Tag / English cocker spaniel

Perfect cocker spaniel featured in Edition Dog magazine June 2020 issue / English cocker spaniel articles & features / Natalia, Cooper & Fred as experts for Cocker spaniel feature / Perfect cocker spaniel guide to the breed, dog blog, how to groom English cocker spaniel, cocker spaniel diet, health, training, puppy tips / written by dog expert, author & canine nutritionist / (C) Natalia Ashton
by Natalia

As featured in Edition Dog magazine

I feel very privileged to be featured in the latest editions of Edition Dog magazine. The April 2020 issue included a photo of Fred that I’ve taken last year. It came as a total surprise and made me feel so proud as a photograher – and also very happy to see my wonderful boy smiling at me from a glossy page. It’s always been one of my favourite photos of him, so this is extra special.

Last week I also got a June copy. They featured English cocker spaniel as the breed in focus and interviewed me as an expert for the wonderful article. It was such a pleasure to chat with Paige Nicole who wrote the piece and spent time with me talking about dogs, my boys, Oscar, Perfect cocker spaniel, puppies and life in general.

If you fancy a copy, the mag is sold in shops and can also be ordered online, which is particularly useful if you’d like to grab back issues or prefer to go digital.

Photo credits: covers and pages via Edition Dog magazine, April and June 2020 issues, photos of me, Oscar, Cooper and Fred are by me, from personal collection

Effect of environment and geographical location on dog's reactivity, fearfulness and behaviour / reactivity in english cocker spaniels / Perfect cocker spaniel guide to breed, grooming, puppy tips, health, training and nutrition / dog dietitian / Natalia Ashton, Cooper & Fred by Pinkfeet Photography (C)
by Natalia

Country dogs are happier, study finds

Country dogs are happier than their urban relatives, according to a recent study conducted by the University of Helsinki and published in Scientific Reports. The scientists looked into fearfulness (reactivity to us, the simple folks) and the factors that can have a lasting impact on this trait among dogs.

The study involved 13700 dogs aged between 2 months to 17 years old that exhibited fearfulness caused by a variety of reasons, from breeding, genetics and size to  daily activity levels, demographic and environmental elements.

Whilst many factors have already been noted previously it was the living environment that caught particular attention as yet another cause that may have an impact on reactivity.

Even through more research will be needed, it looks like the country dogs are happier and more content when compared to their city counterparts. The researches believe that this relation is not simply related to the dog’s access to nature, but may also be affected by our own stress levels (which dogs can smell and mirror) as well as density, hectic lifestyle and noises of the urban areas, amount of exercise and interactions between the pooches and their owners, and diet.

So if your spaniel is often on edge, consider taking him to the countryside as often as you can, or better still, make a big move like we did here. Admittedly, we relocated for various reasons, but one of them was definitely to make Cooper live a better and happier life. In our case, it made a big difference. That’s why this study resonated with me so much.

And I am very curious what you think about it, especially if you also escaped to the country for the love of dogs and in search of contentment. Or, perhaps, had to do the opposite and give up on rural pleasures and settle in a city instead.

 

Photo credit: me and the boys photographed by Pink Feet Photography

Strawberries in dog's diet / Can my dog eat strawberries / Goitrogenic foods as strawberries / Health benefits of strawberries for dogs / Canine diet and nutrition / Healthy dog foods / English cocker spaniel pet blog, diet nutrition advice, grooming, training, breed information, health / (C) Natalia Ashton
by Natalia

Can my dog eat… strawberries?

Today I am baking scones to mark the start of the strawberry season. Tea, scones, clotted cream, fresh strawberries, sunshine and blue sky… A perfect moment for the two of us… and a little queue that will definitely be keeping an eye on me while I am cooking and prepping.

The boys do love strawberries. They know them by name and whether or not I have a box in the fridge.

CAN OUR DOGS EAT STRAWBERRIES?

The answer is YES (with a tiny “but”).

Most dogs can have strawberries and enjoy them in season to fully get the benefits of these wonderful fruits.

Strawberries are one of the best sources of vitamin C, manganese, folate, iodine, biotin, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. Something we may not even think of, but the seeds also provide a small amount of alpha-linolenic acids and Omega 3 fatty acids.

Beside their vitamin and mineral content, the berries are also packed with polyphenol antioxidants (flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignin, tannins, stilbenes) known for their anti-inflammatory properties. They are praised for supporting heart health, protecting the cells from oxidative damage and reducing the risk of cancers.

The quercetin is strawberries may also work as a natural antihistamine in dogs who suffer from allergies, particularly the seasonal ones.

Additionally, eating berries has been shown to improve memory and motor-responses associated with ageing.

And if this isn’t enough, the studies picked on the ability of strawberries to control blood sugar and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes even when the berries were combined with sugar in the same meal!

How much can you give your dog? Each of my boys has a berry per day, roughly the size of a quail egg or a whole walnut. Too much can cause an upset tummy, vomiting or diarrhoea.

I also need to mention the “but” when it comes to strawberries in canine diet. These lovely berries are a source of goitrogens, the compounds that can interfere with iodine uptake by the thyroid gland and thus affect its function. If your dog has an underactive thyroid (also known as hypothyroidism), he should not be having strawberries.

Image credit: Pezibear from Pixabay