You need the best dog beds in the season

It is now very close to the working season for the working dogs. If you have not experienced pointers working on the moor, you may not be aware of just how much they run.

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Not just over short heather, but up and down hills in sometimes thick heather. In places there are deep holes followed by hills that the dogs have to get up. Although they have great dog beds to sleep on, they still need to be comfortable in the vehicles because we tend to travel a bit to get from one moor to another. All that way they travel in comfort on a perfect travel dog bed in the back of my truck. It is bouncy without being too thick (it has been made exactly 3” thick instead of the standard 6”) and it insulates perfectly from the cold base of the truck. Here is a picture from the other day when we were counting grouse high up in the Scottish hills. My truck made it all the way up and we are up in nearly 3,000 feet where the ptarmigan live. Although it was an August day, it was still cold up there. When the dogs have finished their day’s work, they certainly need an insulating dog bed in the back of the car to keep warm all the way home.

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The dog bed I have in my car also has a soft Luxury Fleece cover on it for keeping everyone really cosy. IF the weather gets warmer this August I might change the cover to a Wicking Cover so that the dogs can feel a little cooler.

 The dogs sometimes work several days on the trot and a perfect sleeping arrangement is absolutely essential along with perfect nutrition.

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I normally feed the dogs a mixture of tripe, carrots, eggs, cod liver oil and a bit of kibble. The tripe is simply too stinky to take along in the cab and if I put it in with the dogs, the plastic container doesn’t get a chance. Tippex normally opens most food packages skilfully. She once took care of the entire package of Lindor inside Anne’s van. She had taken all the wrappers off and eaten all the chocolates. Recently (the day I learned about not leaving food in the cab with them under their waterproof dog bed) I was travelling South and put the tripe box in the with the dogs. I stopped after 45 minutes  and found Tippex in the back looking like a barrel. She had eaten three dogs’ dinners.

 The constant running is also putting big demand on the joints, so superb dog beds are very important in order to stem off the clinical onset of arthritis.