Dog Lovers Success

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Dog Lovers from all over visited the Glasgow SEC for The Dog Lovers Show and there was so much to see and so many gorgeous dogs to pet. From meeting Instadogs to meet the breeds, pooches of all shapes and sizes were on their best behaviour despite the heat of the day. It was great to see water bowls dotted all over for the dogs and they could also go outside if they had to.

The knowledge of the owners was fantastic and it was amazing to engage in conversations with likeminded people who loves dogs as much as I do.

My bank balance took a serious hit as there was so much to buy and my dogs have definitely enjoyed the treats I got them from stalls such as:

Discount Pet Supplies: https://discountpetsupplies.co.uk/

Paw Originals: https://www.paworiginals.co.uk/

For dog lovers or just those looking for a great day out, this is a fantastic event and one I hope to see coming back to Glasgow. The volunteers were extremely helpful and the demonstrations absolutely amazing. There is such a variety of doggy activities and it’s great for people to see them live.

If you get a chance to go to the show the next time it’s in town, don’t hesitate. You won’t be disappointed and there is fun to be had for all the family.

You can see the photos I took on the day on my instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/doglovingwriter/

Calling Glasgow Dog Lovers

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The Dog Lover Show returns to the Glasgow SEC this weekend, 9-10th of September 2023. Having attended the show numerous times before, I can honestly say that it is a must for all dog lovers. Not only will you have a chance to meet different breeds of dogs, but there are demonstrations and some serious shopping.

It is a great day out for all the family.

Advance Ticket £13.50 | Weekend Ticket £20 | Entry on the day £20

Book now: https://thedoglovershow.co.uk/tickets/

Find The Passion You’ve Lost

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When I was a kid, I saw the movie Speed with Keanu Reeves and something clicked in my brain. I became obsessed with it and this led me to write an extremely bad sequel. When I say wrote, I mean handwrote on A4 lined paper and my cousin drew a cool looking sports car as a cover. I still have it. What I remember is being so passionate about writing that story, developing the characters and creating a plot that I would enjoy reading.

There are a fair few unfinished manuscripts on my computer and countless notebooks with story ideas, character profiles and lots more scattered about my house. But I can never seem to finish one of them. I fixate on a story for a while and then lose the passion and move onto something else. It’s infuriating and while I know there is an issue, I’m not sure how to fix it. I miss the passion I had when writing my Speed sequel. Sitting on the floor, my pen whizzing across the paper and the ideas flowing in my mind. Finishing that story was one of my proudest moments and I even made copies for people I trusted and gave it to them. I now hope they didn’t read it because it was really bad lol. But I want that passion back.

I want to be so fixated on an idea that it’s all I can think about and can sit for hours working on it. I feel as though I have lost my passion for writing and no amount of how to write books are helping. I have plenty of ideas but sitting my butt in the chair and actually getting the manuscript done is where I am struggling.

Not quite sure if I am going to get the passion I once had back. I know it’s in there somewhere, I just need to jump start it somehow.

Hit or Miss?

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Netflix dropped its new Resident Evil series today and I’m honestly not sure whether to put it as a hit or a miss. Let me start off by saying that I am a huge fan of Resident Evil. Have been since the first game was released on Playstation. I’ve also read S.D. Perrys novels and loved them.

It’s no secret that when it comes to Resident Evil movies, it’s been a debacle. They strayed from the original storyline, took them in a totally different direction and the majority of hardcore fans hated it. Truth be told, I wasn’t a huge fan, but I watched them. When I saw the trailer for the new series, the first thing that really jumped out at me was the weird dancing bear holigram. It really had me questioning where they were going to take this series and if someone would finally get it right.

What I will start off by saying is that Lance Reddick did an awesome job playing Albert Wesker. His voice, mannerisms and numerous other aspects I felt was a true nod to the original character. While the storyline does have aspects of the original games and there are some moments when fans will be squeeing with glee. Yes, I squeed. Especially when Moonlight Sonata was played and there were puzzles similar to those in the games.

