'DOG ENDS' NEWSLETTER
BILLINGSHURST DOG TRAINING CLUB
‘DOG ENDS’
NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER 2025
BDTC NEWSLETTER
Chair – Eunice Pearson
Secretary – Pat Reynolds
Treasurer – Trudy Nye
Club Website: www.billingshurst-dtc.org
Email: noticeboard@billingshurst-dtc.org
‘DOG ENDS’ Editor- Neil Nye
BDTC NEEDS YOU AT
THE A.G.M. ON THE 28TH NOVEMBER
Billingshurst Dog Training Club will be holding their
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
DATE: FRIDAY 28TH NOVEMBER 2025
TIME: 19.30 for 20.00
VENUE: St Gabriel’s Church Hall, East Street, Billingshurst, RH14 9QH
All members and friends are welcome.
Please come along and support your club, and have your say about how the club is run!!
The committee are all volunteers and we need the input and support of all the club members. They help run the club for the benefit of all its members and their dogs.
Just a reminder. When voting at the AGM, only single members, and one person from your family membership can vote:
2024/2025 CHARITY- CLYMPING DOG SANCTUARY
clympingdogsantuary.co.uk
Amount raised so far £963.00
The total for this year’s chosen charity, Clymping Dog Sanctuary, so far is £963.00. Please keep donating to this very worthwhile cause.
This year, the following charities have been put forward for consideration. Please see the information below. You will be able to vote for one of these charities at the AGM.
CHARITY NAME: Ability Dogs 4 Young People
CHARITY WEBSITE: https://www.abilitydogs4yp.org.uk/
CHARITY COMMISSION REGISTRATION NUMBER 1154896
BRIEF PRECIS OF AIMS/ACTIVITIES OF THE CHARITY: To relieve the need of people with disabilities who are in need of assistance through the provision of a suitably trained assistance dog and to train and educate them along with those responsible for the care and welfare of such persons in the use of such assistance dogs and to provide such additional services and facilities for their benefit as the trustees deem appropriate.
PROPOSED BY: Neil Nye SECONDED BY: Trudy Nye
CHARITY NAME: Drone to Home
CHARITY WEBSITE: https://dronetohome.org.uk/Home (Drone to Home and videos of their work can be seen on Facebook)
CHARITY COMMISSION REGISTRATION NUMBER 1198796
BRIEF PRECIS OF AIMS/ACTIVITIES OF THE CHARITY: Drone to Home is the first UK charity that uses drones to search for missing dogs. They use thermal drones to provide free search and rescue services in England and Wales. They also support lost dog owners in other ways e.g. via use of various communications media to highlight the missing dog in local areas and beyond. They also educate people on what to do (and not to do) if they see a lost animal. As their services are free for the users, they rely on donations. They have a helpline for reporting lost, sighted or found dogs. Drones are operated by specialists and they use staff and volunteers trained to understand the behaviour of frightened and lost dogs who assist and support the owners to approach and secure their lost animals once they have been located by the drone. Although they occasionally help with finding other lost species, most of their work focuses on dogs and to date, they have found thousands of lost dogs (sometimes missing for several days) and reunited them with their owners. These include a Great Dane who fell into a disused well, so couldn’t be seen from the surface and was only located, after nightfall, using a thermal drone. They have also found dogs lost in thick brambles and woods, dogs stuck in mud on river and canal banks and elderly dogs who have become confused, disoriented and too tired and frightened to walk any further. The videos on their website and Facebook page show the joy and relief of both dog and owner when they are reunited.
PROPOSED BY: Julia Wrathall SECONDED BY: Marion Clarke
CHARITY COORDINATOR - CATHERINE BROWN
bdtccharity@billingshurst-dtc.org
BDTC XMAS MEAL-MONDAY 15th DECEMBER
Marion has organised the BDTC Christmas meal at the Sir Roger Tichborne in Loxwood. The cost will be £32.00 for 2 courses or £38.50 for 3 courses (menus/booking forms attached). Please pay the club online with ref Xmas Meal, and return the choices form to Neil/Marion if you wish to go, by the AGM – Friday 28th November. Feel free to email them to me at neilnye49@gmail.com
AUTUMN DANGERS
Some timely advice taken from Septembers Kennel Club E Newsletter.
Autumn is the season for muddy woodland walks, kicking through piles of crunchy golden leaves and wrapping yourself up, ready to battle the wet and windy weather. Although autumnal walks with your dog can be beautiful, it’s important to be aware of the seasonal dangers that could be harmful to them.
Acorns
Acorns contain a type of toxin
called tannic acid that can make your dog sick or give them a stomach upset. In larger amounts, or if eaten regularly, tannins can also cause kidney and liver failure. Green acorns contain the
highest amounts of tannins and are more poisonous than brown ones. As well as being poisonous, acorns can also block your dog’s stomach and gut, causing further complications.
Conkers
These hard shiny seeds contain a
toxin called aesculin, which can make your dog sick or give them an upset stomach. Conkers have a bitter taste that might put some dogs off eating a lot of them. When eaten in larger amounts,
aesculin can cause more serious effects, and in rare cases can even be deadly. Conkers are large and hard and may cause your dog to choke on them, or could block their stomach and
gut.
