Christmas Proof Your Dog

We’re joined by Blue Cross Vet, Paul Manktelow, talking about how to keep your dog safe this Christmas.  We chat about why despite being super vigilant, every year many dogs become a veterinary statistic. It's estimated that 10 per cent of Britain's dogs see a vet over the festive season.  Paul highlights the main toxic foods from raisins, dark ‘posh’ chocolate, poinsettias, decorations, wrapping paper, sellotape, cooked turkey bones, and onions, not to mention the stresses  of visitors and over excitement if your dog isn’t used to busy households.  Christmas is hard to imagine from a dog’s point of view with their olfaction and hearing so much more acute than ours.  Paul talks through how best to avoid your dog as a  natural born scavenger and opportunist becoming a veterinary statistic this Christmas. Follow Paul and the Blue Cross on Instagram.This episode is powered by Antinol. We're super proud to be collaborating with them and you can enjoy at 10% discount on your purchase by using our promocode ANNAWEBB. Remember - you're supporting A Dog's Life by supporting our proud sponsor!For more about Anna go to annawebb.co.ukMusic and production by Mike Hanson for Pod People ProductionsCover art by JaijoCover photo by Rhian Ap Gruffydd at Gruff Pawtraits

When once upon a time the term dog-friendly hadn’t been invented as we know it today!That’s why it was brilliant to chat with Photographer, Jackie Richards, about her book: Dogs in the Workplace.For over 13 years Jackie has capture dogs and their people in all sorts of different workplaces: from garages, butcher’s shops, cinemas, offices, hairdressers, nightclubs, antique shops and the list goes on.The book captures the relationship between many different breeds and their owners in many different situations.The common thread is the bond that’s conveyed without words, without fuss, and as they say the camera never lies.It's a labour of love combined with a lot of talent and could make the perfect Christmas gift, as it will sit pride of place on any coffee table!Huge thanks to Jackie Richards: @dogsintheworkplaceThis episode is powered by Antinol. We're super proud to be collaborating with them and you can enjoy at 10% discount on your purchase by using our promocode ANNAWEBB. Remember - you're supporting A Dog's Life by supporting our proud sponsor!For more about Anna go to annawebb.co.ukMusic and production by Mike Hanson for Pod People ProductionsCover art by JaijoCover photo by Rhian Ap Gruffydd at Gruff Pawtraits

‘Alright Pet’! That’s the hugely successful podcast by BBC Broadcaster, Anne-Marie Wallace who joins me on A Dog’s Life to chat about her passion for all animals, especially retired Greyhounds. Anne -Marie broadcasts on BBC Radio Ulster and BBC NI and launched Alright Pet that airs on BBC Sounds and is about to start its seventh series. Co-hosted by specialist Vet, Rob Adams, together they chat to famous pet owners and celebrate the bond we have with our pets. Beginning with dogs and cats, the podcast soon diversified to cover all animals. We chat about the real life stories that have touched Anne-Marie the most, not least her concerns about dogs in rescue at record levels and why to adopt not shop is the right thing to do. Plus one of Anne-Marie’s guilty pleasures - horse riding - and we’ve made a pact to one day ride around Hyde Park together.Listen to Anne-Marie's podcast or follow on InstagramThank you to the good people at Antinol. We're super proud to be collaborating with them and you can enjoy at 10% discount on your purchase by using our promocode ANNAWEBB. Remember - you're supporting A Dog's Life by supporting our proud sponsor!For more about Anna go to annawebb.co.ukMusic and production by Mike Hanson for Pod People ProductionsCover art by JaijoCover photo by Rhian Ap Gruffydd at Gruff Pawtraits

This week we're joined by film Director, Heidi Ewing, of Loki Films , chatting about Folktales the latest release. When modern life becomes too loud, a group of teens escape to the Arctic wilderness for an unconventional gap year. Guided by patient teachers and a pack of Alaskan huskies, they learn resilience and form meaningful connections with nature, animals, and one another. Set in northern Norway close to the Russian border, Folktales follows the journey of some teenagers on a’gap’ year at a traditional folk high school. Navigating the challenges of the remote environment, they must rely on themselves, each other, and a loyal pack of sled dogs.Folktales premiered to widespread critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival and will be released in UK and Irish cinemas on 5th December. See more about cinemas to see it in via Dogwoof Find out more here or follow on InstagramFollow Heidi on @heidiewingThank you to the good people at Antinol. We're super proud to be collaborating with them and you can enjoy at 10% discount on your purchase by using our promocode ANNAWEBB. Remember - you're supporting A Dog's Life by supporting our proud sponsor!If you want to switch to a raw diet for your dog, you can't do better than Paleo Ridge. Find out more here and follow them on @paleoridgeInstagram: @PaleoridgeFor more about Anna go to annawebb.co.ukMusic and production by Mike Hanson for Pod People ProductionsCover art by JaijoCover photo by Rhian Ap Gruffydd at Gruff Pawtraits

