Sandycove. They also ban dogs from the designated bathing area of Killiney beach for 5 months from May - September inclusive. Outside of designated areas, dogs may be exercised off leash but only before 10am and after 7pm, which for six months of the year would be in total darkness for evening exercise. The bye-laws make dog ownership very difficult in DLR and do nothing to tackle the key issues.

The Dogs Unleashed campaign centres on responsible and accountable dog ownership. Dogs Unleashed is asking DLR to enact fair and balanced bye-laws that consider all citizens who enjoy our open spaces and not the draconian and anti-dog regulations proposed. They also want these laws enforced on the minority of dog owners who fail to dispose of dog faeces and who actually allow their dogs to be 'out of control' thereby causing any sort of nuisance to the public at large. Dogs Trust supports Dogs Unleashed in their efforts.

Microchipping!

 Recently the rehoming centre has been presented with a number of dogs found by members of the public which to our delight, turned out to be microchipped. However, in some cases the details on the database were that of the breeder or the owner had since moved or changed their contact telephone number.

After some detective work by our staff, we did eventually manage to re-unite some of the dogs with their owners.

We hope that by writing this blog, it will remind people to register their own details and to keep these up to date and also to dispel any myths people may have about microchipping!

Is it a legal requirment to microchip your dog?

No, however the Control of Dogs Act (1986) states that all dogs must wear a collar and identification tag while in a public place.

The owner's contact information should be clearly legible and should ideally include a contact telephone number and address.

Identification tags should be of a good quality, durable material with a solid connection to the collar.

Why should I microchip my dog?

Collars and tags can easily be removed so permanent identification such as microchipping should be considered by all dog owners.

Even if you have a secure area for your dog, there is always the possibility they may be mistakenly let out or escape. All dogs picked up by wardens, rescue organisations and those handed into veterinary practices are routinely scanned for a microchip.

We also have to face the reality that many dogs are stolen in Ireland each year. Sometimes these dogs are sold on, used for breeding or other purposes and can be found very far away from home.

What is a microchip?

A microchip is a Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID). It is composed of a tiny radio receiver and transmitter, enclosed in glass with or without a plastic coating.

How long to microchips remain active for?

Microchips generally remain active for decades.

What size is a microchip?

Microchips are approximately 12mm in length and 1mm in diameter, about the size of a grain of rice!

How does a microchip work?

The microchip lies dormt under the dog's skin, usually between the shoulder blades. When an appropriate reader is used, a radio signal is emitted to the microchip. The signal pwers it up and the chip transmits a signal containing the 15 digit number back to the reader.

So how am I contacted?

If you pet is found and scanned, their microchip number is entered into the database where your contact details have been recorded.

However, if a microchip has not been registered to the current owner, they cannot be contacted.

We cannot stress enough the importance of ensuring your contact details are registered, not the breeder or rescue organisation's details. Remember that many years could pass before you pet escapes or becomes lost and at that stage, the breeder or rescue may no longer have your details. There, should you change address or phone number (especially mobile phone number) you must ensure you update your details on the database!

To check if your details are registered, simply enter your pet's microchip number on http://www.europetnet.com/ or http://www.petmaxx.com/

Where can I get my pet microchipped?

Your pet can be microchipped at any veterinary practice. The most important aspect of microchipping is that your register your details on the implanter's database. You will receive paperwork to complete this from your veterinary practicioner. Most databases allow online completion and instant registration.

If you are not comfortable with the internet and want your pet immediately registered, as your veterinary practice to assist you.

Best practice

It is best practice to have your pet scanned each time he/she visits your local vet, just to ensure to chip has not moved and is still active.

Please also ensure, in the unfortunate event that your dog is taken, please report the dog as stolen to the microchip database.


Here's a link to our website where you can read more about microchipping
http://www.dogstrust.ie/az/m/microchipping/default.aspx

Introducing Betty!

Betty is a beautiful 6 year old, deaf, short haired Collie cross, with the most amazing ears may we add! She came to the centre over a year ago with two other dogs who were both rehomed, but sadly Betty has never left the centre.


Due to the length of time she has been with us, she is really beginning to struggle in kennels. She has good doggy skills and loves a playful pal to wrestle with and then have a nice snuggle with when everyone goes home for the evening.

Betty is a super smart Collie and has learned her basic cues through hand signals and targeting, as she cannot hear cue words/sounds. She is a very sweet, affectionate dog and if there was an adopter looking for a clever Collie to work with, she would be amazing! 


