The dogs who need therapy to help deal with modern life
We had little idea that dog counselling was a widespread phenomenon — at least, not outside of California — but apparently that is the case. And no type of dog is more likely to need a session than the border collie. The reason? Lack of activity. Dogs suffer from the modern sedentary lifestyle just as much as humans do.
'No other breed is sent for “behaviour therapy” more often,' reports The Times, whose information comes from a survey commissioned by John Lewis.
The report goes on to explain that, 'the therapy sessions treat conditions such as excessive barking, shoe-chewing, aggression and separation anxiety. They can also tackle obsessive behaviours such as compulsive tail-chasing.'
Vet Rebecca Cannon told the paper that that Britain's favourite sheepdogs 'are highly intelligent and energetic. But if they are not given a suitable outlet for these instinctive behaviours or not sufficiently stimulated with regular physical and mental exercise, they can become frustrated, bored or anxious.'
As you might expect, the other dogs most likely to need therapy are also breeds bred to work, but who have become popular household pets: labradors, golden retrievers, cocker spaniels, cockapoos and border terriers.
Full story (The Times (subscription required)
The Queen 'could make hundreds of millions' from offshore wind farms
The Guardian reports that the Crown Estate is in for a major windfall as plans to lease seabeds for offshore wind farms go ahead.
'The Queen’s property managers will this week set out terms for the world’s biggest offshore wind auction in a decade,' the paper reports. 'Industry experts expect the complex bidding process to raise record sums, which could increase energy bills and hand a windfall to the crown – potentially generating more than £100m a year in royalties for the Queen.'
On this day... The House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha becomes the House of Windsor
On July 17, 1917, King George V proclaimed that the male heirs of the royal family would bear the surname 'Windsor'. Previously King George had belonged to the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the surname of Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert. His choice of surname was spurred on by anti-German sentiment in Britain as a result of the First World War.
In 1960, HM The Queen distinguished her line of House Windsor from the rest by adding a 'Mountbatten' before the Windsor, the surname of Prince Phillip's maternal grandparents. Not all royals use the name, though: Prince George uses the surname 'Cambridge' at school, after his father's dukedom.
The beachgoer killed by falling rocks is a tragedy and a warning for all of us
Sad news emerged on Tuesday that a man was killed in a rockfall at Sandymouth beach near Bude, Cornwall. Several similar incidents have taken place over the last couple of years; experts say that long spells of dry, hot weather followed by a few days of heavy rain are particularly likely to loosen cliffs.
Riddle of the day
'What can you catch, but never throw?'
The answer is (depressingly, in this heat) a cold.
A simple tweak to the fuel in our petrol pumps 'equivalent to taking 700,000 cars off the road'
Switching petrol for E10 fuel — which contains 10% bio-ethanol, and 90% petroleum — would be a huge positive step in cutting CO2 emissions in Britain, according to a cross-party group of MPs.
'For many reasons it is absolutely a no-brainer,' Nic Dakin MP, the chairman of the all-party group, told the BBC.
'On the environmental front, it's a cleaner, greener fuel at a time when we're trying to address air pollution and tackle climate change... Cars aren't going to all switch to battery power overnight and if they did there isn't the capacity in the National Grid to power all of our transportation.'
And finally...
Surely they forgot to add 'Country Life subscription'?
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The real name of a 'ghost' rainbow, the first ever omnishambles, and golf on the moon: Country Life Quiz of the Day 20 February 2025Some real brainteasers for you in our Quiz of the Day. Good luck!
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Tom Parker Bowles's favourite recipe: French onion soupThis dish is no mere Gallic broth, rather pure bonhomie in a bowl — a boozy, beefy, allium-scented masterpiece that cries out for the chill depths of winter
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The brilliant tractor tribute to the NHS from a group of Warwickshire farmersPeople around Britain have been paying tribute to the efforts of our NHS workers at the time of the coronavirus pandemic — but few have been as creative and clever as this one.
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London's iconic red bus at risk and 6,000 year old chewing gum gives clues into our DNA historyCuts to industry subsidies and an increase in fares has left bus use at its lowest point ever, while DNA extracted from ancient 'chewing gum' allows scientists to decipher the genetic code of a Stone Age woman.
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90-million-year-old 'swimming dinosaur' skeleton found by dogs out walking in Somerset, and the nonchalant moths who don't bother fleeing enemiesA superbly intact dinosaur skeleton — described as being 'museum quality' — has been discovered on a beach in Somerset.
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Battle to ban 4x4s from the idyllic Lake District spot bequeathed by Beatrix Potter, eagle fights octopus and the 'snail's pace' climate talksThis morning we look at Little Langdale's fight for peace, reflect on the climate change talks in Madrid and discover the soundtrack for Brexit.
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Country Life Today: How Greta Thunberg shifted the dial on climate change — and the backlash shows just how muchThis morning we ponder whether Greta Thunberg is the Joan of Arc for the environmental movement, look at a key election — one from 19 years ago — and ponder the marvel of 'dad tidying'.
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Country Life Today: Great news for those who love our great country pubs — the years of decline are overThere is a great sign of health in the pub industry, we look back at Edward VIII's abdication message and fret about Greenland's melting ice.
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Country Life Today: Spain accused of being 'a deplorable choice' for UN climate conferenceA no-holds-barred assault on the Spanish fishing industry, Banksy raising awareness of the homeless and the woes of the Christmas jumper are in today's news round-up.
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Country Life Today: 'This is perhaps the ultimate wake-up call from the uncontrolled experiment humanity is unleashing on the world’s oceans'In today's round up, we examine why oxygen loss is putting oceans at risk, discover that action to cut air pollution brings almost immediate benefits to human health and find out which bird's arrival marks the start of winter in Gloucestershire.
