This Wednesday and Thursday (21st and 22nd of March) you are invited to join me for my new micro-shoot sessions, where you can simply turn up, pay £10 cash, and I will photograph your dog. Micro-sessions will be open-to-all, you never know how many people/dogs are going to turn up, but if you and your dog end up being the only ones who come and meet me you will have me all to yourself! If loads of people and their dogs turn up then I will do my best to spend at least 15 minutes which each dog. If you have two dogs it’s still £10, but any more it’s an extra £5 per dog. Bring a whole pack!

Why am I doing this? Well, this Wednesday and Thursday we are going to experience the Spring tide in Brighton, which only happens twice a year. This is where the tide goes out so far at low tide it exposes lots and lots of sand. Sometimes it goes so low you can walk up and underneath the old Pier. Imagine the pictures! It’s not going to be quite as low as that this year, but it will be low enough for the dogs to race around on oodles of nice soft sand, and they can also run in the shallows around the old pier.

Where will I be? Well, I will be hanging around as close as I can to the old Pier and photographing any of your dogs that you bring. You can bring as many as you like! There are no guarantees with the weather, so it’s a come and see type of thing and you only pay the £10 if I am able to take some shots of your dog. The weather is looking quite good though, so the sunset could be amazing. I’m very excited as I have never experienced the Spring tide before.

Ok, so in short this is what you need to know:

• I will be on the sand in front of the old Pier between 4-6/6.30pm, this Wednesday and Thursday.

• I will post on Facebook when I am there and also if the weather turns bad and my plans are abandoned.

• Just turn up, there’s no need to book. Simply come and find me, I shouldn’t be hard to find. I will have my brown BDP hoody on, Polka dot wellies and I will be accompanied by a pesky Pug!

• Come at any time and for as long as you like. I might be able to come back to you for more photos.

• There are no free prints with the micro sessions. I will post a link on my blog/facebook and send you can email within a couple of days with a link to where you can view and buy prints. There is no obligation to buy any prints. Take a look at my current print prices.

• You must be a Brighton Dog Photography Facebook fan to come to the micro shoots. If you’re not a fan, get to the page now and click ‘like’!

• Tell all your friends with dogs, it’s going to be loads of fun for the dogs and we will get some cracking shots!

Any questions on the day you can always call me on 07810 51620, but bear in mind I might not be able to get reception all the way out there and I also might be busy with other dogs. But just head as near as you can to the old Pier and you should find me.

I hope to see you there for this really exciting event!!

With the airing last night of the follow-up to the much talked-about 2008 BBC programme about the health of Pedigree dogs, plus the current RSPCA campaign on Pedigree dog health in full force, once again this issue has been pushed further in to the minds of the public. All over social media circles today you can easily find strong and very differing opinions on the subject. Having a Pug myself (one of the breeds as highlighted in last night’s programme as having poor health problems) I felt the need to share her story. To do that properly I need to go back to the beginning, when a smelly little, and slightly bald, ball of fluff came in to my life.

Getting a Pug was never part of my plan. I didn’t know anything about the breed, didn’t think about them and really had no knowledge about them. On the flipside my ex-partner was crazy about them and had wanted one for 20 years. When we discussed getting a dog I was keen on getting a Collie-cross, much like the family dogs we had when I was younger. The only Pug I could think of was Willie off Eastenders and I couldn’t work out why anyone would want a strange looking thing that just sits still all the time! But I could not have been more wrong about the nature of the Pug. When we went to visit Boo at the breeders she was racing around, terrorising her four brothers and pooing everywhere. She absolutely stank of Marmite, goodness knows why. She was such a curious object, so small and slightly bald, smelly and with a big long tongue that came out for a kiss. I was smitten.

When we got Boo home I literally turned overnight in to Mrs Mop. She was so difficult to toilet train it was unreal. At one point I didn’t bother to take off my rubber gloves and had a Mr Muscle bottle hooked in to my belt permanently. Other than that she was a delight; so funny and intelligent and willing to learn and play. She didn’t much like her first walk outside because it was raining and she had to wear a rain coat to keep dry. In hindsight I realised, she does not like clothes at all!

