Winter wardrobe

Woman clipping Gill x tails.com coat onto small Cockapoo in woodlands

Working on the GILL x tails.com charity project to create a waterproof dog coat prompted some wider thinking about what really makes sense for the breeds that benefit from a winter coat. While our dogs (mostly!) come with their own weatherproof fur coats, there’s no doubt that there are some who need a bit of help when it comes to staying … Read more

Food for thought

Crossbreed tan dog with mouth open and pricked ears look at camera, empty bowl on floor in background

A frequent question I’m asked is ‘are there foods that will improve my dog’s behaviour’ or ‘are there foods that will make my dog’s behaviour worse?’. That might seem a simple enough question but the answer certainly isn’t straightforward. Food does affect behaviour (anyone who’s attempted to look after small children who are full of … Read more

Do dogs smile?

Golden Labrador with mouth slightly open in flower field

Recently I was asked if dogs can smile. A great question – and yes of course they can – but unlike us, dogs don’t smile with their mouths and teeth but with their tail.  Actually, to be more accurate, a dog smiles with their whole body but the tail is the closest thing to a … Read more

Walk, don’t walk.

Golden Spaniel walking in field with 2 people in the background behind

Part of life with our dogs is the daily – or twice daily – dog walk. When we look to take a doginto our lives, one of the things we look at is how much exercise they need and factor that intoour choice of breed (or at least we should!). With unpredictable weather changes, the … Read more

It’s party time – or is it?

Golden Labrador with tongue out in front of Let's Party sign

We all love a party – but the type of party we like varies from person to person.  For the extrovert social butterflies amongst us, a huge get-together with an endless source of people to meet, talk to and have fun with, is their idea of heaven. For the more introverted, however, that sounds like … Read more

‘PUP ROCK’ – UK’s most popular dog breeds’ favourite music genres revealed

As a canine behaviour expert reveals that many dog’s music preferences mirror their owners Have you ever questioned if your dog were a person, who their favourite artist would be? Would they be a ‘Hairy Styles’ fan? Or perhaps they’d like a taste of ‘Motley Chew’?  Well, with almost 1,000 people every month Googling ‘do … Read more

The Joys of an Older Dog

When you have had your dog from a puppy and watched them grow up, it can be hard tothink of them as becoming elderly. When we see our dogs every single day, we often don’tnotice the signs that indicate our canine companions are no longer in their prime and theirage is beginning to catch up … Read more

Let’s talk about: stress in dogs

stress in dogs

Carolyn Menteith is a behaviourist at tails.com with over 25 years of experience working with and training dogs. Life can be tough for our dogs. We expect so much from them – in fact being a family dog is the hardest job we ever ask a dog to do.  While working dogs usually live with … Read more

Do dogs get jealous?

do dogs get jealous

Green is not a natural colour when it comes to dogs. We may have Black Labs, Red Setters, Golden Retrievers and even Greyhounds, but there isn’t anything green. In fact, there’s only a single species of mammal that is naturally green in colour – a type of sloth who moves so slowly that moss grows … Read more

Why do dogs sigh?

olive lies in the garden looking content

Picture the scene – you’re staring out of your window at a world full of opportunity that has been sunny and bright all week, but now it’s bathed in dark clouds and rain. The temperature has dropped, and despite wanting to take your dog for a big hike all week, it appears the moment has … Read more