I know I've been naughty but......

Why do good dogs do bad things?

Here's where you'll find out all the answers.  If you have a dog who chews the sofa, nips the postman or won't come back when you call him, tell us all about it.    Good dog, bad dog is all about communication.  Understanding each other is the key to a good relationship - in dogs as well as people.   Email or write to us with your dog problems and we'll do our best to get your chum (or you) back on the straight and narrow.

 A recent study at Newcastle University has shown that birds are more optimistic when kept in a bright and well kept environment. When their surroundings are drab and bare they become depressed and do not make the effort to search for food.

We know from our own experience that this goes for all other animals too.   Clean, bright, cheerful and interesting surroundings are what's needed to keep our pets happy.  Grand designs anyone?

What do I like to eat?   Although you can safely buy ready made rabbit food from a pet store, you can also feed your rabbit very successfully on 'home made'.   When you get a new rabbit make sure you find out how he or she has been fed.   Rabbits are prone to tummy upsets if their food changes dramatically.  It's best to keep them to the same diet for a while and do any change over gradually.

We have some baby rabbits recently brought in to the sanctuary and we're looking for good homes for them.

What is a 'good' home though?   These are such easy pets to obtain - and to dispose of.   Looking after rabbits is not as easy as is commonly thought.   The 'good' home has to be from the point of view of the rabbit - not ours.  How do you ensure that the pet you're taking in will have a home that will provide the right environment and be a 'rabbit heaven'.  So often, it turns out to be the opposite - and many of these gentle little creatures are condemned to  a life in 'rabbit hell'.

There are lots of springtime kids and lambs around at the moment and they're so cute and small it's tempting to buy one of these motherless babies.   But if having a 'nanny goat' or Louis the lamb in the garden sounds like fun, please take a while to consider all the implications.  

Not only do they require a lot of room when they grow up, they need companionship of their own kind, suitable housing and good fencing to stop them straying.

Even if you can provide all of this, there's still a good deal of legislation to consider when keeping these lovely animals as pets.

My dog Sable has suddenly developed a nasty grey wart on her head.  I can't believe how big it's grown in just a day.  What is it and should I take her to the vet?

Michelle A.  Sheffield

Cough!  Cough!  Cough!

When dogs are ill, most of them they let you know that they need plenty of t.l.c.   This is especially so if your dog is unfortunate enough to contract kennel cough - a very unpleasant disease of the respiratory tract.    Cough, cough, cough - this is an irritation that won't go away.  He'll be hacking away just as though he has whooping cough.   Other symptoms include trying to be sick and feeling generally miserable.

How did he get it?  And what can you do?

 The cat shown above is Big Tom, who has lived on the fringes of our sanctuary society for several years.  Maybe he was someone's pet in his early life but nowadays he certainly wouldn't let anyone touch him.  Big Tom doesn't need anyone to give him feeding advice, he looks after himself and is in good condition.  What will his diet be?  Mice, rats, birds, insects, anything he can scavenge.   We put food out for him and he'll help himself to biscuits and fish but sniffs suspiciously at canned food.  It's not for this macho man.

Hedgehogs normally only leave their dry, cosy nests at night, so at this time of year, if you see one wandering around during the day it often means that our little spiky friend is in trouble.

Now that global warming is here to stay and we have the darling buds of March instead of May, the hedgehogs' time clock has gone awry and some of them are thinking that it's time to come out of hibernation. 

This wouldn't be a problem if there was food to greet them.  But as their diet is mainly insects and grubs and these are in short supply in March, the poor hedgehog is soon hungry.  After months of hibernation he becomes weak and that's why he's desperately searching for food. 

Record numbers of hedgehogs are having to be rescued and fed to ensure their survival. 

It's an dreadful scenario but unfortunately dognapping does happen, and more often than you think.

Dogs are snatched to order and change hands for hundreds of pounds.   If they steal five dogs a week and sell them on, these dogsnatchers are raking in thousands.

Did you think that 'dognapping' meant a ransom note and your best friend would come back safe and sound when you'd paid up?    Why would dogsnatchers bother with all this trouble? They know if they make contact they are at risk of being caught.  It does happen, but rarely. 

If your pet goes missing and you get a demand for money for his or her return, there's only one thing to do - contact the police and let them deal with it.

But if your dog has been dognapped and no ransom note is received, you can bet anything you like that your pet will have been stolen to order and will be sold on. 

Prevention is the priority.  Keep all garden gates locked.   How many times do we hear that a dog has disappeared from a patio or back yard?   It happens a lot. 

It goes without saying that you shouldn't let your dog roam.  He could be bundled into a waiting van before he has time to remember that his dinner's waiting at home.  Know where your dog is at all times.   Keep the house doors locked even when you're inside. We've heard of dogs being stolen from the kitchen while the owners were watching t.v.

Of course if your pet is the hound from hell who'll bark at the drop of a pin, you can relax.  Friendly dogs are the ones at risk.  Dog thieves don't bother with a feisty canine who alerts his people to what's going on. 

And it's the breed and age that count.   No matter how handsome your boxer x collie is, the dogsnatchers won't want him.  So it's good news for cross breeds.

Middle aged and elderly dogs are not wanted either.  It's only the youngsters, the fit and friendly and purebred are what they like. 

Some breeds are more popular than others - the dogsnatchers have a ready market for sporting dogs - Jack Russells, Pointers, Spaniels, Labradors, Retrievers, Border Terriers, Lakelands, Sheep collies etc.  They sometimes go for guard dog types - Rottweilers and Dobermans, German Shepherds occasionally - but these are not so much in demand and would only be stolen to order if they have a customer.

Puppies are always at risk - if they're housed in an outdoor shed, the security had better be as good if not better than that in the house - or there's every chance they'll disappear overnight.

These people are not soft-hearted dog lovers, they are ruthless criminals who will take a litter of puppies or a single puppy even if they still need their mother's milk.  A pure bred puppy is worth three or four hundred pounds, maybe more depending on breed.

The dogsnatchers look for any expensive breed of dog.  Yorkshire Terriers, Miniature Poodles, Bichon Frise - you get the idea.  So that nice person who comes up and fusses your canine friend in the park, could well have an ulterior motive.  Watch out you don't get followed home.

Be vigilant, look out for strange vans in the area.   It's a two man operation.  One stays in the van, the other gets the dog.  The way they work is to send a 'friend' - it could even be a child - to bribe the dog they're wanting to steal with a bit of meat or chicken.  Once they have a lead on the dog, he'll be bundled into a van and that's it - gone.  The thieves often use transit vans so keep watch if there's one trawling the area.

What to do when your pet goes missing 

The sense of disbelief when a pet goes missing is just awful.  You need to realise that panicking won't get your dog back.   But there is a lot you can do and  the process of tracking your dog and getting him back needs to be started as soon as possible. 

1. The first thing is to report what's happened to the police without delay.
2. Contact your local dog wardens and animal charities to give them your pets details.
3. Put your missing pet up on our Lost Pets section.
   

We hope this information helps and please let us know if you have lost your pet.