This week we're joined by Bio-Archeologist, Dr Carly Ameen, who has been part of a team studying the  emergence and diversification of dog morphology. Looking at the remarkable difference in over 600 dog’s skulls from as far back as 11,000 years ago, the team discovered a huge variety of skull shapes and sizes. This proves that dogs were very different from wolves at this point in time. But the missing link as to when wolves became dogs is still unclear. But this research confirms it was more than 11,000 years ago! The variety of skull shapes in what is generically termed a 'canid’ also dispels the myth that the Victorians created the range of dog breeds we see today. The extreme modern exaggeration of features was not apparent in the skulls analysed, but they do prove that dogs had been shaped, being created for the different purposes whether guarding, hunting, or simply being ‘lap dogs’.  We chat about the Romans and how there are graves dedicated to dogs in the UK dating back to the Roman empire, again proving the huge impact dogs have had on our lives for centuries. The question of when wolves became dogs may never be  answered as for many years the wolves - a strain of Grey Wolf, long extinct, would have remained as wolves for likely hundreds of years. before they changed shape. What we do know is that these early dogs saw something in us early humans that inspired them to become man’s best friend.Read the study hereThank you to the good people at Antinol. We're super proud to be collaborating with them and you can enjoy at 10% discount on your purchase by using our promocode ANNAWEBB. Remember - you're supporting A Dog's Life by supporting our proud sponsor!If you want to switch to a raw diet for your dog, you can't do better than Paleo Ridge. Find out more here and follow them on @paleoridgeInstagram: @PaleoridgeFor more about Anna go to annawebb.co.ukMusic and production by Mike Hanson for Pod People ProductionsCover art by JaijoCover photo by Rhian Ap Gruffydd at Gruff Pawtraits

This week we're joined by Solicitor, Ben Evans from Co-Op Legal Services who is talking about why lawyers are recommending that couples think about a ‘Pet-Nup’ agreement when taking on a pup. With 42% of all marriages in the UK ending in divorce, it’s not uncommon for the dog to be caught up in the break up.Ben explains he has seen dogs used in ‘psychological warfare‘ in acrimonious circumstances.Apart from being very costly to take the custody case to the courts, this stress and negative emotion oftentimes does not have the welfare of the dog in mind.Instead lawyers recommend to be better safe than sorry, by thinking ahead, being mature to make plans in the event of a split. Not least to think like a dog and try and work through communication positively to make the difficult situation easier.Going through the courts is made complicated as despite the Animal Welfare Act 2022 defining animals as sentients, the fact remain that in family law, pets are still labelled as chattel, a possession like a car or a fridge freezer. Until this disparity in law is bridged resolving custody can be complex and often based on the name attributed to the pet’s microchip rather than to the person that could offer the best care for the pet. Find out more about here. If you want to switch to a raw diet for your dog, you can't do better than Paleo Ridge. Find out more here and follow them on @paleoridgeInstagram: @PaleoridgeThank you to the good people at Antinol. We're super proud to be collaborating with them and you can enjoy at 10% discount on your purchase by using our promocode ANNAWEBB. Remember - you're supporting A Dog's Life by supporting our proud sponsor!For more about Anna go to annawebb.co.ukMusic and production by Mike Hanson for Pod People ProductionsCover art by JaijoCover photo by Rhian Ap Gruffydd at Gruff Pawtraits

This week we’re  joined by Esther Logue, Content and Communications Manager at Paleo Ridge, catching up on the latest developments at one of the UK’s fastest growing raw food brands.We chat about the huge expansion of the raw feeding sector in the last decade and how the company has doubled in size in the last five years to adapt to this growing demand from an expanding customer base.  Announcing  the firm’s  new semi-automated production facility, which is a huge investment that underpins the brand’s long-term commitment to improving product availability, maintaining stock levels, exceptional quality standards and supporting its growing network of retail and trade partners.We chat about the introduction of new lifestyle ranges  in Puppy and Senior in the PaleoPlus range as being tailored to specific needs, and the first to contain Reishi mushroom tincture. More than that we talk about why feeding dogs as nature intended fuels the immune system, and provides cellular energy that promotes natural health and vitality. If you want to switch to a raw diet for your dog, you can't do better than Paleo Ridge. Find out more here and follow them on @paleoridgeInstagram: @PaleoridgeThank you to the good people at Antinol. We're super proud to be collaborating with them and you can enjoy at 10% discount on your purchase by using our promocode ANNAWEBB. Remember - you're supporting A Dog's Life by supporting our proud sponsor!For more about Anna go to annawebb.co.ukMusic and production by Mike Hanson for Pod People ProductionsCover art by JaijoCover photo by Rhian Ap Gruffydd at Gruff Pawtraits