The storyline jumps back and forward between two storylines that eventually link up and it works. It kept me hooked and I wanted to find out what would happen next. The zombies and other Umbrella creations were well done and stayed true to the games, complete with an absolutely sadistic bitch for everyone to hate (Evelyn Marcus was definitely throwing off Excella Gionne vibes, and she had a fantastic wardrobe.)

With regards to characters, they are also hit and miss. Jade Wesker is an interesting character, but what really put me off was the way she was portrayed as a teen. She dropped an awful lot of f-bombs which put me off. Adult Jade was so much better and had the classic Resident Evil badass feel. I loved the character Baxter. Despite the fact he works for Umbrella. He was awesome and hilarious.

The dog lover in me was rooting for little Pablo. What can I say? I’m a dog person, hence the name of my blog. I even enjoyed the zombie dobermans which were as terrifying in the series as they are in the games.

I wish we could have seen more from the original Raccoon City incident that was mentioned throughout the series. I’m hoping that maybe it will be featured more if the series continues. All in all, there is a lot for the die hard RE fan to enjoy. While an adaptation true to the game would be good, the question has to be asked whether it would be successful because fans will know exactly what’s going to happen. Personally, I’d like to see what they could do with it. With the correct writer, actors and effects, it would be amazing.

Take time to go through the series and enjoy it. I binged it in less than a day and am planning to watch it again.

“One Nation, Under Guns”

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Another mass shooting has left 19 children and 2 teachers dead at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Once again, the same question is being asked:

“How many more?”

It seems that whenever there is a mass shooting in the USA, there is outrage and calls for action that lasts a few weeks and nothing is done. There are so many people affected by mass shootings and they have to live with the trauma and fear of going through what they did. Yet, nothing is done.
Almost a decade has passed since Sandy Hook where 26 people, 20 of which were little children at 6 and 7 years of age.

The routine after a mass shooting is the same. The same arguments are used by the pro-gun faction and it’s hard to argue with their logic as it is so flawed and they cannot grasp what to others is basic common sense.

“It’s a mental health problem.”

Yes. There is a huge mental health problem not only in the USA, but all over the world. But only in the USA can someone with a mental health issue go into a store and legally purchase a gun that can fire 400 rounds per minute. Not only that, but an 18 year old who is not legally allowed to consume alcohol, can go into a store and purchase a gun.

“A good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun.”

Scot Peterson was supposed to be the good guy with a gun at Stoneman Douglas High School and yet when Nikolas Cruz started shooting, Scot Peterson stayed outside and didn’t do anything. In the most recent mass shooting in Buffalo, New York where ten people were killed, Aaron Salter Jr, a security guard at the store was one of the victims after firing his gun multiple times at the shooter.

An event that is mentioned with regards to gun control is the Dunblane Incident that happened in a small town in Scotland in 1996. Thomas Hamilton walked into the gymnasium at Dunblane Primary School and killed 16 primary school children and their teacher. After that incident, the government took action and enhanced gun legislation and there has not been a mass shooting in Scotland since.

“But knife crime is a huge problem in the UK.”

Knife crime is a problem, there is absolutely no debate about that. But if a perpetrator went into a school armed with a knife, there would be far less deaths than there are with a weapon that can fire 400 rounds a minute and be used from a distance away. In these instances, the chances are the good guy with the gun would be able to actually engage and survive doing so. To be killed with a knife requires a perpetrator to be in close proximity to their victim. Victims would actually stand a chance of getting away as opposed to trying to run away and having a shower of bullets fired towards them with little chance of survival.

“You cannot take my second amendment rights.”

That is not the issue here. What people actually want are more enhanced background checks and red flag legislation so that the individuals who want to commit a mass shooting cannot get the tools to do so.

“If they really want to commit a mass shooting, they’ll get a gun one way or another.”

