A Calmer Canine

08/06/2026

Meet some of my Calmer Canines! 🥰🐾🐾♥️

08/06/2026

I adore helping dogs of all shapes, sizes and temperaments live happier, healthier lives.

06/06/2026

If your dog is anxious, fearful of life or stressed use this simple method to help calm their nervous system.
It's called the Somatic Relaxation Technique - and it really does work.

06/06/2026

Well it didn't take this lovely fella long to relax this morning.
He was the first dog to visit the Canine Cafe in Alderton and my assessment showed his body is holding a lot of tension throughout, as his mum suspected.
But the good news is he absolutely loved me working with it...and he's being booked in for a few sessions to help ease it. I've no doubt he'll feel a lot happier in a few weeks' time.
🥰♥️🐾🐾
If you think your dog may be holding tension due to anxiety, arthritis, fear or an injury, get in touch

06/06/2026

05/06/2026

COULD YOUR DOG BE SUFFERING IN SILENCE?
Come and find out tomorrow, Saturday 6th June from 10 am til 12 noon at Alderton Village Hall's Canine Cafe with me .
I'm offering free pain and tension assessments on doggie visitors who may be struggling with stiffness due to arthritis, hip, elbow or knee issues, or with emotional tension from anxious, reactive or fearful behaviour.
A Calmer Canine will be in a quiet corner so if your dog is fearful or anxious you can come and go without your dog having to interact with others.
I'm a canine massage therapist specialising in fascia release. The fascia is connective tissue that runs throughout a dog's body and is an integral part of the nervous system. Easing pain and tension in the fascia can not only increase mobility but also promotes relaxation.
Look forward to seeing you there!
If you can't make it but would like your dog assessed, please get in touch. 07809 096036

28/05/2026

On The Dog Show Radio Winchcombe in an hour's time, 6pm, hear how Yorkshire couple Emma and Anthony, below, launched the charity Street Hearts BG and are helping thousands of dogs on the streets of Bulgaria.

In just an hour's time I, that's Ruth McDonagh, will be hosting The Dog Show and talking to founder of Street Hearts BG Emma Smith. Ten years ago Emma took a career break and moved to Bulgaria with hubbie Anthony to 'live the dream'.
Instead of gardening, cooking and reading, Emma and Anthony both from Yorkshrie, UK, began helping discarded, injured, diseased and cruelly-treated street dogs.
A few years later they founded the Street Hearts Bulgaria charity with Call the Midwife actress Kate Lamb. They have neutered,, supported, rescured, rehomed and helped thousands of street dogs live healthier, happier lives.

Tune in at 6 pm today, Thursday 28th May, on Radio Winchcombe to hear the full story. Ask your smartspeaker to play Radio Winchcombe or listen online at RadioWinchcombe.co.uk.

The Dog Show is broadcast in association with A Calmer Canine, Winchcombe, Glos.

Emma and Anthony pictured below.

28/05/2026

In just an hour's time I, that's Ruth McDonagh, will be hosting The Dog Show and talking to founder of Street Hearts BG Emma Smith. Ten years ago Emma took a career break and moved to Bulgaria with hubbie Anthony to 'live the dream'.
Instead of gardening, cooking and reading, Emma and Anthony both from Yorkshrie, UK, began helping discarded, injured, diseased and cruelly-treated street dogs.
A few years later they founded the Street Hearts Bulgaria charity with Call the Midwife actress Kate Lamb. They have neutered,, supported, rescured, rehomed and helped thousands of street dogs live healthier, happier lives.

Tune in at 6 pm today, Thursday 28th May, on Radio Winchcombe to hear the full story. Ask your smartspeaker to play Radio Winchcombe or listen online at RadioWinchcombe.co.uk.

The Dog Show is broadcast in association with A Calmer Canine, Winchcombe, Glos.

Emma and Anthony pictured below.

25/05/2026

I touched on this in my book, 'They're All Barking' a Dog's Guide to Human Behaviour by Professor Daniel Springer-Spaniel.
Household chemicals affect our dogs' health. 😥🐾🐾

A new peer-reviewed study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science found that 2 out of 3 dogs with lymphoma were exposed to benzene at DNA-damaging levels, and nearly 9 out of 10 were exposed to xylene. But here’s what most people miss: over half of healthy dogs had similar benzene exposure, and nearly all dogs had xylene exposure too.

This isn’t rare, it’s everyday life. These chemicals, released from products like cleaners, air fresheners, candles, paints, furniture, and even gas stoves, are commonly found in indoor air and can damage DNA in lab studies. Most dogs are living in a constant background of exposure we rarely think about.

The good news is you can reduce it.🙌 Focus on your indoor air, improve ventilation, use an air purifier with activated carbon if possible, avoid synthetic fragrances, switch to simpler low-toxin products, and eliminate smoke exposure. It’s not one big toxin that matters, it’s the constant low-level exposure over time.

And while reducing exposure is step one, supporting your dog’s ability to handle what they’re still exposed to matters just as much.

If you want a science-backed detox support option, Liver Lift™ is a daily, multi-pathway formula designed for pets living in today’s chemical world. It supports liver detox and bile flow, kidney filtration, lymphatic movement, gut binding, antioxidant regeneration, and nervous system regulation.

👉 Comment CLEANUP and we’ll send a link your way.

25/05/2026

And here we go again....

Fancy a hot, sunny walk in 25 to 30+ degrees of heat dressed like this?
No, nor me. So please don't take your dog out in it.
Vets warn that dogs run a high risk of heat stroke at 24+ degrees especially for old dogs, overweight dogs, young dogs, those with health issues and flat-faced, short nosed breeds, eg pugs. French bulldogs etc.
At 28+ degrees ALL DOGS are at risk.
Wait til it's cooler, usually before 9 am and after 7 pm, or just don't go! It's not a crime.

Don't be a nob, don't walk the dog!