John Ditchfield Doberman

The latest addition to our modest but growing collection of John Ditchfield glass, which we bought directly from the Glasform studio. If you find yourself anywhere near Blackpool, then it is really worth making a small detour to visit the studio.

This beautiful girl is Zara, one of the studio's resident Dobermans. She patiently works alongside her mistress, greeting customers with an aloof tolerance, which is typical of Dobies when meeting strangers - friendly yet slightly reserved until they get to know you.

Holiday Pictures

"Did you remember to pack the dog food?"

Love 'em or loathe 'em

Two of my favourite dog quotes, one pro and one anti dog -

The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, he will make a fool of himself too - Samuel Butler

I loathe people who keep dogs. They are cowards who haven't got the guts to bite people themselves - August Strindberg

Just one last quote -

If a dog jumps onto your lap it is because he is fond of you; but if a cat does the same thing it is because your lap is warmer - A.N. Whitehead

Searching the rock pools

Last summer we had a holiday in Robinhoods Bay, we searched the beach for fossils and the rock pools for Hermit Crabs. Pudding and Fudge didn't really understand what we were doing but entered into the spirit of things nonetheless.

Pudding is an excellent swimmer and seems to think that she is part seal, Fudge however is less elegant in the water, as soon as she can't touch the floor with her feet, she starts to flail around with her front legs as if she's auditioning for an extra in Jaws.

Lab-Collie Cross?

I've often wondered exactly who Pudding's antecedents were, there's definitely Labrador and Border Collie in there, but then there's a secret ingredient that I'm still trying to identify. Suggestions include Patterdale Terrier and Bearded Collie. I not sure I'll ever know for sure, but I don't care, she's a wonderful creature. Once when I was walking her a small child ran up to us excitedly shouting "It's Dumbledor dog, it's Dumbledor dog", and there's certainly something magical about her.

"Hang Spring Cleaning!"

I should be working, but the sun is out, the air is mild, the Doberman wants to play, and to quote Shakespeare - 'I know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows, where oxslips and the nodding violet grows'. So I'm going to take the dogs there for a nice walk.

I think this is my favourite time of the year, the weather's mild and inviting, all the summer birds are returning (I saw my first Swift of the year yesterday and the House Martins are back and patching up last years nest). The heaths are covered in flowering gorse bushes, which fill the air with a perfume like sweet coconut, and high up in the air, you can hear the 'loo-loo' of ascending Woodlarks.

For once a serious post! The RSPCA is suggesting a change to the law governing dangerous dogs. Rather than breed specific legislation, the RSPCA is proposing a change to the law, so that dog owners rather than dogs are targeted. There are very few bad dogs, but there are a lot of bad owners. I would go one step further and suggest that in order to own certain more demanding breeds, that you should have to pass a handler competency test. Dogs are social animals, with serious attacks on their own 'pack' being rare; if you think about it, the evolutionary benefits of pack behaviour are based on group rather than individual survival. Dogs normally only show true aggression to those that they perceive as being members of an out group, or those that they perceive to be hierarchically below them in the pack. Both of these factors can be controlled by a combination of good early socialisation and firm consistent handling by the owners. As they say in America - Ban the deed not the breed.