http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog A blog about rural life in the UK, our countryside and my country life. It's all here, farming, gardening, wildlife, animals and rural dating. Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:31:27 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/pets-and-fireworks-protect-your-animals-on-bonfire-night/ http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/pets-and-fireworks-protect-your-animals-on-bonfire-night/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:58:14 +0000 Sally http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/?p=723 Pets and fireworks simply do not mix. Bonfire night is a fun time for us roasting marshmallows and going “ooooh” as fireworks paint the sky can actually be a pet’s idea of hell. Every year many pets are lost or injure themselves through the fear of fireworks. Whether you have a dog, cat, horse or [...]]]> http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/pets-and-fireworks-protect-your-animals-on-bonfire-night/feed/ 0 http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/petting-farms-and-e-coli/ http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/petting-farms-and-e-coli/#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:28:49 +0000 Sally http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/?p=706 To date, there have been a reported 64 cases of people infected with E Coli 0157 bacteria from Godstone farm in Surrey and four petting farms have now been closed (either by health officials or voluntarily). So far there are no known links between the four farms and one petting farm has two different strains [...]]]> http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/petting-farms-and-e-coli/feed/ 6 http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/should-i-microchip-my-pet/ http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/should-i-microchip-my-pet/#comments Thu, 13 Aug 2009 02:34:32 +0000 Sally http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/?p=695 We all know the answer to the question should I microchip my pet is yes but if you’re anything like me you always say to you’ll do it next time we’re passing the vet and then promptly forget. Yesterday I got home to be told by Mum not to open the round pen as we [...]]]> http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/should-i-microchip-my-pet/feed/ 3 http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/amersham-horses-update-april-2009/ http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/amersham-horses-update-april-2009/#comments Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:39:43 +0000 Sally http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/?p=548 One year and two weeks after I last posted about the Amersham horses welfare case we still don’t have a conclusion in one of the largest animal welfare cases ever held in Britain. Fair enough, the wheels of justice do tend to grind painfully slowly but this case just seems to beggar belief. If it [...]]]> http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/amersham-horses-update-april-2009/feed/ 9 http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/labrador-retriever-puppies-working-dogs/ http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/labrador-retriever-puppies-working-dogs/#comments Sun, 12 Apr 2009 09:13:31 +0000 Sally http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/?p=355 Exelby Labradors have a current litter of labrador retrievers that will make excellent working or show dogs. I haven’t yet seen any pictures but judging by the parents I can’t wait to get a look at the puppies. Beanie (Exelby Beanie Baer) produced a litter to Timantti Solid Davidson (that is his photo on the [...]]]> http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/labrador-retriever-puppies-working-dogs/feed/ 6 http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/rouble-the-black-labrador/ http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/rouble-the-black-labrador/#comments Wed, 01 Apr 2009 03:44:18 +0000 Sally http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/?p=351 I wanted to share some pictures of my freinds dog, for whom I wrote the Ode to the Utility Room, mainly in the hope that you will all go awwww and join me in my kidnap plan to save him from the utility room bogeyman. Rouble was bred by Helen and Frank of Claychalk Labradors [...]]]> http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/rouble-the-black-labrador/feed/ 13 http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/ode-to-the-utility-room/ http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/ode-to-the-utility-room/#comments Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:08:00 +0000 Sally http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/?p=315 I thought I would share with you just how horrid I am to my friends. A good friend has a beautiful black labrador that I have been trying to kidnap for ages. Because he has managed to creep further and further up the stairs, to the point that he was sleeping on her bed while [...]]]> http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/ode-to-the-utility-room/feed/ 14 http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/understanding-horses/ http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/understanding-horses/#comments Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:57:25 +0000 Sally http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/?p=195 There’s a new blog on the block called HorseHandler for horse behavioural problems, written by equine behaviorist Steve Thompson and is a jolly good read. In his about me section Steve says “My work involves teaching horses and their handlers how to get around behaviour issues without conflict. My ‘motto’ is Compassion, Consideration, Cooperation because [...]]]> http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/understanding-horses/feed/ 1 http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/working-dogs-should-work/ http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/working-dogs-should-work/#comments Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:45:33 +0000 Sally http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/?p=181 There are few sadder sights than an overweight miserable dog designed for country sports lolling by the fire waiting for the next meal to magically appear before it. From sheep dogs to gun dogs to hunting dogs and beyond we often see these dogs bought and kept as family pets with little more than a [...]]]> http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/working-dogs-should-work/feed/ 2 http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/3-simple-steps-to-remove-dog-and-pet-hairs-from-furniture/ http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/3-simple-steps-to-remove-dog-and-pet-hairs-from-furniture/#comments Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:27:05 +0000 Sally http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/?p=135 Getting dog and other pet hairs out of the furniture can be such fun, we try vacuum cleaners, brushes, sponges, sellotape and can even buy sticky sheets for this purpose but nothing works really well. If your home is anything like our farmhouse then the dogs get the best seats in the house, the cat [...]]]> http://www.country-couples.co.uk/blog/3-simple-steps-to-remove-dog-and-pet-hairs-from-furniture/feed/ 2