Dogs Life Sept/Oct 08 On-sale Today

G'day Dog Lovers

I just thought I'd drop you a quick line to let you know that the next issue of Dogs Life is due to hit the news stands today. It's our Spring Cleaning Special, so it's chock-full of tips and advice to help you clean up after your messy pooch! The cleaning roadtest is back again and we also look at what cleaning products and ingredients you can use to clean your home the dog-friendly way.

Other great stories include features on Colombian sniffer dogs, canine acne, hormone disorders, separation anxiety, a look at the controversial tail docking debate and a special feature on doggy bling. The magazine also comes with a 'Holidaying and Travelling With Your Pet' supplement that has plenty of great advice to help you plan your next doggy holiday.

So keep an eye out for the mag next time your in your local newsagent - it has a very cute Australian Shepherd puppy on the cover.

Puppy Shoot

G'day, Dog Lovers

We had a puppy shoot yesterday and it was great fun. I won't tell you what breed of dog we were photographing for the cover of a future Dogs Life issue (I don't want to give too much away!), but we had two pups come in to our offices with their Dad.

These two pups were very playful and energetic! They were much more interested in chasing each other and wrestling than posing for any photos. When they'd finished doing that, one of the pups decided she would try and rip up some of the carpet in our studio!

But with a few food bribes the two fur balls eventually sat still long enough for us to snap off a couple of photos! They should look great on the cover of the magazine.

Make Your Dog A Star!

G'day Dog Lovers,

Does your dog want to be famous? Does he or she want to be the envy of all their friends?

If so, why not enter your pooch in the 2009 Bush's Livin' Large Calendar Competition? The full details are here - http://www.dogslife.com.au/competitions2/bushscalendar - but winners get a photo of their dog in the 2009 calendar that goes out with every issue of Dogs Life!!!

It's an awesome prize and all you have to do is answer a short survey (on pg 38 of Dogs Life July/August edition which is in stores now), tell us in 25 words how your dog lives life with Bush's Pet Foods, and then send us some pics of your dog with a Bush's product. Send your entries to Dogs Life Bush’s Livin’ Large Calendar Competition/Dogs Life, Locked Bag 154, North Ryde NSW 1670 or email to dogslife@universalmagazines.com.au

It's that simple. As well as their photo going in the calendar, your dog also gets $100 worth of Bush's products and a $30 surprise hamper.

So what are you waiting for? Get your entry in now!

Meet Max

G'day Dog Lovers,

Meet my friend Max. He's about six years old and his favourite activities are eating, eating and...eating.

As a labrador, Max's world basically revolves around food - no matter where he is or what he's doing, he's always ready for a meal! With such a big appetite it's important to make sure he gets plenty of exercise. That way he can stay taut and trim and continue to get plenty of admiring looks from the ladies!

Max also enjoys walking on the beach, sniffing every new person/animal/object he comes across and sleeping in the sun.

Launch of new PETS magazine!

Hi pet lovers,

I’m excited to tell you all that Universal Magazines, the publishers of Dogs Life, is launching a new title later this year ... called PETS magazine!

This new A5 mag aims to teach kids and their families about responsible pet ownership. We will feature animals of all shapes and sizes – from the furry, fluffy and feathered, to the scaly, slippery and slimy.

In each issue, we will offer you the latest tips and advice on health, training, nutrition, grooming, behaviour and more – for pets young and old.

You will have the chance to send your pet health queries to our resident vet, Dr Justin Wimpole – author of First Aid for Cats, First Aid for Dogs and co-author of Canine Communication.

And like Dogs Life magazine, we will also have a regular ‘Snapshots’ segment, where readers are invited to send in cute, funny and simply adorable pictures with their pets.

To help us prepare for the launch issue of PETS magazine, send your pet health QUESTIONS (for Dr Wimpole), and PHOTOS of you with your pet, to: pets@universalmagazines.com.au

And keep your eyes peeled for PETS magazine in Coles Supermarkets and selected news stands! Stay tuned for more info.

New SCHMACKOS Competition in Dogs Life magazine!

Would you like to win a hamper filled with lots of yummy SCHMACKOS® goodies for your dog?

Dogs Life is thrilled to have SCHMACKOS on board for a brand new competition in the magazine. Readers are invited to to share their fun-filled moments with their dogs for a chance to win a SCHMACKOS hamper prize, worth more than $100!

For a chance to win, all you have to do is tell us in 250 words ‘HOW YOUR DOG ONLY GOES WACKO FOR SCHMACKOS’ and include a clear, sharp photo of your dog.

Click here for more details. Good luck! And remember: ‘DOGS ONLY GO WACKO FOR SCHMACKOS’.

Doggone!

This is my last blog ...

After three years as editor of Dogs Life, it is time for me to say goodbye ... my last issue is the July/Aug 2008 edition, (which has just gone to the printers).

I have had the pleasure of knowing many of you and your beautiful dogs. Thank you for your letters and passionate support! You have really helped to make a difference in the welfare of dogs.

I wish you and your best mate the best of health and happiness. Watch this space to find out who the new editor will be!

Warmest wishes
Caroline

IT'S A WONDERFUL (DOGS) LIFE

Hello fellow dog enthusiasts! My name is Millie and I am the new editorial assistant and kids club coordinator here at Dogs Life magazine, and I can't wait to get stuck into the job. I absolutely love our four-legged friends (somewhat important when you are dealing with them all day everyday) and I personally believe that they are one of life's great joys.