Unfortunately for some reason, nobody ever asks about Betty but we know the right home is out there for her. She is a very pretty girl and would truly make an amazing dog for the right family!


For more information on adopting Betty, please pop into the centre or give us a call on (01) 879 1000. We would love to hear from you. If you know anyone thinking of adding to their family, please tell them about Betty, or any of the other 153 dogs we currently have here in the centre, looking for their forever homes.

All of these dogs will be neutered, microchipped and vaccinated before leaving the centre. They go home with a collar and lead, as well as a little bag of food to get you started! Dogs Trust also provide a lifetime of behavioural support for our dogs and their adopters! 

Just a few pics to share with you all...

Luah is an English Bull Terrier who is deaf. He has received some special training here so that he now knows some sign language! A very sweet dog, who needs a forever home ASAP.

 Oscar and Lilly, St Bernards. Lilly has been rehomed since this pic was taken and we are now looking for a home for her friend Oscar. He is a big loveable boy, who just wants someone to play with.

 Jake is a 2 and half year old German Shepherd who just wants a home where his family will take the time to get to know him. He just loves to play with his friend Korma!

This is Jake playing ball with his pal, Korma. Korma is a 2 year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross. He is just full of mischief so would promise plenty of fun times for a prospective new family.

This is Finn - talk about a stunning looking dog! He is still only a baby at 9 months old, so would definitely need a home where the family will work patiently with him to improve his doggy skills. Once he gets to know you, Finn will be your best friend and probably never want to leave your side!

Poor Scooter is not the most attractive looking dog. We suspect he came to us with ringworm or mange, which badly damaged his skin and has left the poor guy with serveral bald patches. Aside from this appearance though, this little guy is an absolute super star who just wants someone to love him and play with him.

Oh now this beauty is Dove. She is just stunning, don't you think? She is a 2 year old Collie cross, just a fabulous all-round dog, who can be a pure goofball when she gets to know and trust you! She does love company so would need a home where someone would be home with her the majority of the day.

If you are interested in any of the above dogs and think you could offer them the loving home they deserve, please do pop into the centre for a visit! We open every day from 12pm til 4pm, apart from Tuesdays. We are even open at the weekends and bank holidays! If you know someone who is thinking of adding to their family, do have them check out our website or pop in to say hello, we have over 154 adult dogs and puppies who are all looking for their forever homes!

Black Dog Syndrome

We all have favourite breeds and “types” of dogs and different dogs that catch our eye more so

than others. Unfortunately, dogs with Black coats are often overlooked.

So much so, this phenomena has been given the title Black Dog Syndrome or Black Dog Bias.

Rehoming centres across the globe struggle to find forever homes for Black dogs as they are simply overlooked by passers by, they just don’t stand out as much against the background of their kennels as some of the other dogs. Nor do they tend to photograph as well so we tend to skip past them when looking through books of dogs in need of a home or browsing rehoming websites.

Some people blame the association between Black Dogs and Demon Dogs from TV and film. People think they’re scarier looking and make the negative assumption that they’re aggressive!

It’s been said that the chromosome (part of their DNA make up) responsible for Black fur is exclusive to domesticated dogs only and that all Black Wolves are in fact Hybrids. So you could say that Black Dogs are like the “ultimate” domestic pet dog!

Other people say that they’re overlooked as they’re too plain and boring looking. PLAIN AND BORING? I think not. At Dogs Trust Ireland we have some of the most incredible and beautiful  Black Dogs who would make excellent life long companions.

Take Oscar for example, we always say if John Cleese was a dog, he’d look like Oscar with his hilariously long legs and debonair expression. Oscar is a BIG favourite here with the staff and wins everyone over.

Super handsome, clever Oscar!

Handsome mega athlete Rodger will play ball all day. Rodger doesn’t cope well in kennels, he’s too active and just loves to run after tennis balls. When he’s not training to be the next Aggasi, he just wants cuddles and LOTS of them!

Happy chappy Rodger just wants someone to play ball with!

We’re just stumped as to why Garvan hasn’t found his forever home yet! Garvan is an absolutely incredible boy. Kind, gentle and super loving. He just craves affection and cuddles so much. Our staff here regularly take him on days out (even on their days off) as he is just so easy going and adored by everybody.

Garvan - cannot say enough good things about this precious boy!

So if you’re thinking of adopting a dog or visiting our Rehoming Centre, stop for a second to spend some time looking at our Black Dogs and you’ll wonder how you ever failed to notice them!

