It's Time for the Biggest Dog Show in London...

On 8th and 9th November, Discover Dogs will be on at Earls Court One, London, and it's definitely an event that is not to be missed!

Since the dog show started in 1996, it has been growing and growing, with more things to see and do each and every year. This year promises to be the best the show has been to date, with thrilling things to see and do, such as...

Last time I went to Discover Dogs!

• The Discover Dogs area, where you can meet and greet over 200 breeds of dog!
• Exciting agility competitions, with top dogs and handlers battling each other to qualify for grand finals at Crufts 2015
• Incredible heelwork to music routines performed by some of the nation's experts
• The Young Kennel Club zone, exhibiting some of country's most promising young dog handlers
• Lots and lots of shopping... As there's over 100 different stands at Discover Dogs, it is the perfect place for doing some of your Christmas shopping!

The adorable Southern Golden Retriever
Display Team at Discover Dogs

And, if that wasn't enough, there will be over 3,000 canines from across the globe attending the show for you to admire- what's not to like?!

Discover Dogs truly is the best place for a family day out and, with under 12s getting free entry to the show, it's an affordable one too!

Talk soon, Jasper x

 For more information on the dog show, visit www.discoverdogs.org.uk 

To buy tickets to Discover Dogs, click here

63 Years Old...

9 years old. Yup, 9 years ago, little Jasper, the vulnerable runt of the litter, was born. And now he's 63 dog-years old and as dominant (over humans) as ever.

Where has all that time gone?! 

As some of you may know, I share my birthday with one of my humans, so, every year, we have a lot of guests invading my space on 8th October. However, as it's my birthday, I don't mind at all. I don't think I can recall one human who DIDN'T come up to me, give me a snuggle and wish me a 'happy Birthday'. Even the humans who aren't the biggest dog fans (why wouldn't you be a dog-lover when you know of dogs like me?!) let me give them a good ol' sniff. 

It was brilliant.

Another perk of sharing your birthday with a human is that there is lots and lots of wrapping paper to tear into tiny shreds. Yippee! Who doesn't love sinking their teeth into unopened presents?! Every time my human started opening a gift, I'd belt across the room to try and give them a helping paw. The things we doggies do for humans...

In addition, human birthdays consist of much more cake than doggie ones for some unbeknown reason. Many doggies have to get through their special day with not even a smidge of cake, unless their human makes them a pupcake. Pupcakes are delicious-don't get me wrong- but nothing is the same as some Victoria Sponge. Usually on my birthday, I can find crumbs to lick up or a plate accidentally left on a low surface with half a cake remaining on it for me to devour but, this year, I was distraught to find that my human got a giant cookie cake.

I know. A cookie but a GIANT one. How ridiculous! As much as I love human food, even I realise that milk chocolate chunks in a huge cookie is not the best for a canine. No cake for me this year!

Despite the disappointment regarding the cake, I still had a super 9th birthday, consisting of endless treats and snuggles. 

Here's to life as a 63-year-old!

Talk soon, Jasper x

Walkies with Jester!

A few days ago, I went on a walk with my friend Jester, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He's recently been in a dog hospital too, with a poorly stomach (though they never found out exactly what it was), so we were both supposed to be taking it easy. Of course, us Spaniels find that fairly difficult... We sprung from one side of the path to the other the entire time we were off-lead and, every time one of us sniffed something, the other came pounding up behind them, to see what was going on. It was tremendous fun!

Sadly, the humans didn't manage to get many photos of us doggies together as, obviously, we run pretty fast. The only other photo my human has of us outside together features me relieving myself on a big bush... It's a delight.
Afterwards, we visited a cafe where dogs are made welcome on the top floor of the building- unusual or what?! The humans had to carry me up and down the stairs because I'm not allowed to run up staircases (yet I still manage to a LOT) and I felt like a prince! "Oh, look at that puppy!" One couple commented. Yup, I'm an eight-year-old pup!
If you've got any recommendations for dog friendly cafes/restaurants, please tweet or comment below and let me know of them as my humans are always on the look out for places that I can go along with them to!
Talk soon, Jasper x

Finally Sporting a New 'Do

Back when I broke my leg, I had been long-due a haircut. My humans had literally called up that very morning asking the groomers if they had any appointments. Obviously, having a metallic leg is a slight problem when it comes to grooming as I could not stand up for one second, let alone three hours at that point! So, there went my haircut.

Not that I really needed one on one half of me... The vets had completely shaved me on one side before operating! 

That was very early April. Three months later, and all my hair had grown- including the one half that hadn’t been shaved-off in the first place…

Usually, my looks get me absolutely EVERYTHING but, with my wild layer of uneven fluff, they weren't helping as much as normal. Therefore, even though I hate the groomers', I knew the time had come for me to go.

The groomers’ was a traumatic experience to say the least. When my humans returned to pick me up, the groomer told them that I had been doing ‘jumps like I’ve never seen before’. Erm, they’re called Super Jumps, thank you very much. Yup, I had been springing vertically at heights of over five feet to try and break out of the grooming salon. Unfortunately, this technique didn’t quite work out and I was put in a crate with a tiny, white, fluffy doggie- coincidently, my favourite type of dog! No attempts to break out followed. 

