Mutterings
Welcome to Mutterings; Proprietor (& former journalist) Sarah Mountford's collection of photos, articles, links, comment, videos, recommendations and understandings from the world of Mutts.
it’s all glamour
I love the fact that dogs are often portrayed in the media as being glamorous accessories for their particularly glamorous owners. And the few journalist bods who have been here thankfully tend to go down the same route: sooo sweet, such fun, sooo gorgeous :)
COOL SCHOOL: WHO’D HAVE THOUGHT A MUSIC FESTIVAL WOULD BE SUCH A PERFECT TRAINING GROUND!
HOUSE OF MUTT @ LUCKNAM PARK, SPRING 2017
Pictures paint a thousand words so I'll leave it to the photos to tell the story of the first HoM @ Lucknam Park Retreat!
SPACE + TIME = HAPPY
Dogs are remarkably good at fitting in with and adapting to our lifestyles. That's why Beryl and Penny are currently curled up under my desk, busy keeping my feet warm as opposed to running across the prairie in wild wolfy packs (and definitely not being called Beryl and Penny while they're at it!). But sometimes that incredible adaptability and empathy can lead to confusion.
ED SAYS …
Training dogs is a great skill - but to be honest, some people just 'do' dogs so well that dogs behave around them, come what may. So the real real skill lies in being able to transfer some of that magic power to us, normal, feet-of-clay owners.
NOT EVERYDOG’S CUP OF TEA…
Seeing dogs day in and day out as we do here at the House of Mutt, you get to understand them pretty well. And sometimes that understanding leads to situations that are slightly uncomfortable to acknowledge.
HOUSE IN THE COUNTRY
A heartfelt plea from one of our owners a couple of weeks ago about Charlie, a lovely old Labrador belonging to a friend of theirs who'd tragically died.
TIP FROM A’BROAD …
A lesson I learnt as a youthful officer cadet when I lost my dog on the thousand-acre Royal Military Academy Sandhurst training area - and was beside myself with un-officer'ly panic.
HOW MANY STEPS?
Exercise, like baking, used to be one of those activities that lots of us liked to think about but not all that many actually did.
NATURE OR NURTURE?
HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU …
I spent a day in London last week studying Proprioception for dogs.
HECTOR
Misery Monday, apparently and officially The Most Miserable Day of the Calendar Year, I'm afraid proved so for us. The beloved Hector was put to sleep after 14 long and very happy years of being The Mountford Family Dog.
ASTARPETS COLUMN: HOT TO TROT!
ASTAR PETS COLUMN: THE DUDE DIARIES, HOUSETRAINING
ASTAR PETS COLUMN: TIME TO PARTY!
ASTAR PETS COLUMN: THE DUDE DIARIES INTRO
ASTAR PETS COLUMN: COMING HOME
ASTAR PETS GUEST COLUMN: SMELL & ASSOCIATION…
CHOOSING A HOME BOARDER
HOME BOARDING – PROFESSION OR HOBBY?
A friend (and client) asked me recently if our team here at the House of Mutt might be getting too 'big and business-like' compared to the bucolic home-y set up she'd always pictured.