Boo continued in much the same vein over the next couple of years, being pesky and naughty but a delight at the same time. She went on lots of holidays and loved to race around big sandy beaches. She came to work and enjoyed long lunchtime walks by the river. Boo was always full of energy and was much like a ‘bottle of pop’, as my Mother had described her once. She would fly off your lap and hurl herself towards the TV whenever a dog appeared. Boo was very popular with people on the street too and we got very used to being stopped. I would have no problem walking past an intimidating group of youths on the street with Boo, because invariably you would always hear ‘awwww, it’s a Pug!’. Scenarios like this continued when Boo and I moved to Brighton on our own at the end of 2010, and continue to this day…

We always get stopped in the street. You can see people’s faces as you walk past; they can’t help themselves but smile at her and we very rarely go for a walk without somebody stopping us for a chat and a ‘hello little Puggy’. Boo loves the fuss, she’s such a friendly little thing. She’s great with nervous young children who might be a little frightened of dogs and I warn them she’s likely to get them with her long tongue rather than take a nibble of their fingers. There does seem to be such a strong pull towards Boo from people that I am not surprised that the breed is popular. Their characters are so adorable, if a little pesky at times, and you can’t help but love them.

So where’s the problem then? Boo’s cute and adorable, enjoying her long walks on the downs and on the beach and everything is fine. Well yes actually it was, up until mid May last year. One day Boo started to limp quite badly on her hind left leg.

We visited the Vet and she immediately said she thought it was something called a Luxating Patella. She explained this was the knee cap not sitting correctly in it’s socket and it was moving around, causing her pain. An operation would most probably be required, along with four months recovery. As she spoke I felt faint and utterly devastated thinking about what poor Boo was going to be up against. Was it something I had done wrong? Could I have prevented it? She had never shown any signs of pain, so I was very surprised to hear this news. The Vet recommended an x-ray and a visit to the specialist at The Wilbury vets. I was hoping it was going to be good news, that it was not as bad as the first Vet had thought and that Boo would not need the operation. Unfortunately, my fears were realised and worse. Boo had not only a Luxating Patella, but had also torn the cruciate ligament and had also developed a small amount of Arthritis in the knee joint as a result of the damage done over time. She would certainly need an operation to correct the Patella, plenty of rest and rehabilitation to help the cruciate to recover and supplements for the rest of her life to help with the Arthritis. She would no longer be able to go for the long walks we were happily enjoying together. Not only that it was going to cost around £2000 for the treatment. I felt utterly devastated, but thank God she was insured.

Boo’s welfare and health has always been my number one priority and so this was a major shock. I had always been very careful to keep her slim, feed her a healthy diet and give her plenty of exercise. I felt extremely upset that she was going to have to go through this treatment and have a change in lifestyle. All I ever wanted was for her to be healthy and happy and I wondered was there anything I could have done to prevent it. I had no idea she was having problems. But as it turns out this is quite a common problem with Pugs and Boo is one of lots of dogs who have had the same issue. Apparently you can tell if they have a Luxating patella if they do a little skip and a hop while walking, although with some dogs it never causes them real problems. It depends on the severity of the luxation. Boo’s Cruciate Ligament tear was the catalyst to her needing treatment, so the poor thing must have been in discomfort for a while. I just hate to think of it.

I knew it would be hard but I decided to take it day by day. Having to look after her by myself and being self-employed I knew it would not be easy to look after her so I dealt with the situation in short steps. Before the operation Boo had to have painkillers and next to no exercise. We had to wait a few weeks for the surgery and I just wanted it over so she would not be in pain anymore and I could concentrate on getting her better. It came soon enough though and on the day I felt sick to my stomach. I had read up and I knew that Pug’s do not cope so well sometimes under anaesthetic so I was desperate for her to be ok. I dropped Boo off at the Wilbury Vets and went off to work. All I wanted to hear was the ring on my phone, to hear she had woken up and was ok. Thankfully, a few hours later I did get the call and she was alright. My Mum had bought Boo a pushchair online because we knew she was not going to be allowed walks for a while and I did not want to keep her locked in the house. So I picked her up in the pram and she was fast asleep. We sauntered very slowly back home in the sunshine. I was relieved but knew the hard work had just begun…