If you have a black dog at home and think he/she is just pure fabulous - leave us a comment and tell us why!

An Intro to Training & Socialisation

We get a LOT of queries into us about dog training or issues that people are having with their dogs. Unfortunately we just don’t have enough time to give behaviour advice to each and every query we receive but we have compiled this blog to help point you in the right direction!

Socialisation means letting your puppy get used to other dogs and to learn proper doggy communication skills so that he can get on happily with other dogs in the future. If a puppy is not socialised properly from the time that you get him and throughout his first year, this can lead to serious fear and aggression problems in later life. It is therefore, very important. If you want a happy, friendly dog that you can take anywhere and meet anyone, then socialisation is the key!

If your puppy is not fully vaccinated then carry him around to see people, experience traffic noise, public transport, or meet other dogs that you know have been vaccinated.

After the first vaccination it may be possible to attend a local puppy party or class, so that your puppy can meet other puppies of a similar age in a safe environment. Your veterinary surgery may run these or know of a good trainer in your area. Make sure you visit without your puppy first, so that you are happy with their methods. Here they should go through a range of different experiences you should socialise your puppy in, as well as exposing them to people of different shapes and sizes, and of course other animals, some other examples are

·        Normal household appliances – the vacuum cleaner, washing machine etc.

·        Traffic

·        The postman / paperboy / dustbin men etc.

·        Travelling in cars, buses and trains etc.

·        The veterinary surgery / grooming parlour

·        Loud noises – fireworks, babies crying etc. (try to obtain a tape of these and play quietly to your puppy during enjoyable times, such as feeding – slowly increasing the volume over time until he isn’t bothered by even loud bangs).

We always recommend training classes for all our dogs and even if you have not gotten your dog from Dogs Trust, you should definitely consider some sort of obedience training with your pooch. It is never too late to start, it just may take a little longer with older dogs! It is a great way for both yourself and your dog to socialise and will help you build a lovely bond with your dog. 

Luah practices his "sit" with John.
Luah is actually deaf and has learned to respond to hand signals which help him live a normal life!

Dogs Trust strongly support positive reward based training and we don’t believe that any dog should be hurt or scared whilst being trained. A reward could be a yummy treat or even a quick game with your dog's favourite toy - just make sure it's a quick game as it will lose it's value otherwise.

If you are based in Dublin, do check out Dog Training Ireland, who are based about 10 mins from our centre in Ballycoolin. They run all types of classes as well as a behaviour clinic, daycare facility and a fabulous grooming parlour. Here’s a link to their website - http://www.dogtrainingireland.ie/home.php

If you are not based here in Dublin, check out the Association of Pet Dog Trainers who are all accredited dog trainers here in Ireland – their website is http://www.apdt.ie/

Training really helps to stimulate your dog's brain which really benefits your dog's well-being. Clicker training and agility training are great ways to get your dog thinking for themselves. When your dog is stimulated mentally, it is less likely to get bored, which in turn makes it less likely to be destructive or have poor self control.

If professional training classes are out of your price range, then check out some of our training videos on our website http://www.dogstrust.ie/az/t/trainingvideos/ and remember to reward your dog for getting things right! We also have launched an app to help you with your puppy training so you can download that onto your iPods, iPads etc - here's a link http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/az/a/apps/default.aspx for more info :)

Treats have been hidden in this laundry basket for Bingo to sniff out!

Bingo pictured above is a Beagle, and just LOVES to sniff things out so our Training and Behaviour advisors devised some really basic games to keep Bingo stimulated. Bingo is a fabulous young man who had a bit of a rough start and is currently looking for his forever home, where he deserves to be absolutely spoiled rotten!

Please note that if you notice that your dog has suddenly started getting a bit aggressive, or out of character - please do make sure to bring to be checked out by your vet. Your dog may be in pain or be sick which is causing it to behave strangely.

Well that's the end of this week's blog. If you guys have any suggestions of things you would like to see us write about, please do comment below or on our Facebook page! :)

xoxo

March Summary :)

Wow can you believe it’s nearly April already?? Feels like just yesterday I was writing a January round up blog! And what fabulous weather we are having too! Make sure to keep an eye on your dogs when the weather is so nice, give them plenty of water and access to shade. Do not leave your dog in a car whilst you pop into a shop etc, this can have fatal consequences!