Stop making it so easy for them to get the guns! Salvador Ramos walked into a gun shop on his 18th birthday and bought a weapon that he would later use to kill 21 people. If you look at some of the worst mass shootings in America, between 1966-2019, 77% of mass shooters obtained their guns legally.

Guns have overtaken cars as the leading cause of child deaths in the USA. That is a fact and there are a number of government officials who maintain that guns are not a problem.

Whatever happens in the coming weeks and months, the situation is crystal clear. There is a huge problem in the USA when it comes to firearms and until something is done, there will sadly be more incidents like Sandy Hook and Robb Elementary. More innocent lives will be lost and the individuals who have the power to do something will sit refuse to acknowledge the real problem while stating the same baseless arguments.

No parent should have to fear sending their child to school in case they don’t come back home.
No child should fear being shot at in school.
No-one should be afraid to go to the grocery store for fear of being killed by a mass shooter.

Crufts: It’s like Comic-Con but for dogs

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Absolutely fantastic post about Crufts.

An Aspiring Aspie

There’s not much more to say about it, other than how awesome it is. It’s a dog lover’s heaven, with so many different breeds of dog on display, you’re bound to fall in love at least a few times. I know this post comes a tad late but in all fairness, that could sum up a large portion of my life so far. Might make a nifty plaque or headstone, actually

“Here lies An Aspiring Aspie. He was a tad late”.

Hmmm. On second thought, maybe not. Anyway, the day in question was amazing. My friend, the amazing doglovingwriter, picked me up at about 3 in the morning so we could make our way to the venue. It was a good few hours drive but the chance to meet my friend and have a fun day out was worth it. I had plenty of time to mentally prepare for…

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Putting Together A Dog First Aid Kit

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Having had dogs for many years, I am more than aware that anything can happen. I went hill walking with my dogs and halfway up, my lurcher got a cut on his foot. After patching it up, I then carried him down the hill as he is a bit of a woosy pants. Whenever he has to get medication, it’s a battle to get him to take it if he finds it in the food I try to hide it in. He is a smart boy.

Knowing and having the basic tools for dog first aid is crucial because anything can happen and having that knowledge could save your dogs life. So what should you have in your first aid kit for your dog?

Rubber gloves
Hand sanitiser
Saline solution
Anti-septic wipes
Cold compress
Emergency blanket
Tick remover
Pair of blunt end scissors
Roll of medical tape
Bandages of varying size
Gauze
Wood tongue compress
Small, medium and large dressings
Vet wrap
Safety pins
Syringe
Cotton buds
Rubber tourniquet
Wound wash
Blanket
Tweezers

All of the above can be put into a bag and kept in your car and transferred to a backpack for when you’re out and about.

If you want more information on pet first aid. The following websites are awesome for crucial advice.

https://www.bluecross.org.uk/advice/dog/basic-first-aid-for-dogs

https://beaumontvet.co.uk/pet-advice/general-pet-advice/essential-first-aid-for-your-pet/

The Ten Commandments of Dog

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Owning a dog comes with a lot of responsibility. But there are some commandments that also come with dog ownership:

The Ten Commandments of Dogs

1 – Thou shall never pee alone again.

2 – You shall never commit the sin of petting another dog.

3 – Thy food is fair game if left within reach.

4 – Remember that every day is play with your dog day.

5 – Thy property may be redesigned, not chewed.

6 – Thy will be protected from the mailman, leaves blowing outside and people walking by the window.

7 – Dog treats shall be given daily without exception.

8 – The couch becomes part property of the dog as soon as the dog steps foot on the property.

9 – If dog falls asleep in your lap, moving is not an option.

10 – Blankets shall remain property of the dog regardless of who is under it.

A little about me, I guess…

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A good friend of mine has started a blog. A fellow writer, he has great talent and I can’t wait to read more from him.

An Aspiring Aspie

This is the part where my mind goes blank. What am I about, what am I into? The second that questions like that start circling through my head, everything else goes out the window. Best start with the basics and work my way up, I reckon.