I have to admit Boo likes to sleep in the bed sometimes and I let her. Oh well, why not, she’s like a hot water bottle and very cosy to cuddle up to. Due to the operation I had to get a cage to put her in, so that she would not be able to jump up on the bed, nor on the couch. She would have to go in this every single time I left the room. She would also have to wear the collar when not observed too so that she did not lick the wound. I will never forget the sight of her in the moonlight, sat bolt upright staring at me, a big collar around her head and behind the bars of the cage, staring at me with what looked like complete disgust. ‘I’m so sorry Boo’, I whispered, and tried to get some sleep. The first night was not so bad as the anaesthetic was wearing off. The second night was a little better. The third night she cried all night… ‘I’m a Pug, let me out of here!!’.

Those first few days were very hard. Boo’s eating was fine (I’d take her straight back to the Vets if she ever didn’t eat!) but she wouldn’t drink nor do a number two! I made her ice cubes and she did like those, but it wasn’t until the bandage was taken off after three days that she decided she would now go to the toilet properly. She was very groggy and slept a lot. I took her for a few walks in the push chair and I have to admit that I hated it. Getting attention from people when she is walking around was fine, but now I had at least 50% of people I walked past reacting to us; they mostly laughed or pointed, gestured ‘it’s a Pug in a pram!!’ or stopped us to say hello. I ended up putting a sign on the front ‘I’m a poorly Pug, not a pampered Pooch’. People thought I was treating her like a baby. I was not. She hated it and I hated it. Actually, Boo didn’t mind it so much when she felt like it, but once she had woken up a bit she just wanted to get out and walk but I couldn’t let her so she tweeted most of the way around. I even had people tell me to cheer up when I didn’t laugh along with them. Little did they know. I think I stopped one or two to tell them not to be so rude!

Fast forward 10 days and she was allowed a walk. Well, sort of. For two weeks she was allowed 3 x 5 minutes per day. Then for another two weeks she was allowed 3 x 10 minutes per day and then she was allowed 3 x 15 minutes per day up to four months. Coupled with that she had to have massages that had been recommended to me by the Physiotherapist 3 times per day and also special massages whilst out walking. It was very tough and tiring. Boo did seem to like the massages though and I would lay her down on a comfy pillow for them. The biggest problem was keeping her from running around and trying to play and jump. After a couple of weeks she felt fine but the cruciate needed a lot longer to repair. In all honesty it was a nightmare. She was bored and I couldn’t explain why her life had suddenly gone a bit rubbish. But still, with the pram at least she was able to go out and be out of the house for hours on end. I remember having a beer at the Fortune of War pub on the beach one evening and Boo was quite happily snoring away in her ‘bed on wheels’.

A little bit later down the line, Boo was allowed to go to Hydrotherapy to get her strength back in her leg. Almost all of the muscle had wasted away in just one month due to her not using the leg. Knowing that Boo is not that keen on swimming I wondered how she would get along. She was such a good girl and tried very hard. Even though she didn’t exactly enjoy it she just got on with it. I made a video of her first session which you can watch below.

Boo continued successfully with the Hydrotherapy for a few weeks, and along with the massages and gentle increases in exercise her leg improved steadily. On the four month anniversary of her operation I was ready to celebrate her success. We had got through and she was now fine. Even though she would not be allowed our mammoth walks on the downs anymore, she would do just as well with shorter walks in the same places. I was so relieved we had made it.

But, literally on this day she started to limp badly on the other hind leg! I was so worried we went straight back to the Vets, but they said the Patella was fine. Perhaps an achey muscle due to overcompensating for the poorly left leg. She was recommended rest and to see what happened. So that’s what I did. Boo was rested and only had short walks on the lead for a week or so, and then she would get better and stop limping. Great I thought, she’s better, and I would throw her ball again for her.. and she would start limping again. So I would rest her again. It was very strange. Some days she would not limp atall and I would think she was fine again. But then she would start limping again. It was really worrying. She had been through so much, all I wanted was for her to feel well.

