However my youngest is only 6 and much too young for most of the rides at Chessington – not wanting her to miss out, I looked online for alternatives. That’s when I came across www.bestgiftexperiences.co.uk/store/product/37657287-273-aw/ which gives gift days at the Zoo in Chessington.

This meant we could all go for the day together, my husband could take the older kids around the theme park and do all the Kiddie things that men love to do and I could take Ashley around the zoo. So it’s all planned and booked up to go, I now can’t wait until Christmas morning to tell the children what we have planned for them!

Mushi lived in Germany during World War II and even though
she was well loved, food was hard to come by. Table scraps,
sausage casings and an occasional fish head was all she got. One
Christmas season, after the tree was decorated, the lady of the
house came down hard on her two children, ages four and six.

“You have a heck of a nerve, eating the special candy I hung on
the tree for a Christmas treat, ” she scolded. The children denied all
knowledge of the deed and started to blame each other. Suddenly,
from behind the tree came Mushi, blandly carrying a half-eaten
chocolate, still attached to its golden string. A very annoyed mom
tried to keep Mushi away from the candy but had to give up when
two days later, the tree came crashing down with Mushi holding on
for dear life near the top.

Another time, a daughter of Mushi, Mushi II, spent most of her
days outside, looking for food. After an unsuccessful jaunt, she
liked to return to the kitchen to check her dish. Unfortunately, the
only way into the house was the open window overlooking the
sidewalk. Being situated too high for her to jump, Mushi II waited
for a neighbor to pause and say hello and gossip with the mistress
of the house through the open window. Timing the jump to
perfection, Mushi II bounded to the neighbor’s back and launched
herself through the open window, much to the consternation to the
lady of the house and the shock to her friendly neighbors. Mushi II
did all her business inside. Not only was she trained to go on the
toilet, but as a finishing act, make a leap to the pull chain and flush
the toilet!

My own cat, Sassy, can lie contentedly with us watching TV all
night without moving. But if I decide that on one of my many trips
out of the room during the evening to get the nail clippers from the
bedroom to do her nails, she immediately hides under the covers
and starts to complain. We think she hears the sound of the
armoire door as I open it over three rooms away.

We only had the pleasure of a cat named Madie (Girly in
German) for less than a year when she fell down an embankment
and got killed in the street. She was the cuddliest cat in the
world and she loved to sleep with us, keeping our feet warm under
the covers in the winter and acting like a living muff around our
necks, purring all the while. At Night when it was time for us to
retire, Madie would race us to the bedroom and fling herself on the
bed between the pillows, looking for all the world like the winner of the race.

The friendliness of all the cats we ever owned was measured
against our wonderful Madie. None ever surpassed her.

We’ve owned one dog and at least ten cats (not all at the same time).

So what are your dog’s exercise requirements?

That depends on age, breed and individual. Puppies shouldn’t be exercised for more than 20 minutes at a time, but they can be exercised gently quite frequently. Most puppies like to play, which tires them out with or without your help. Be careful not to over-walk puppies, their bones need to mature before they can be walked for long periods. Speak to your vet, but 20 minutes of walking at a time is about right.

Different breeds have different exercise requirements. Working and herding breeds typically have very high exercise requirements. Take the German Shepherd as an example, German Shepherd Dogs are descended from herding dogs who were required to form a “living fence” for their master’s flock. This was a 24 hour a day job, which included protection from predators and thieves at night.

Some breeds, whilst they may appear to have high exercise requirements, may not. A Greyhound actually has a fairly low exercise requirement, although they do love to exercise intensely for short bursts.

Other breeds were used in hunting. Breeds such as Beagles and Retrievers would work very hard, but not every day. They tend to be fairly flexible with exercise, so long as they are kept in shape and given regular outlets for their energies.

Individuals within any breed will have greater or lesser requirements for exercise than others of that breed. Sometimes the differences can be fairly extreme, although I have never known a Border Collie that didn’t require a lot of exercise! Well, until they got old at least. Older dogs generally require much less exercise.

Nearly every adult dog requires at least 30 minutes walking each day. If you cannot physically provide this for your dog then alternative means for exercise should be arranged. Playing fetch, frisbee or swimming are excellent alternatives. Some dog clubs provide agility classes, which are a great way to train and to exercise your dog – regardless of breed or age.

Some individual dogs have a very high exercise requirement. Typically, trainers or obedience clubs will be presented with a dog who escapes the yard, barks all day, digs in the garden, pulls on the leash, jumps all over people or doesn’t come when called. Usually in some sort of combination!

These dogs almost certainly require more exercise than they are getting.

In addition to exercise, training is essential. What’s more, 5 minutes training is worth about 15 minutes exercise. “Brain work” will tire a dog out fairly quickly. Combine training with exercise and you have a winning combination. Sports such as Agility, Tracking, Schutzhund or Flyball are all excellent outlets for your dog’s boundless energy.

Can you over-exercise a dog? Yes. You can exercise a dog to exhaustion. If you are extremely fit, or your dog is extremely unfit, you can cause injuries, heat-stress and even cause internal organ damage by over-working your dog. If your dog is unfit, consult with your vet before starting a new exercise program with your dog. Start off gently and increase the amount of exercise each week, give your dog time to adjust. In hot weather, scale back and provide plenty of water and rest opportunities.

Please also be aware of any physical limitations your dog may have. Diseases such as Hip Dysplaysia can be hard to detect in the early stages. Some dogs are remarkably adept at hiding injuries if they think the fun will stop. If you suspect your dog has an injury, please end all exercise and immediately seek veterinary help. Early treatment can save weeks of needless pain and hundreds of dollars of vet care.