So, as the title suggests, I have Asperger’s and am therefore on the Autistic Spectrum. Because of where I sit on said Spectrum, my behaviour has often been described as being… weird. Which, for most regular folk, is true. To them, I was weird. But on the flipside of that, I found them particularly weird. And, in the case of school, utterly repulsive and not worth the time. I did not have a particulary happy childhood, you may already be able to tell.

What else is good to talk about? Hobbies! Perfect, I have at least one. The more creative of which is writing…

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Preventing Dog Theft

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Over the last few months, my social media feed has been inundated with pictures of dogs that have been stolen and their owners pleading for their safe return or information leading to the whereabouts of their beloved pets. It has become a far too common occurence with owners now scared to walk their dogs in case someone tries to take their beloved pet. People have been beaten, held at knife point and had other weapons used against them. Houses and kennels have been broken into and the dogs stolen.

There are steps that you can take to prevent your dogs being stolen.

  • Wear a go-pro or action camera when out walking your dog. This may deter people as they will be recorded. I have spoken to the police and it is legal to wear a go pro camera if you are out walking your dog.
  • Use a locking carabiner to connect your dogs collar to his leash (image below.) This will prevent someone from being able to unclip your dogs leash from it’s collar quickly.
https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1541690090176-17d35a190b6c?ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxzZWFyY2h8MTN8fGxvY2tpbmclMjBjYXJhYmluZXJ8ZW58MHx8MHx8&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&auto=format&fit=crop&w=900&q=60
Locking Carabiner
  • Walk with another person. A friend or fellow dog walker.
  • Do not walk the same route at the same time each day. Mix up your routes and change your dog walking times through the day.
  • Be aware of your surroundings. If you see someone acting strange or suspicious, report them to the police.
  • Make sure that your phone has a good charge on it when you go out in case you need to make an emergency phone call or take a picture.
  • Carry an attack alarm with you. You can get them on Amazon for about ten pounds.
  • If you are walking at night, take a torch with your or wear a head torch.
  • Do not leave your dog unattended outside a shop or establishment.
  • Do not leave your dogs unattended in your garden. So many dogs are being stolen from gardens and there are numerous reports of people looking into peoples gardens to see if they have dogs.

A company called petloc (www.petloc.com) have recently become popular. They design leashes and collars for dogs that have combination locks and are lined with steel cable so they cannot be cut or unclipped easily. They have a lot of orders right now so are recommending you contact them about preordering.

A lot of people have asked me about the handheld paint sprays that they have seen on Amazon. They are like a mace or pepperspray, however instead of spraying a blinding liquid, they spray paint that sticks to a persons skin and clothes and is difficult to wash off. I am still waiting for the police to confirm the legality of this product. From my research, it would appear that a case has never been brought up for using one. I have emailed the police and am waiting on them getting back to me. I will update as soon as I hear from them.

It is also important to be wary of where you are sharing pictures and information about your pets. Ensure that your Facebook profile is set to private and it might be a good idea to avoid posting pictures on groups with large numbers of people. It is far too easy to look someone up on Facebook and then go online to track them down.

Should the unthinkable happen and your dog goes missing. Contact the police immediately. You can also contact http://www.doglost.co.uk and report it, they will create a poster and your share it on their network. Post on social media and share it everywhere, make your dog too hot to handle. There are various other facebook groups dedicated to searching for lost dogs. There is also a Facebook group called Neighbourhood Woof Watch that reports stolen dogs and suspicious activity with regards to dog theft.

The key is awareness. You can also set up a camera at your home, get a doorbell camera so you can see who is at your door before you open it. There are various models available and they connect to your phone via an app.

It is also absolutely critical that you make sure your dogs microchip information is up to date. Make sure that you know your dogs microchip number and that the company have up to date contact information for you.

We all want to do everything we can to keep our dogs safe. I hope the information above will be of some help.