Last week I decided enough was enough and that she was going to have to go back to the Vet and probably see the specialist again. More x-rays and poking around. I really didn’t want to have to put her through that again but I didn’t feel there was another option. Until that is that my friend recommended to me a Chiropractor that works with dogs. I got my Vet to refer Boo to her and we visited her last week. She spent half an hour working with Boo, identifying a slightly wonky Pelvis and a few other bits that were not quite aligned and a bit tight. I have to say it has been astonishing. Boo has not limped once since and seems much happier. I can’t tell you what a relief it is to finally see her getting back to her old self. We have to go and visit the Chiropractor again this week for a more intensive session, but I’m really looking forward to it and how it’s going to make Boo feel. Boo didn’t seem to feel any discomfort during the first session, it was all very gentle and she looked like she might fall asleep. How I wish I had heard about this before.

 

So what does Boo’s experience make me think about Pug health in general? Well, now that I know a lot more about the breed and the common problems they might have I would say that while Boo has experienced some of these issues, she has also been quite lucky. Her ruffle does not come over her nose as much as other Pugs, she does not have an elongated palete and her nose itself protrudes a bit more than some others. All things that help her breathe more easily than some. She is kept slim, which also helps her to breathe, helps her legs and her health in general. She’s lucky to have an owner who was willing to put in so much time and effort to help her get rehabilitated and to feel better. I would never have done anything over than my best for her, but I do admit it was very hard at times and left me exhausted. However, I also can’t help thinking that if the problems that Boo has experienced are common problems with Pugs, then why are they not bred out of the breed? It would be far better that Boo had never had a Luxating Patella in the first place and far better if she had a longer nose. How easy is it to breed the Patella problem out of Pugs I don’t know, because it didn’t show up in Boo until she was 3 and a half years old. But it does make me sad that she and other Pugs have to go through what she went through.

As for the other problems that Pug’s have with the breathing and the flat face, I really do think we need to think more before buying a Pug and being better aware of potential issues is a good start. They would be far better off with longer noses, so are there any breeders producing puppies from parents with better health? I don’t know because I’m not looking in to getting another Pug but if I was this would be the forst thing I would ask for. As much as I adore Boo and would do anything for her, I would not want to buy another dog whose health might be so poor. I really didn’t understand when I got a Pug about the potential problems that might be faced and I would not want to encourage the breeding of dogs who have these issues. Aside from her leg issues Boo has been a very happy and healthy little dog, a joy and a wonderful companion. I understand fully the desire to own a Pug, but for me the happiness she gives me is not about how she looks, it’s about her personality. I’m sure other Pug owners would agree. At the Pug Meet we go to i’ve met so many nice people who completely adore their dogs. I’m sure all of those would also rather a slight change in the look of their dogs which would mean a significant improvement in health. Pugs are such lovely creatures, they definitely deserve more from us. Improving our knowledge of what can go wrong and trying to avoid that by putting pressure on breeders to produce a healthier Pug is a good place to start. I’d like to support the RSPCA campaign to improve the health of Pedigree dogs and I hope sharing Boo’s experience will help at least in a small way in doing this.

Link to the RSPCA’s puppy-buying guide:
http://getpuppysmart.com/

RSPCA campaign site, including link to campaign sign-up:
http://www.giveanimalsavoice.org.uk/

The new campaign page ‘The meaning of pedigree’:
http://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaigns/companion/borntosuffer/pedigree
Victoria Stilwell campaign video -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw6-QacajgI

Boo’s Chiropractor: www.carltonchiropractic.co.uk

 

Meet Sasha, a cute little Shih Tzu who I met last week at Sheepcote Valley for her photo shoot. She had a lovely time scampering around the wide open space at Sheepcote. We parked at the car park at the bottom near the cricket pitch and took a walk about half way up so we could try and get the view over the city in to some of the shots. Sasha had a great time running through the grasses and occasionally popping off to say hello to dogs that were walking past.

Here’s what Sasha’s owner would like to tell us about her girl:

“‘Sasha is a mischievous and energetic dog.  She likes to chew on bones the size of her head, but they can keep her happy all day! She wondered what on earth was going on in the photo shoot as I was really bossy and normally when we go out running together she runs free and does what she chooses! Anyway, it was worth it and the pictures are fab!!”

Sasha’s owner received a gift voucher for her pet photography photo session. If you think someone you know would like to have a photo shoot of their dog as a gift, why not take a look at my voucher page for more information.

To see all of the shots from Sasha’s shoot simply search for ‘Sasha’ at my dog photography stock site at Photoshelter.