Terrific pre-Christmas offer on all Haqihana harnesses, leads and pochettes - 20% off for the whole of November! Spread the word and don't miss out.

This evening talk, by Grisha Stewart, was unusual for Dog and Bone in that the focus was not on dogs but their owners.  Having said that, it was easy to see how we can learn from dog training how to apply some of the ideas to ourselves and maybe be a little kinder to ourselves in the process.

With our busy, stressful lives, we can often overlook our own needs so it was invaluable, in this two and a half talk, to take time to stop and consider them.  Grisha looked at how to investigate what our own needs might be and how to ask for help from others in meeting them in a way that is non-confrontational.  She also demonstrated how we can bring a little calm into our lives through meditation and breathing techniques. Finally, she showed us how we can focus on the good in our lives.

All in all a fabulous and very useful evening for dog trainer and non dog trainer alike.

Special offer for September and while stocks last.

If you buy any Haqihana harness, you can add a Haqihana lead of your choosing for half price. There is no discount code to remember, just put both items in your basket and the checkout will do the rest.

Go on... treat yourself to a matching set.

Caring for a Canine Heart: Should You Buy Generic or Branded Heartworm Medication for Dogs

            Through your dog’s lifetime, you are expected to provide for all of your dog’s needs, from their nutrition, grooming and hygiene needs, and other accessories that your dog might need. Now, when it comes to most other things that you need to buy for your dog, you have two choices. If you have disposable income, you can purchase high-end branded pet items, which are usually more durable, stronger, and will last longer. However, if you’re on a tight budget, there are times when you might opt for generic 

items. They are cheaper, but they are not as strong and durable.

            When it comes to your dog’s medications, however, you might be wondering whether you should buy the branded medications or opt for the cheaper generic versions. Heartworm medication is one of these medications that you need to decide on.

Is Heartworm Medication Really that Important?

            In a word, yes. If you want your dog to live a long and healthy life, you need to regularly provide heartworm medication for your pet. As suggested by its name, heartworm medication treats heartworm disease and prevents its negative effects from affecting your animal.

            Heartworm disease is caused by a parasite with the scientific name Dirofilaria immitis. It is a type of parasitic roundworm that looks thread-like and is transmitted from one dog to another through an intermediary host: the common mosquito. When a mosquito feeds on a dog who is infected with adult heartworms, it will ingest the larvae of the parasite (called microfilaria) through the dog’s bloodstream. When they move on and feed on a healthy dog, they will then inject these larvae into the new host, starting the cycle again.

            If left untreated, heartworm disease is a serious and potentially lethal disease for dogs as the adult worms will continue to reproduce in their heart chambers and nearby blood vessels. Over time, the sheer number of the heartworms will block the blood flow inside your dog, causing heart failure, difficulty breathing, and eventually complete shutdown of other organs.

What are the Signs of Heartworm Infection?

            The problem with trying to detect heartworm infection early is that the symptoms are not noticeably severe until the situation becomes life-threatening. During the early stages of infection, you will just notice that your dog might have a loss of appetite, difficulty in breathing after strenuous play, and occasional lethargy. All of the symptoms can point to a host of other problems. Thus, the best way to handle heartworm is by completely preventing it from beginning in the first place.

Heartworm Medication: Generic vs. Branded

            If you try to look for heartworm medication, you will notice that there are both generic and branded forms. For generic medications, some of the most popular brands are Iverhart and Tri-Heart, while for branded medications, you will generally find Heartguard Plus and Sentinel. Some heartworm medications are considered as “broad-spectrum”, which means that they target more than one type of parasite. Some, such as Nextra Spectrum, works against internal parasites such as worms as well as external parasites such as fleas and ticks.

            In general, branded medications are more expensive compared to generic ones, however, you should not buy into the myth that branded medications work better compared to generic ones. In fact, let’s look at two of the most popular heartworm medications: Iverhart for generic and Heartgard Plus for branded.

            The most important thing that you need to look at is what kind of active ingredients they contain, as these will basically dictate how effective a certain medication is. Both medications contain the exact same active ingredients in the same dosages, which means that they will work the same in treating your dog.

            If there is a difference between the two medications, it’s in the flavor, texture, and customer reviews. Heartgard Plus has a soft and chewy texture and beef flavor, while Iverhart has a hard, crunchy texture and pork liver flavor. A slight number of customers have reported that their dogs prefer Heartgard over Iverhart due to the softer texture and flavor.

Which Should I Choose?

            In the end, it will be up to your personal preference to choose between generic and branded heartworm medications for dogs. Your budget will play some part, as well as the availability of the products, however, if you purchase online, it is quite easy to find both types of medication. The only important thing when it comes to heartworm medications is that you have properly consulted a vet with regards to the dosage and schedule that you need for your dog. 

Good news to those of you waiting for new stock of Haqihana.  Supplies were getting low due to an unprecedented wave of orders.  Word is clearly getting around around about what great products these are.  I'm glad to report that a huge order arrived yesterday and has been added to the website.  There is now a terrific range of colours, sizes and styles available to purchase from our website

We've had plenty of positive feedback about the Here to Stay book on training your rescue dog.  The author now brings us Here to Stay - Training Your Puppy.

Of the book, Dr Ian Dunbar says "Readers of Here to Stay will vastly improve the quality of life for their puppies as well as themselves".

This title can be supplied on a wholesale basis.  Contact info@dog-and-bone.co.uk if you want to know more.

We had a really interesting seminar with Sian Ryan last week, we discovered all about dog's natural impulsiveness and how the DIAS scale works. We tried it out on office dog Skyler and discovered she is fairly high up on the chart - not surprisingly! 

Sian had some great ideas about how to train some self control, especially useful for those dogs who do score highly for impulsiveness.

Dog and Bone and Andrea Misto are bringing the (sometimes very lucrative) activity of Truffle Hunting to the UK!

Did you know there are a number of locations around the UK where truffles can be found? Dogs are perfect for helping to sniff out these highly prized fungi, and in April 2019, Andrea Misto is coming over from Italy to teach us how to train our dogs to find these truffles, known as "the diamond of the kitchen"

Check out the semianr page for full information and tickets

We're excited to be bringing new products to Dog and Bone.  

Available now are the filmed seminars Dr Ian Dunbar did with us in 2017 - they can be purchased individually or as a set of all 4. 

Coming soon - 101 uses for a Poo Bag book - pre-orders can be taken now.

We're very excited to be hosting Sian Ryan in September.  Sian is new to Dog and Bone but we feel we can gain some very useful insights from her expertise on Impulsivity and Self-Control.