Anyway - I think the biggest story in Dogs Trust of late has been the tale of Bronx. Bronx is a teeny Staffordshire Bull Terrier who went missing whilst out with his owners well over a year ago. Nobody knows where the little guy was, but he found himself in a rescue centre in Cork, who then sent him to ourselves to try and rehome.

Within 24 hours of arrival at a Dogs Trust rehoming centre, the new dog will receive a full health check by our centre vet. This check includes scanning the dog for a microchip. If the dog is found to be chipped, Dogs Trust will contact the original source of the dog (e.g. local authority pound) to determine whether the details on the chip have been followed up. Every rehoming facility, rescue group, and dog pound may have a different intake policy but at Dogs Trust, one of the first checks carried out is to scan the dog for a microchip.

Luckily for Bronx, he was microchipped and we were able to contact the O’Connor family in Cork to let them know that we had their dog. To say they were overjoyed is an understatement! They were straight up to Dublin to collect their missing boy and couldn’t thank us enough.

We issued a press release with the details of this story and the attention it received was unprecedented! We had calls here from journalists (both TV and press) looking for more info on this amazing story. It ended up featuring in the Irish Mirror, the Irish Examiner, the Irish Independent, the Evening Echo and then the RTE news too! Last night, he was even invited to be a guest on the Craig Doyle show where he got to meet Nicky Byrne from Westlife!!! So I think it’s safe to say, he’s quite the little superstar these days!

I think the most important thing to take from this story is the importance of having your dog microchipped. This can be done at your local vet and will prevent so much heartache if your dog happens to get lost.

For more info on microchipping, here’s a link to our website http://www.dogstrust.ie/az/m/microchipping/default.aspx

We have also had our TV3 slots on IrelandAM again this month! Did you all see the time where Jedward joined us? Those guys are crazy but super sweet and big doggy lovers! Here’s a link to the past two shows we have been on!

http://www.tv3.ie/ireland_am.php?video=46402&locID=1.65.74

http://www.tv3.ie/ireland_am.php?video=45685&locID=1.65.74

Of course, we are obviously busy rehoming dogs, with 192 gone to forever homes already this year! We have approx 164 dogs in the centre at the moment, 53 of those being puppies. We love to hear how all the dogs are getting on so any of you who have adopted, please do send in pics or post on our Facebook page!

If any of you have been thinking of doing the Flora Women's Mini Marathon this year, please think of sup
porting Dogs Trust. We are completely reliant on fundraised money to keep the centre up and running, which helps us to help so many unwanted Irish dogs. We have lovely yellow t-shirts and sponsor cards, as well as Waggy Walk hats to give out on the day. If you have registered to do the mini marathon, email us with your registration number, name, address and t-shirt size  to minimarathon@dogstrust.ie and we can get a pack out to you! If you have any queries, you can email or call (01) 879 1824.

Just to finish up, some of you may have read an article recently in the Irish Examiner in relation to Dogs Trust's plans to open a centre in Cork. It is very early days and we really do appreciate all your support in our efforts to open up in Cork in the future!
 This is our current statement on the issue -
" Further to the article in Friday's Irish Examiner we would like to clarify that Dogs Trust has made a formal offer to the CSPCA Committee to take over the operation of the Mahon facility and run it as a Dogs Trust rehoming centre. Dogs Trust will not be applying to run the Dog Warden service on behalf of Cork City Council. It is our understanding that this function may be taken on by Cork County C...ouncil. Recent comments in the media by a Cork City Councillor that the City Council must provide their own dog pound is incorrect. An example of this is the shared dog pound between Kilkenny and Carlow which is situated in Co.Kilkenny. Dogs Trust sole concern in this matter is for the welfare of the puppies and dogs in Cork city and county. We have been inundated with messages of support which we hugely appreciate - we hope to be in a position in the near future to welcome you to Dogs Trust Cork. Thank you - Dogs Trust."

We shall leave you on that note. Enjoy the fabulous weather whilst we have it!

Molly, Sparky & Jamie playing in the sun :)

Tried and Tested - Dogs Trust Grooming Range

So there are definitely some perks to working at Dogs Trust! When the boss here in Dogs Trust asked me if I would like to sample some of our new grooming products on my beloved Bailey, I jumped at a chance. Being a long haired dog (he's a Japanese Spitz), Bailey requires quite a bit of grooming and was well overdue a wash!



My beautiful boy, Bailey :)



The range of products covers both puppies and adult dogs, with "no-tears" formulas for puppy eyes! I chose 4 products for Bailey and off we went to the bathroom.