Overall, the grooming part was horrific, the springing part half-hilarious, half-desperate and the crate part... Well, it was a moment in a crate to remember. 

So, here they are, pictures of me modelling my new ‘do:

Looking rather smart, don't you think?

Modelling break! No throwing of the ball, of course...

Pleeeeeease give me the ball, Humum...

Success!

Yup, I'm still rocking 'the Spike'- with my most intelligent facial expression.

Say Cheese!

Admittedly, my ears still look rather bedraggled but this is because my humans asked for my ears to remain mostly untouched- they love a good ol' ruffle!

Being a model is tough work but I hope you think it paid off. Those humans work me hard!

Talk soon, Jasper x

National Microchipping Month

As of 2016, it will be compulsory for all dogs to be microchipped so, as June is National Microchipping Month, why not go and get your doggie microchipped? Although I have fortunately never gone missing, there could always be a first, which is why it is vital that I'm microchipped. Sadly, at the moment, there are over 16,000 dogs missing in the UK. Although many of these losses may have been a result of an unpreventable cause, the chance of any dog being returned to their owners is greatly increased if a vet is able to simply scan a found dog and return them to their owner, which is why the Kennel Club and Petlog are urging dog owners to get their dogs microchipped. Losing any dog is horrific for its owner but having the knowledge that your dog is microchipped can provide a huge amount of confidence for the owner that they'll get their dog back. 

Is your dog already microchipped? Fantastic! However, I still highly recommend checking that the details associated with the microchip are up to date as otherwise reuniting you with your dog could prove very difficult. 

Shown below is an adorable video of some happy doggies welcoming home their owners. I hope that my humans think I give just as good reactions when they get home...

So, get your doggies microchipped or update your details now! 

Talk soon, Jasper x

Click here to be taken to the PetLog website to check that your details are current.

To find out more about the Kennel Club's campaign to get more dogs microchipped, visit their website here.

A Fantastic Day!

When we had arrived at the dog hospital, the rate of wags-per-minute by my tail suddenly diminished. I had thought my days were over at the place, but seemingly I was very wrong.

What was I doing there? 

Was I there for yet another check-up?

Was I having another operation? 

I had started to panic and refused to budge from the comforts of my crate. There was no WAY I was going back into the hospital! But then the humans started laughing at me. "He doesn't know what he's got in store for him," they cackled. At that point, I had had enough and finally allowed the humans to lift me out of my beloved room in the boot of the car. Surely, they weren't going to put me through another miserable ordeal. 

And I was right. I was going to experience my first session of the wonder that is hydrotherapy!

That half-an-hour session in the pool was possibly one the greatest moments of my life. Firstly, they had put a life-jacket on me and tried to get me to walk slowly down a ramp into the water. Of course, my idea of walking slowly is quite different to any human's but I got in the water all the same.

Then, the two ladies who were in the water with me gave me a massage to ease my stiff shoulder joint by rocking me slowly back and forth. To say I thought this was weird would be an understatement! I continually gave the humans 'the look' as they sat at the side of the pool. Once again, they laughed at me...

Following the massage was my favourite part of the session: I went for a swim! With one of my humans walking around the edge of the pool, the two water-humans held me as I surged as quickly as I could through the pool, trying to keep up with my human outside. I tried to make as big a splash as I possibly could as I did a circuit round the pool; I managed to get my previously-dry human wet which was a bonus! Did you know that one minute of swimming for a dog is the equivalent of a mile of running for a human?! No wonder us doggies seem to have stamina only a human could dream of having!

For the rest of session, I was massaged and then swam a lap of the pool, massaged and then swam a lap of the pool again. After the second massage, the water-humans gave me a brand-new, dazzling-green tennis ball to chase and hold which I was THRILLED about. After over 2 months of not being allowed a tennis ball, I had began feeling a bit deprived so this was definitely a highlight of the session! 

In conclusion, my first hydrotherapy lesson was a very positive experience and I CANNOT wait until the next time I am allowed back into that pool of loveliness. 

Talk soon, 

Jasper x

An Update!

I've missed my walks!

It has been nearly 8 weeks since the accident and I am doing so much better! Yesterday, I had a check-up at the hospital and they have FINALLY said that my humans can start building up my walks again- woo! In particular, his week my mobility has improved substantially and I'm back to my spring lamb self. Although I still have be on that annoying lead on walks, the humans feel so sorry for me that they actually allow me to DRAG them behind me as I trek around on a really good sniffer trail.
The perks of being a wounded pup!
In addition, next week, I have a very exciting event lined up for me... I'm going to do some hydrotherapy! The humans have heard lots of brilliant things about it so booked me up for a session as they know how hard it's been for me to not be swimming for miles in my beloved river. The humans are very excited- and so am I.
Talk soon, Jasper x