Accommodation
The atmosphere is warm and informal. Every morning you will be able to choose a hearty home cooked breakfast, and in the evening an informal homecooked dinner. Or you can eat in a local pub or restaurant.

There is Private parking, drying room, secure storage for bikes, box cutter, wifi, digital flatscreen TV with DVD in each bedroom. Double, twin, triple rooms, plus a family room. All en suite bedrooms are newly refurbished. Prices – approx. £72 per double or twin. Well behaved owners and their dogs are welcome to stay at the lodge and explore the area together.
http://www.eastfieldlodge.co.uk/

Pets have become more than just companions; they are a part of the family. In fact more and more pet owners are taking the love for their pet to the next level and dressing them up for Halloween. This practice is fun and adorable but it’s also important to think about your pet’s safety to protect them from things that go bump in the night.

Alicia on “The Importance of Registration.” Animal shelters often get a lot of animals around Halloween that escape from their owner’s homes or yards in the midst of all the commotion of the parties, guests, and trick-or-treaters. Before the big day, have your pet registered or even better, microchipped. If you can’t make that happen, be extra vigilant and keep an eye on your pet whenever the door opens or closes. Ideally, keep your pet in a closed off area for any parties or when you’re expecting trick-or-treaters.

If you take your dog along with you on Halloween night with the kids, keep it on a reflective leash and collar or harness. This will not only keep the dog safe from cars and running off, but will allow you to control it around other children. Even the world’s best dog can snap at a child with a frightening mask and an antagonizing attitude. If you have an indoor/outdoor cat, keep it inside for the night as the extra cars in the neighborhood will be a hazard.

Sarah on “Leaving them Home Alone” If you and your little goblins are going to be out all evening collecting treats, think ahead and make a plan for your pet. Does the sound of voices outside make the dog anxious or prone to fits of barking? If so, you might want to keep it in a room toward the back of the house and consider setting up a gentle noisemaker or playing the radio. In addition, you’ll want to eliminate needless doorbell ringing, which can agitate Fluffy and Fido. That means setting up a treat station by your front door. Instead of putting out loose candy for kids to pick and choose, purchase small paper loot bags, place two or three pieces of candy inside, and tie the bags closed with ribbon. Then place the bags in a bowl or plastic cauldron and cover the top with a few faux cobwebs. All kids will enjoy this trick to get to those treats — and they’ll be quick too, which means they’ll be less likely to disturb your pet.

Here are three additional ways to get your furry friend Buttoned Up for Halloween. #1. Watch the Candles: Curiosity killed the … well, literally, cats and dogs are exploratory species, so even if they feel the heat from a candle they may still try to touch it. Keep candles away from your pets unless you want to make your insurance quote a real claim.

#2. Check Costumes for Safety Hazards: If you’re dressing up Fido, be sure the costume doesn’t have any loose parts he can eat! Loose parts can also cause your pet to trip or become tangled in the costume, resulting in injury or a future dislike of the holiday (yes pets will remember!). Also be sure that the costume is properly ventilated as your pet can overheat if the costume is too hot or heavy. Be sure to check your pet often to see if it is panting or uncomfortable. It’s also good to practice and listen to your pet: Try the costume on and have the pet wear it several times before Halloween. If the pet hates the costume, forcing him to wear it can cause bad behaviors, so be courteous to your four-legged friend- no matter how cute he may look in it.

#3. Be a Good Gatekeeper: No matter how tempting, don’t give your pets people candy or treats. Chocolate is toxic to dogs and cats and the amount of sugar in other treats will make them sick. Keep your children’s loot out of reach so pets don’t dig into it when you’re sleeping. If you’re worried they’re feeling left out, give them their own doggie or kitty friendly goodies when they are behaving nicely to guests or wearing their costume proudly.

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Nothing is quite as fun as packing up and heading out of town for a weekend or a longer trip. A change of scenery from time to time is important to recharge your battery. This is true for your dog as well. Most dogs love to travel and to be exposed to new places just like you do. But there are a few things that you need to do to make the trip a positive experience for everyone.

TIP ONE
Make sure that you take with you items that your dog is fond of on the trip. Being ripped away from their routine and surroundings can be traumatic for your dog. If your pet has a favorite toy or blanket, be sure to take it along with you in the car. For more comforts of home, you can also bring their food and water dishes from home to use when you arrive at your destination. Also pack a good supply of paper towels and blankets for cleaning up dog hair, dirty paws and the like.

TIP TWO
Keep small plastic bags of food and treats with you as you travel with your dog. The main supply of their food for vacation can be kept in the main luggage. Even if you do not think that your dog will need to eat while traveling because it will be a short amount of time before you reach your destination, you still need to have some food on hand in case something happens and your are detained longer on the road then planned. Keep these baggies of food in a couple of different bags that are being carried on the trip. This will help you from misplacing the dog food when you really need it.

TIP THREE
If your dog does not currently travel often, keep in mind that it could be a traumatic experience him to travel with you. To lessen this possibility, take some time well before your trip to take your dog in the car for short trips to acclimate him to the experience. My poodle Buffy, who wasn’t accustomed to riding in the car except to the vet, without fail would throw up as soon as she rode in the car. That is until I began taking her with me to the park when I walked. She soon associated riding in the car with something she enjoyed instead of something unpleasant. Buffy’s nausea when riding in the car was soon replaced with excitement.

TIP FOUR
Keep a clean water supply with you as you travel with your pet. You can keep a couple of bottles of water with you just for this. There are pop up bowls that you can use as a drink container for your pet when you are on the road.

TIP FIVE
Make frequent stops during the drive – at least once per hour to hour and a half, especially if you are motorhome towing. Dogs can get car sick just like humans and if you dog gets nervous out of his routine, he may need more potty breaks than normal. From my experience, my dogs have been so excited to travel, that they wanted to get out of the car and explore often.

TIP SIX
One of the most important things to do when traveling with a dog is to make sure they have identification on them. The identification should clearly state their name, your name, address and phone number. This will be a lifesaver if you should become separated from your pet. This happened to a friend of mine who was traveling from Florida to Texas in a convertible with a friend and her Golden Retriever, Goldie. At some point while driving down the freeway Goldie fell out of the convertible onto the road. It was a miracle that she was reunited with Goldie about five hours later when she received a call on her mobile phone from the person who found Goldie limping along the highway. If my friend had not had a current identification tag on Goldie, she would have lost her best friend forever.

Traveling with your dog can be a fun experience for you both. Once you have taken one trip with your dog, hopefully you will want to take him on every trip. Your dog will love exploring new places and spending time with you. By following the tips above you can make sure that your trip with your dog is fun and free for you both.

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After the service we escaped to a Stratosphere hotel, something we could not have done while he was alive. But I would be very happy to trade holidays abroad for the companionship of my dog again.

Primrose the Poodle as my bridesmaid

When we got back home Sherbet was still full of energy, and he would not settle down.  He sat at the back door, gazing through the window and howling.  I’ve never seen a lovesick dog until now!  I could not let the dog stay in the garden in case he found a way out, so reluctantly I took him home and he went back into his crate.  He always relaxes in the crate so that is where he stayed until the family returned two hours later.

On Boxing Day Mum and Dad boiled up the turkey carcass to get all the meat and broth for me. After they sorted it out, I got my head in the pan – don’t tell Dad, he doesn’t approve. Then I went to stay with my Nan for a few days and the neighbours next door heard that I was there (OK, so I was barking). They came round and offered me the bone from their leg of lamb, it was sooo delicious. Can a dog get any happier?
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