These are the products from the range which I chose for Bailey.
Anti Odour Basil and Rosemary Shampoo, Detangle and Enhance Palm and Jojoba Oil Conditioner, Aloe and Papaya No Tears Spritz and the Paw Protection Cream.

The shampoo smells really refreshing, with it's Basil & Rosemary scent. I wet Bailey's hair first and applied the shampoo. It lathered really well and it doesn't need to be diluted down like some of the other shampoos on the market, which was super handy and made the product easy to use. Bailey gets quite dirty in certain places, usually the long hair at the backs of his legs, so I gave those areas an extra shampoo and rinse to make sure he was squeeky clean!

I was quite intrigued by the conditioner as this wasn't a product I'd used on my dogs before. For those of us humans who use conditioner in our own hair, you will know that the aim is to make your hair soft, silky and more manageable, so I was hoping the Dogs Trust product would have the same effect on my long haired pooch.

I'm not going to lie, I smothered him in the stuff!! It smelled AMAZING - it's Palm and Jojoba oil based, which I would gladly use in my own hair (and if I'm ever stuck, I just might....!). I rubbed it in just like I would in my own hair and rinsed thoroughly. I spent a little extra time rinsing the conditioner as his hair was just so soft, I wasn't sure if all the product was out - guess that was a good thing though!

So my baby was nice and clean now, I towel dried the excess water from his coat and let him have a shake - I'm sure he enjoyed getting his revenge by soaking me too! We went downstairs and got the drier out - I can't just let him dry naturally as he would get all knotty. I use a selection of brushes on Bailey's coat and whilst brushing and drying, his hair did smell really clean, with a really sweet scent. His hair also was easier to comb which made drying time a lot quicker! Yay :)

What do you think he is thinking?!

When he was all dry, I trimmed his nails (don't do this if you're not super confident as it's really easy to cut them too short, which will make them bleed - your vet or local groomer can do this for you!) and applied the paw protection cream. Bailey gets two walks a day, usually in one of our local parks so he wouldn't be on rough terrain a whole lot. Still I thought I may as well complete his pampering with it!

I imagine this product would be great for dogs who are out and about a whole lot more. In saying that, it really is very moisturising. CONFESSION: I've been using it as a hand cream the past couple of days as it's been on my desk. With ingredients like sweet almond and wheatgerm oil, it's a product I think might even benefit on people with really dry skin. If anyone tries this, let me know what you think! 

The whole "pampering" experience was finished off with a few spritzes of the No Tears Spritz - there's a couple of different scents available I think. We used Aloe and Papaya which was really nice. Bailey had just been washed so smelled pretty good anyway so I imagine this product would benefit more between washes, just to keep your dogs smelling nice!

I think the best thing about the product range as a whole is that none of the products contain sulphates or parabens which a lot of products do, which any sciencey people will know are not good for human skin, never mind doggy skin! Products with these ingredients can cause irritations to dogs (and humans) with sensitive skin so make sure to take care when purchasing beauty products for yourselves and your doggies!

Bailey and I took part in a photo shoot a few days later to launch the products!

The products are actually really good value too, ranging from €6.99 - €7.99. The whole range can be bought at Maxi Zoo stores nationwide - check on their website here for your nearest store http://www.maxizoo.ie/stores.html

33% of all profits go to Dogs Trust :)

The whole range of products are now available in Maxi Zoo stores nationwide.

If you make a purchase, do let us know what you think!

A Tour of Dogs Trust Dublin's Rehoming Centre

Have you ever wanted to come and have a nosey of our fabulous rehoming centre, but just haven’t gotten around to it? Or perhaps it’s a bit too far?

Well we’ve taken some pictures for you so you can have a virtual tour and see some of the behind the scenes action in Dogs Trust.

Just a little background info before we get going. Our centre has been in Ireland since November 2009 and we have so far rehomed 1,949 dogs (as of today, 8th February 2012). Our main objective is to rescue as many dogs as we possibly can from the pound system and to rehome them to the best possible home we can find.

This can often be a lengthy process for some of our residents, as they may not have gotten the love and attention they deserved in their previous homes. No matter how long it takes though, we will keep each dog here until we can find him or her a loving home. After all, our motto is that we NEVER destroy a healthy dog.

So let's go!



Reception!



