Alice Holt is a great place to bring your mutt(s) for a bit of fresh air and exercise.

But PLEASE obey these common sense rules.

Be considerate of other people, especially children and frail or elderly people and if necessary put your dog on a leash.

Being considerate is a two way street. Don't panic or freak out if another dog barks at you (or your dog) or decides to indulge in some boisterous "play" . Show a bit of tolerance. It's always better to carry on calmly walking than to stop and fuss or shout: that generally hypes up an already excited dog and/or makes it think there's some kind of territorial or heirarchy dispute going on .....which it will happily get stuck into!

Remember some people really ARE frightened of dogs, especially big aggressive-looking ones like Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Alsatians or Belgian Shepherds. You mak know your pet is a silly old softie, but the other person may not be inclined to believe that and may be really scared by a large, barking dog off the leash.

Always restrain your dog near ....

Young children

Frail or elderly people

Cyclists

Horse riders

Farm animals, such as the sheep at Alice Holt Lodge

and when on roads carrying vehicular traffic ,such as the A325 or the Gravel Hill Road

Bears of course habitually poo in the woods....and so do dogs...it's natural. And it's actually not a big problem if your dog does it's business in the undergrowth in a lesser walked part of the woods.

But PLEASE clean up dog mess.....

On paths

On mown grass verges

Anywhere in the visitor Centre or car parks, ESPECIALLY where kids play

Picking up poo in a plastic bag is great .But do NOT pick up dog poo, then leave it tied in a plastic bag on the grass. Unbelievably some silly people do this. It merely means somebody has to clean up a particularly noxious peace of litter and it delays the natural breakdown of the faeces. If you've been good enough to pick up the poo, be good enough to take it away and put it in the first bin you find.

With a little common sense and tolerance the Forest is big enough to contain both non-dog lovers and those walking dogs . It can even accommodate a few inveterate "canine terrorists", such as the notorious terrible twosome Oscar and Trigger, yapping scourges of those seeking a peaceful walk in the Lodge Inclosure!

A typically "robust discussion" between Jack Russells Oscar and Trigger

FROM BINSTED TO THE ARCTIC: WITH A TEAM OF HUSKIES!

It's going to be a long, hard trek northwards from Norway over 200km of wild Arctic tundra for Jo Balls and Peter Stubbings (Perhaps better known in their everyday personas: she as Organiser of the annual fete/all round Action-Woman and he as the Landlord of the Cedars Pub) . So why would two sane people (even two in such a peak state of physical fitness as Jo and Peter) subject themselves to such a gruelling ordeal? 5 days of overland sledding in sub-zero temperatures ,in the company of a pack of distictly rough-and-tough looking pooches is hardly a stroll in the park, even for an ardent dog lover.

It's all in a good cause. Battersea Dogs Home (Actually Battersea Cats and Dogs Home) has cared for over three million lost, homesless, sick or mistreated dogs and cats since its foundation nearly 150 years ago. Every year this world famous institution looks after more than 11,000 animals. It's an unrivalled centre of excellence in vetinary science and the treatment and rehabilitation of animals which have severe behavioural problems due to maltreatment and other traumas. They have an amazing success rate in re-uniting lost pets with their owners, and in finding secure and loving homes for unwanted pets.

But all this costs money: as well as a small army of 240 volunteers there are 260 paid staff who look after everything from dog walking to administration, kennel cleaning to maintenance and vetinary treatment to washing the 1000 blankets the Home gets through every day.

It costs an average of £1000 to care for each animal and the Home is entirely funded by charitable donations.

• £5 buys a shot of anti-biotics.
• £50 will provide a day's feed for 100 dogs
• £500 will buy a quiet portacabin where frightened or nervous dogs can be gradually calmed down after their traumatic experiences.

Jo and Peter are already half way to their target of raising £8000 for the Battersea Dog and Cats Home. So why not sponsor them by clicking on the link below They leave on 23rd March, so please give now to help them reach the £8000 target in time. And remeber by giving via this "justgiving" link the charity receives and additional 28% refund directly from that nice Mr Darling at Number 11 provided you are a UK Tax Payer.

Visit

justgiving.com/peterstubbingsandjoballs

ON BEHALF OF JO AND PETER : THANKS FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!

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ALICE HOLT DOG PHOTO COMPETITION WINNER!

Well we didn't have so many entries, but here are the best of them.

Winner Laura Smith of Bucks Horn Oak gets a bag of James Wellbeloved dogfood for this shot of Maisie, pictured here enjoying herself in the mud!

My dog Maisie loves to go on walks in Alice Holt Forest, it's her absolutely her most favorite thing to do in the world. We go to the other side of Alice Holt where it is a little bit quieter, and she can run free and get as wet and muddy as she likes; as you can see by the photo! We love to walk her there because it makes her so happy, we can all run around freely without a care in the world. It is so lovely at anytime of year, we see lots of wildlife including deer. We are very lucky to live in the middle of Alice Holt Forest as we can go there when ever we want!

From Laura Smith (aged 13)

And here are some other great entries we received:Somewhere we've got a lovely photo of Teddy the Long Haired/Border Collie Cross in the snow, but it's currently lost in the filing system: We'll dig it out if we can. Many thanks to all who sent pictures....please keep them coming

Bruno the Alsatian (Left) and Carlos the Labrador Spaniel Cross (Right)

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