The leg of a roe deer, a sparrowhawk carcass, a bloated dead frog, poo... these are just a few of our Australian shepherd's favourite things.
It's hard to stop our dog Dakota scavenging while out on a countryside walkthere's often something dead or decomposing in the next hedgerow. When, a few months old, Dakota picked up the wing of a pigeon still attached to some grisly vertebrae, she carried it proudly around the valley like a glittering gold medal. I mentioned this to a seasoned dog owner friend. "Never let them eat bones," he warned. "They can cause all sorts of problems." Really? I thought that was just cooked bones.
I also wondered what the fuss about chocolate was; when I was a kid, our retriever once snaffled the Easter eggs and suffered no ill effects.
It got me thinking - what was true and what was a myth when it came to dog care? I spoke to a local vet and researched the science. I learned that while the myths mostly have some basis in fact, the truth - as ever - is more nuanced.
"DON'T OVER-EXERCISE YOUR PUPPY"
The standard advice is to walk your puppy for five minutes for every month of age they are and no more than twice a day. So a four-month old puppy could have two lots of 20 minutes' exercise. The reason for this is the ends of their bones are still soft and growing, and too much pressure on them causes damage, leading to conditions such as arthritis in later life.
But our experience was that Dakota needed more than was 'allowed' or she would have what dog-people call 'zoomies' - careering around and crashing into walls. Surely, we reasoned, a gentle walk would be better? Dr Max Cory, who works at our local practice, George Vet Group, says the five-minute rule is for people who want clarity and isn't hard and fast.
Denne historien er fra March 2024-utgaven av BBC Countryfile Magazine.
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Denne historien er fra March 2024-utgaven av BBC Countryfile Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Edible Seaweeds - An ancient food harvested by humans for millennia, seaweeds bring an intense and rich flavour of the sea to a wide range of dishes, as well as essential mind-and-body-boosting nutrients
An ancient food harvested by humans for millennia, seaweeds bring an intense and rich flavour of the sea to a wide range of dishes, as well as essential mind-and-body-boosting nutrients
We Are an Island Nation - So Let's Protect Our Seas - Living in the UK makes us islanders and personally I'm proud of that definition - not in any political or jingoistic sense, but simply because I love the sea and in this country we are totally surrounded by it.
Living in the UK makes us islanders and personally I'm proud of that definition - not in any political or jingoistic sense, but simply because I love the sea and in this country we are totally surrounded by it. We live inside thousands of miles of coastline, in a nation whose borders were created by nature and made us what we are.
Discover Jurassic Coast - With its towering cliffs, sweeping beaches and pretty seaside towns, the shoreline of Dorset and east Devon is spectacular.
With its towering cliffs, sweeping beaches and pretty seaside towns, the shoreline of Dorset and east Devon is spectacular. Jo Caird fossicks for fossils and dramatic rock formations. It's an auspicious start to my journey along the Jurassic Coast. This 95-mile stretch of shore mostly in Dorset, but nudging just into east Devon - is blessed with awe-inspiring geological formations and fossil deposits that have garnered it recognition as England's only natural UNESCO World Heritage Site. Snaking east from Orcombe Point near Exmouth to Old Harry Rocks near Swanage, it's studded with monumental rock arches, seemingly endless shingle beaches and fossil beds from which treasures were prised that altered our understanding of prehistory.
Viking shores
We picture Vikings marauding coastal settlements, looting and raiding. But what was life really like in the Viking Age? Historian Eleanor Barraclough reveals what the ancient artefacts found on Britain's shores tell us about our formidable forebears
Sea horses
On Cornwall's coastal clifftops, Melanie O'Shea meets the hardy grazing ponies that are helping to restore the land, so nature can flourish once more
A wing and a prayer
From their desks at Boulmer, 1,000 RAF personnel watch the skies for airborne threats to the country. Yet beyond the concrete of the base, vulnerable birdlife flourishes - thanks to the hard work of a small team
Cast in bone
Cuttlefish bones washed up on our shores have been used to make jewellery since ancient times. Jo Caird meets a craftswoman who's keeping the art alive on the Kent coast
Spines and sulky faces
Watch where you put your feet at the beach - a weever fish could be lurking
Sea stars
The playful performances of Britain's bottlenose dolphins attract avid fans - but they deserve personal space
Harris's wildly beautiful beach
Cornwall may pull in the crowds, but one Hebridean strand stuns visitors