First port of call is our reception area! When you first come into the centre, you will be greeted by a member of staff and asked to fill out a homefinding questionnaire. These questionnaires help us to assess your lifestyle and help find you the dog to match. After filling out your questionnaire, you can have a wander down our rehoming corridor and see if anyone catches your eye. If we think we have the perfect dog for you in one of our other blocks, we will bring you down to meet them. When you have picked a dog, you can come back to reception to discuss this with one of our staff and you can put a hold on your new dog.

Rehoming Corridor

Our Rehoming Corridor is where all our assessed dogs reside. We have 3 different blocks here at Dogs Trust - our Rehoming Block, our New Arrivals block for when new doggies come in and our Booked block for when doggies get booked to go home. Some of our dogs who are a bit anxious living in kennels will reside in Booked block as the Rehoming Corridor is just a bit too much for them.

Each of our glass fronted kennels has sound proof tiles, underfloor heating, sniff holes for the doggie to suss you out and an outdoor area for chilling out. Each dog has it's own bedding, which is donated to us by our supporters. We are always looking for things which can be used as bedding; such as duvets, sheets, blankets, towels. If you are doing a Spring Clean, please keep us in mind!

Saying that, we next move on to our Laundry Room!

Laundry Room

This does exactly as it says on the tin :) All the dog's bedding is washed daily to keep everything fresh and clean for them.

Chow time!

For the dogs, this is the most important part of the day!

Vet Suite

Next up on the tour is.... our state of the art vet suite! This is very important for all our residents. When they first arrive at the centre, they receive an intake exam, which basically assesses their current state of health. They are fitted with DAP collars, which release a smell which relaxes the dog (after all, it has probably been a very scary time for the dog, coming from the pound). Any health requirements they have will be met here by our wonderful vet team. All our doggie are neutered, microchipped and vaccinated before leaving the centre and that all takes place here.

Renesmee - 3 month old German Shepherd cross (female)

Here's a pic of Renesmee. We just saw her chilling out whilst taking the pics for this feature. She's a gorgeous wee thing looking for a home - just thought we'd share! ;)

Real Life Room

Most of the dogs we have in our centre have come to us from the pound system, so we don't often know their background, or what things they like or don't like. To help us get to know them, our Training and Behaviour advisors carry out a thorough assessment in our real life room. This room has a double sided mirror (very CSI!) where a member of staff can document the dog's reaction to different stimuli. These assessments help us to create a profile for the dog, which in turn helps us match them to the perfect new home.

Outer view of kennels

This is a view of the outside area that each dog has access to. Sometimes they just need a breather from all the hustle and bustle of the centre!

Puppy Palace

Welcome to Puppy Palace! As you can see from this pic, cleanliness and hygiene is super important down in Puppy Palace. This is because some of the residents in here are only teeny tiny newborns, whose immune systems are not quite developed yet. Others are just waiting to have their vaccinations before they can take on the world. For this reason, Puppy Palace needs to remain completely sterile - staff working in here wear shoe covers and those bio-hazard suits you can see hanging up.

Puppy Chow Time!

Just another cute pic we caught on our tour of the centre! Tia and Tamara are little Collie cross pups, totally adorable. Seen here having their lunch!

Very Important

We caught this piece of info hanging up in Puppy Palace and would like to share it with you all. We see so many puppies being abandoned, if you are thinking of getting a dog - make sure to do your research first :) We actually have an app for those of you with iPhone/iPads and are looking for some tips for looking after your puppies, check it out here http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/az/a/apps/

Fields, fields, fields!

Fields! We have lots of land for our doggies to get their walks. We also have different compounds built, some with concrete, some with sand, where dogs can get a break from the fields and maybe go play a game of "Fetch!" with one of our volunteers.

Puppy playground

This is our little puppy playground and yes, they do use the slide! Bit of a gloomy day when this pic was taken, hence no puppies out playing. On warmer days, this place is a sea of bouncy balls and fluffy toys!

Training Barn

And finally, this is our training barn! Lots of different things take place in here - from our adoption talks for prospective new owners to staff and doggie training. Our training barn can also be hired out for Civil Wedding Ceremonies! We have surround sound, ample parking, catering kitchen and of course, you can bring you own doggies along to help you celebrate your big day. For more info on that, you can email marketing@dogstrust.ie.
So I think that concludes our tour of the centre! We welcome all our supporters to come visit the centre, we open every day from 12pm until 4pm, apart from Tuesdays when we do a big deep clean of the centre. We even open Bank Holidays! Make sure you tell your friends about us too - the more people that know about us, the more doggies we can rehome.

Thanks for reading! xx