Meet Dogs Trust's Dogs: Harvey

Last week, you met Harvey's adoring mum, Denise, who helps spread the word about responsible dog ownership. Here, Harvey tells us how he helps!

Name: Harvey Gilgallon

Breed: Cocker Spaniel

Colour: Black

Age: 6 years old

Who's your favourite two-legged friend at Dogs Trust? I love my Mum Denise, and my other favourite person is my Aunty Michelle who works in the Campaign Office with us. I always get lovely cuddles from her.

Who's your favourite four-legged friend at Dogs Trust? Jade, a 12 year old collie x spaniel who belongs to Aunty Michelle. We all share an office and also walk and play on the field together.

What's your favourite toy? It has to be my ball on a rope, love it!

What's your favourite treat? I like most things but doggy chocolate buttons are my least favourite.

What do you dream about? Swimming and my holidays in Scotland and the Lake District as it’s really exciting for me with all the new walks and smells

Where's the best place to take a walk? The North Yorkshire Moors which isn’t too far from where I live. There’s lots of space for me to run and explore. I also like the beach. My Dad likes walking and he takes me on some great walks

What are you favourite activities? Walking, swimming and playing with my toys.

What's the one thing you can't stand? Having my teeth brushed!

What do your humans like best about you? I’m a very good kisser.

How did you meet your humans? It was love at first lick when my Mum met me at Darlington Rehoming Centre and when I met my Dad at my new home he just couldn’t resist me and made me really welcome.

Check in next Monday for another doggy profile!

Previous Dogs Trust Dog Profiles: Charlie aka Chas | Sadie

Meet Dogs Trust: Denise Gilgallon (and Harvey)

Much of the work Dogs Trust does to reduce alarming statistics like those found by our Stray Dogs Reports is done with Local Authorities in particular campaign regions. Here, Denise tells us more about how we can improve dog welfare in the future.

Name: Denise Gilgallon

Location: Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre, Darlington

Job: Regional Campaigns Manager

You what...? My job entails working with Local Authorities promoting neutering, microchipping and responsible dog ownership. The aim of my job is to reduce the number of stray dogs and also reducing the number of dogs that are unnecessarily destroyed. I've been at Dogs Trust for 10 years.

Best thing about my job: Getting positive feedback from Local Authorities to say the number of stray dogs has reduced and they have collected no unwanted litters.

Pets: Harvey our 6 year old black cocker spaniel who we adopted from Darlington Rehoming Centre when he was 18 months old. He is gorgeous and we love him to bits.

Favourite websites: I love fashion and interior design sites and have just bought Harvey some fab new toys from a website. Obviously DoggySnaps is a firm favourite.

What I'm reading now: I've just bought No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay, to read whilst on holiday in Scotland, a thriller, in which, a teenage girl wakes up one morning to discover her family have vanished without a trace. 25 years later, after a TV appeal, she begins to learn the truth behind their sudden disappearance. Looking forward to a good ‘can’t put it down’ read.

Weekend plans: Harvey, my partner and I are going on holiday to Scotland. The three of us really enjoy visiting Scotland as there are so many beautiful walks and Lochs to explore.

Check back on Monday for Harvey's profile!

Meet Dogs Trust: Jacqui Darlow | Hollie Sevenoaks

St George's Day: Best of British dog breeds

The papers and blogs are heaving with the news that more people than ever are beginning to celebrate St. George's Day. The patron saint of England has long been overlooked thanks to the louder and more famous festivals of nearby patron saints like Ireland's St. Patrick, but campaigners are keen to raise awareness of the Turkish-born dragon slayer.

It seems as good a time as any, then, to speak up for some well known and much-loved British dog breeds.

The most iconic of these has got to be the English Bulldog. Descended from Mastiff breeds, this dog has become distinctly more docile and friendly as it goes further and further from its fighting dog ancestry. They still retain a fiery personality, but now make excellent pets and companions, displaying courage, tenacity and loyalty. As with all dogs, taking on a Bulldog requires some research and planning; rehoming or buying a puppy should not be a spur of the moment decision. Bulldogs are particularly well suited to people who spend much of the day at home and are more comfortable with short bursts of regular exercise than sustained activity.

Thanks to many famous incarnations, the Old English Sheepdog is also a familiar symbol of Britishness. Originally bred in the South West of England as a working dog, herding instincts are still very strong in this shaggy-looking, intelligent breed. While giving the impression of being dopey and docile, they are actually smart, funny and sociable with children, other dogs, pets and visitors. In contrast to the Bulldog, the OES needs lots of exercise as well as mental stimulation and loves to play. Although generally excellent with children, it is never advisable to leave a child alone with any animal, and children should be taught to respect their pet.

Somewhere in-between in terms of both size and temperament is the English Cocker Spaniel. The origin of the Spaniel family might once have been Spain, but the breeds could have first come to England as early as 55BC! Cocker Spaniels emerged as a separately defined breed in the late 1800s, bred to go after woodcock. They are faithful, friendly and playful dogs, generally of a quiet disposition and quite open to training, making excellent family pets.

Of course there are many more English breeds and crossbreeds that have their own distinct personalities, and every dog should be treated as an individual and cared for accordingly. But on this very English day it seemed appropriate to give a nod to these very English breeds.

_{[Image via Wikimedia]}

Do you have a particular favourite? Let us know in the comments.