I own an eight-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback called Tully, who is completely driven by food. This 'talent' has caused her to eat toast out of a toaster, eat my Gramps' hearing aid, lick the hotplate of a BBQ (she learnt her lesson there) and sneak off with an entire sponge cake - just to name a few. That said, I wouldn't trade her for the world, a sentiment I know all dog lovers share, because even when she does something naughty or I realise that my dinner has been swiped clean from my plate, she gives me so much joy and companionship that it's all worth it.

Anyway, I'll be sure to keep you updated with all the office antics and what's going on in the world of our canine friends. Keep the posts, emails, photos and letters coming because we love hearing from you. Oh, and don't forget to look out for our #89 May/June 08 edition of Dogs Life magazine which is packed with loads of great stuff for you and your dog.

Till next time!

Millie

Helping wildlife

This is not really dog related, but as we have just put out our first ever Animal Welfare Special (March/April 2008 edition), I thought it's good timing.

One of our Dogs Life freelance writers, Jilea Carney, has recently been appointed editor of WIRES publication. Congratulations Jilea! What a coincidence I just found this out as I was searching for a contact number for WIRES so I could donate two bird cages and a computer table I thought would be useful to their volunteers. Jilea passed on their website...

If you'd like to help WIRES - the NSW Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service - or have found an injured wild animal, visit http://www.wires.org.au/

Happy Easter

Dogs Life reader Kym sent us a lovely email with an 'Easter photo' of her "Westie babies" as she refers to Harry and Maisie.

On a CUTE scale of 1 to 10 (10 being absolutely, positively adorable), I think they are a 20?

Thank you Kym and we also wish you a happy and safe Easter!

Scrapbook Your Dog!

In the #86 November/December 2007 issue of Dogs Life magazine we published a story on DIY Doggy Gifts and showed readers how to preserve memories of their pooch and celebrate precious moments through do-it-yourself scrapbooking projects.

Expert scrapper Allyson Corbett provided steps on how to create gorgeous mini books and mini albums using pictures of your pooches, and we invited readers to send in photos of their creative work.

We have received loads of FABULOUS scrapbooking submissions and would like to thank Dogs Life readers Nicola, Gabrielle, Judy, Chloe and Kathie for their hard work and creativity. Check out their 'pawtastic' scrapbooking projects here.

The Dogs Life team would love to see more of your scrapbooking efforts. Send photos of your crafty creations to dogslife@universalmagazines.com.au

Happy scrapping!

Do these dogs look familiar?

If you think you recognise these gorgeous Labs, then you're right - you do!

These two Labradors, once puppies, are featured on the cover of the current January/February 2008 issue of Dogs Life.

Heather and Kate Brook from Mistyoak Labs visited the Dogs Life studio several months ago with three beautiful Labradors - Chloe, Jazz and Holly.

Now Chloe and Jazz (the two cover pups) are all grown up! We're thrilled to see how much the pups have grown. They are six months old today.

Photo taken by Kate Brook.

Check out the winning animated e-card!

You may remember our recent Canine Cards competition on the Dogs Life website, where readers were given a chance to see their pooch in an animated e-card.

Readers were asked to send in photos of their dogs and tell us, in 25 words or less, why their pooch would make a great animated e-card character. Congratulations to Cassie Cutajar whose lovable pup, Jess, will feature on the Canine Cards website throughout 2008.

Cassie says her pup Jess has loads of personality - she's sneaky, cheeky and clever too! Cassie says if she places a treat in one hand without Jess seeing, Jess can place her paw on the hand with the dog treat. That's one clever pooch!

Cassie has won a two-year subscription to Canine Cards and now dog lovers across the globe can send the winning e-card, featuring Cassie's pup Jess, to their friends and family. To check out the winning cards, visit the following links:

Welcome to your new puppy!

Happy birthday - Jess and the balloon

See you at the Melbourne Pet & Animal Expo!

Hi fellow dog lovers,

Dogs Life will be attending the Melbourne Pet & Animal Expo this weekend, and we're very excited! The Expo will run from Friday, 1 February to Sunday, 3 February at Caulfield Racecourse (20 minutes from the City Centre along Dandenong Road).

We can't wait to meet you all at the Expo, along with your four-legged friends. Not only are we selling mags and subscriptions (special deals exclusively for Expo visitors), but if you pop in and visit us at the Dogs Life stand, you will have the chance to win some FANTASTIC prizes...

Enter our raffle for your chance to win a Dyson DC16 Handheld Vacuum Cleaner, valued at over $200!

Also, be sure to pick up an entry form to our Kids Club Colouring Competition for your chance to win a Love'Em Liver Treats hamper and loads of other canine goodies including books, DVDs, toys, treats and more! Entries to the competition will be judged by Dogs Life Kids Club celebrity vet, Dr Katrina Warren.

Can't wait to see you all at the Expo - it will be a grrreat weekend!

Woof!

Dogs Life Wins Award

The 2007 Australian Business and Specialist Publishers (ABSP) Bell Awards were held on Friday, November 23 in Sydney to highlight excellence in business and consumer publishing.

We are thrilled to announce that Dogs Life was one of three finalists and received a "Highly Commended Award" for Consumer Magazine of the Year (print run less than 30,000).

Thank you for supporting the magazine - together we are making a difference to the welfare of dogs around the country.