This week Anna chats to the ‘House Plant Doctor, Joe Bagley, on the huge benefits of bringing house plants into our homes, adding that important Vitamin G - for green! More than a third (36%) of people say they miss the greenery outdoors during autumn and winter, while 65% spend more time inside and as little as 5% of people go outside for leisure multiple times a day between the months of November and February, according to new research by the Plants & Flowers Foundation Holland.Similarly dogs have more limited time to enjoy daylight and outdoors too, and while SAD syndrome isn’t considered something our pets suffer from, but the effects of being indoors more with centrally heated environments can take its toll on our dogs.With indoor environments considered 3.5 times more toxic than outdoors, breathing in household cleaning volatile compounds, dust particles and more , adding plants can help balance indoor air quality with over 52% people agreeing houseplants improve overall wellbeing.For dogs they give an extra interest with natural odours to invibe along with helping reduce anxiety  We chat about the best indoor plants that are non toxic to pets , even adding your own homegrown cat nip or cat grass for your kitty to nibble on.  But overall why plants give us a real mental boost!Follow on InstagramThank you to the good people at Antinol. We're super proud to be collaborating with them and you can enjoy at 10% discount on your purchase by using our promocode ANNAWEBB. Remember - you're supporting A Dog's Life by supporting our proud sponsor!If you want to switch to a raw diet for your dog, you can't do better than Paleo Ridge. Find out more here and follow them on @paleoridgeInstagram: @PaleoridgeFor more about Anna go to annawebb.co.ukMusic and production by Mike Hanson for Pod People ProductionsCover art by JaijoCover photo by Rhian Ap Gruffydd at Gruff Pawtraits

This week Anna is chuffed to have chatted to Journalist and Author, Sophia Money-Coutts, about her new book - The Year of the Dog.It’s the funniest, most heart warming ‘memoir’ of bringing ‘Dennis’ - the Parsons Russell Terrier pup into her life just over a year ago. Approaching a landmark birthday, it’s the roller coaster journey of how he has changed Sophia’s life for the better!We discuss how the thought is that raising a puppy is simple: feed them, walk them, love them. Right? Wrong!!Sophia was armed with Pinterest-perfect plans and firm ideas about training, but just as the puppy pads hit the floor, the rest of her world falls apart.Suddenly single and quietly unravelling, Sophia finds herself solo parenting a tiny, gleeful agent of chaos who devours foam earplugs, destroys her shoes, and has an alarming taste for spiders. He’s also the only thing keeping her afloat.As the months roll by in a haze of dodgy first dates, sleepless nights and meltdowns in the park, Sophia begins to make sense of it all: the grief of a life that didn’t go to plan, the weirdness of being single in your late thirties, and the surprising ways love shows up when you least expect it.By the end of their first year together, Dennis hasn’t just wrecked the furniture: he’s quietly rebuilt Sophia’s life!Without doubt this true account of the ups and downs of puppy ownership is one of the funniest and heart warming books I’ve read for ages .It’s a pawfect stocking filler this Christmas especially for someone thinking about bringing a puppy into their life!Order your copy here. And follow Sophia on @sophiamcoutts.Thank you to the good people at Antinol. We're super proud to be collaborating with them and you can enjoy at 10% discount on your purchase by using our promocode ANNAWEBB. Remember - you're supporting A Dog's Life by supporting our proud sponsor!If you want to switch to a raw diet for your dog, you can't do better than Paleo Ridge. Find out more here and follow them on @paleoridgeInstagram: @PaleoridgeFor more about Anna go to annawebb.co.ukMusic and production by Mike Hanson for Pod People ProductionsCover art by JaijoCover photo by Rhian Ap Gruffydd at Gruff Pawtraits

In this classic episode (and Anna's personal favourite) the eminent biologist and author of Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home talks to Anna about the science behind our pets' 'sixth sense'.Thank you to the good people at Antinol. We're super proud to be collaborating with them and you can enjoy at 10% discount on your purchase by using our promocode ANNAWEBB. Remember - you're supporting A Dog's Life by supporting our proud sponsor!If you want to switch to a raw diet for your dog, you can't do better than Paleo Ridge. Find out more here and follow them on @paleoridgeInstagram: @PaleoridgeFor more about Anna go to annawebb.co.ukMusic and production by Mike Hanson for Pod People ProductionsCover art by JaijoCover photo by Rhian Ap Gruffydd at Gruff Pawtraits