Latest news with #SteveBrain
The Sun
4 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
From a dog's fear of rain to a cat's frequent hairballs – your pet queries answered
HE is on a mission to help our pets . . . and is here to answer YOUR questions. Sean, who is the head vet at tailored pet food firm has helped with owners' queries for ten years. 4 4 Q) MY dog Petra refuses to go out in the rain. He's a 50kg crossbreed and loves his walks — yet as soon as the heavens open, he won't budge out the front door except to pee quickly. How can I persuade him wet walks are fun? Steve Brain, Manchester A) Maybe you can't. Every dog is different — they all have their own little quirks and eccentricities. Saying that, most can be convinced that something they previously feared or found unpleasant can be less of a big deal than they thought. Plenty of reward-based training and bribery with food may help Petra learn that rain means fun and treats. It's a well-used behavioural modification trick called counter conditioning — training your dog to associate something previously negative with something positive. If you are consistent, I bet you can make Petra do a happy rain dance. If not, don't push it. We can train behaviour, but rarely emotions. Q) ALTHOUGH I brush her every day, my cat Merlin gets terrible hairballs. World's Oldest Tortoise Jonathan Package - Joe Hollins She's a Norwegian Forest cat. Is there anything you can recommend? Kate Armstrong, Bradford A) Brushing is key but, in long haired breeds, we can't get away from the fact they are swallowing more hair than a normal coated cat. No offence to Norwegian Forest cats or their owners, but it's another example of us tinkering with our pets' genetics for the appearance of a breed we find appealing. Yet it leaves them more prone to health issues. Anyway, you can get products, usually in a tasty oral paste format, which help lubricate hairballs and have them pass out in the poop rather than build up in the stomach. Ask your vet for a recommendation based on Merlin's needs and history. Q) BOB, my lizard, has struggled to shed around the eyes. I have a big enclosure, plenty of enrichment, a humid area and maintain temperature. What else can I do? Steve Black, Doncaster A) You've left out a few bits of information. Firstly, what species of lizard? That's crucial to understanding what environmental conditions they experience in the wild. Your lizard has retained skin, so there is certainly a humidity problem and possibly incorrect temperature, too. I often recommend having a really humid damp hide box for reptiles to go into and seek out higher humidity when needed so they can shed well. Your vet can help remove retained skin. Q) WHEN we are on walks, my one-year-old rescue Labrador Barny barks at motorcycles. How can I stop him as it's stressful? I think it must be the noise. Mark Thomas, Bristol A) It sure is, and either he finds it really exciting so wants to join in with the racket or, more likely, it makes him anxious. If Barny is afraid of something, his instinct tells him to bark at it and hopefully that will fend it off. What happens when a dog barks at the postman coming to the door? The postman delivers the mail and takes off down the street. Peace and order are restored. The dog thinks they've done a great job guarding the home. Same with motorbikes — they appear, Barny barks, they whizz away. Job done! So you need to get him used to motorbikes from a distance and reward him when he doesn't bark at them any more, gradually increasing exposure over time. Star of the week HOMELESS kittens Bill and Barb survived against the odds after they got trapped next to boiling hot water pipes while hiding in a shed. The five-week-old pair became wedged in a gap which contained the pipes and wiring for a property in Truro, Cornwall. When the homeowner spotted them, he rang Cats Protection. Jasmine Nevitte from the charity's rescue team said: 'Amazingly, Barb didn't have any significant burns, but Bill burnt his bottom quite badly. 'He is now on antibiotics and needs daily bathing and close monitoring. 'But although they are shaken up, both of them are doing well – they are little stars.' WIN: £339 LAWNMOWER TO help keep grass trim for our four-legged pals, we're giving away a lawn mower worth £339, in conjunction with outdoor power equipment brand Husqvarna. The winner will also receive two adult and two child tickets to CarFest at Laverstoke Park Farm, Hants, where the brand will be showing off its animal-friendly goods from August 22 to 24. For a chance to win, send an email headed CARFEST to sundaypets@ by July 27. Check out T&Cs apply. GET SOME PUPPY LOVE ON YOGA RETREAT 4 BRITAIN is seeing a boom in yoga retreats where you can get into a downward dog with your pup. Dubbed 'Doga', dog yoga videos have had 228.9million views on TikTok. There are classes across the country, from Bude in Cornwall to London, Manchester and Edinburgh. Yoga teacher Camilla Sheeley, who runs a retreat at Down Hall Hotel in Bishop's Stortford, Essex, with her six-year-old golden working cocker spaniel Mitch, says it has become a staycation trend of 2025. She said of classes: 'They offer a fun-filled way to connect with your canine companion and are suitable for all breeds. "The humans stretch, balance, mobilise and breathe deeply, while your dog gets to join the fun, whether by chilling out beside you, mimicking your moves or (as most prefer) climbing on you or giving you plenty of enthusiastic licks. "It's a laughter-filled way to deepen your bond, move your body and create unforgettable memories. 'Mitch nails his downward dog and often balances on my knee during warrior poses. 'Our next retreat in August has already sold out because doga is now so popular. We are now arranging the next one.'
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Late cheese rolling champions to be honoured at 2025 event
Two "fearless" late champions of a unique British sport will be remembered at this year's of spectators are expected to gather on Cooper's Hill near Gloucester on Monday to witness daring competitors hurl themselves down the famously steep slope in pursuit of a rolling wheel of Double Gloucester year, the first downhill men's race will be held in memory of Izzy John, who died in 2015, and the second to Steve Brain, who died in 2018. Both men won more than 30 cheeses between of Steve Brain's dying wishes was for his ashes to be scattered at the top of Cooper's Hill. His friend Lee Chapman said: "They blew everywhere. He'll always be here." Izzy John was 13 years old when he chased his first cheese down Cooper's Hill in after breaking his ankle on his first race, his mum was not happy."The next year, his mum was going back to Wales, so she took his daps with her," his son Danny John said."He borrowed two left feet - that's all he could borrow - and he went up the hill. I think he won two or three cheeses that year." In total, Mr John said his father, who died at the age of 72 in 2015, was adamant he won 14 cheeses before he stopped competing in his mid 20s, although the official record shows despite his passion for the sport, he hated cheese."He would always give one [cheese] to the local old people's home," Mr John said."He was the first champion, it makes me very proud." 'Uncompromising, fearless' Another champion, Steve Brain died shortly before his 50th birthday in won 18 cheeses during his time on the hill, and was 15 when he first Chapman added that the cheese rolling champion was "an uncompromising, fearless individual"."I suppose running down that hill was great evidence of that," Mr Chapman said. Mr Brain developed a "bit of a reputation" after scooping so many cheeses, Mr Chapman said, before his cheese rolling career was cut short by a broken ankle."It was a bit like a boxer not wanting to lose his title. He was very competitive, that one," Mr Chapman you can watch this year's cheese roll live on the BBC I Player and on the BBC news website and app this Monday from 11:30 BST. The first race is at 12:00.