Toadstools (also known as wild mushrooms or fungi)
When most people think of
toadstools, they usually conjure up the image of fly agaric, a bright red shiny fungus with white spots, but toadstools come in all sorts of shapes, colours and sizes. Although some types of wild
fungi are edible, it’s often difficult to distinguish these from the poisonous types. If your dog eats an unknown fungus it could make them unwell. Some types may only cause a mild stomach upset,
while other can be deadly. Some can cause toxic effects in minutes, while other may take days or, in rare instances, weeks to come on.
If your dog does eat an unknown wild mushroom:
- Take them to the vets immediately. Make sure to call ahead first to let them know you're on your way
- If possible, bring along a photo, or ideally a sample of the fungi
- If you do have a sample, put it in a paper bag, or carefully wrap it in paper. Do not wrap the fungus in plastic, or a plastic bag, as this can cause the sample to breakdown more quickly, making it more difficult to identify
- Take note of the area where the fungi was found e.g. was it growing in grass or on a tree stump etc. Knowing where it grew can help experts identify what type of fungi your dog has eaten should they become ill
Fireworks
80 per cent of owners notice a change in their dogs
behaviour during fireworks season and nearly half (48 per cent) say that their dogs are scared by them, so
celebrations like Bonfire Night or Diwali can be stressful for many dogs. Dogs have an incredible sense of hearing, so the bangs and explosions that we think are loud may be deafening to our dogs.
Not knowing what’s going on, or not knowing when to expect the next explosion, can make fireworks particularly petrifying to our four-legged friends. To help keep your dogs relaxed you can drown out
the noise of the fireworks with music or TV, or you can give them lots of positive attention to help distract them.
Old or spent fireworks
These contain dangerous chemicals that can be harmful to your dog. The chemicals used in fireworks can cause a range of effects that often start with sickness, an upset stomach, tummy pain or can cause their poo to have blood in it. More serious effects can include fitting, breathing problems and problems with their kidneys or liver. If there have been fireworks in your area, always check your garden for spent parts of fireworks on the morning after.
Glow sticks and luminous bracelets The liquid inside these glowing items is an irritant and, if eaten, can cause your dog to dribble or froth at the mouth, give them a stomach ache or could make them sick. Strangely enough, these items are particularly attractive to cats, so make sure to keep them away from any feline friends as well. Dark nights As the evenings become darker earlier, it’s a good idea to help make you and your dog more visible. Road traffic accidents are more common in darker months, so remember to walk your dog wearing reflective clothing, or give your them bright reflective collars or light up leads. Also, check that your dog’s microchip details are up to date and that they’re wearing ID tags in case they get lost after dark.
Alabama
rot
Alabama rot is a rare but potentially life-threatening disease that affects dogs. We don’t know what causes Alabama rot, but it’s believed to be related to walking in
muddy conditions. Alabama rot causes problems with blood vessels in the skin and kidneys, and often first appears as unexplained marks, sores or ulcers, usually on their legs or paws. To prevent your
dog from getting ill, experts recommend that you either keep dogs away from muddy areas (easier said than done) or wash and dry them thoroughly after muddy or wet walks.
Fallen
fruits
As the temperature begins to cool in autumn, many trees start to drop their fruits. Some seeds, pips and fruit stones (apples, cherries, plums etc.) contain toxins
that can make your dog ill. These fruits can also make your dog unwell if they’re eaten when mouldy or after they’ve begun to
ferment.
Fleas
Dogs
can catch fleas when they come in to contact with other infested animals, or when the fleas jump on to your dog when out for a walk. It’s easy to prevent fleas and many flea products are safe, easy
to administer and effective at stopping them from bothering your pet. If you need advice on the best flea treatments or preventatives to use then speak to your vet for advice.
Rat and mouse
poison
In autumn and winter, mice and rats begin to invade people’s houses looking for warmer places to live. Mouse and rat poisons are designed to be attractive to rodents,
but they often smell and taste good to your dogs too. If you use any of these poisons, make sure they are put in places where your dog can’t reach them. Always contact your vet immediately if you are
concerned that they may have eaten any poisons.
Ticks These
blood sucking mites are more commonly found during the spring and autumn, but can feed from dogs at any time of the year. Ticks can pick up diseases from one host and pass it onto another (including
us), sometimes causing long-term illnesses. After walks in the park or countryside, always check your dog for any strange lumps or bumps that could be a tick, particularly around their head, groin,
armpits and feet.
Planting spring
bulbs
If
you’re planting spring flowering bulbs in the autumn, remember to keep a close eye on your dog while you’re busy digging. Daffodil, tulip and spring crocus bulbs can all be toxic and can make your
dog unwell. Plant bulbs usually contain more concentrated amounts of toxins than other parts of the plant, so may cause more serious effects. What these toxins do to your dog can vary depending on
what type of bulb has been eaten, but most of them initially cause sickness or an upset stomach.
Think your dog may be
affected?
If you're worried about your dog's health, always contact your vet immediately!
ONLINE PAYMENT
It will shortly be time for you all to pay your membership fees. (£10 single and £12.50 family). The best way to pay your membership/course fees is online. It is the quickest and easiest way to pay the club.
For anybody who wants to take advantage of this payment system, here are the bank details.
Sort code: 30 94 41 Account number: 01678041.
Contact Trudy at treasurer@billingshurst-dtc.org for more details.
Your membership forms will need to be returned to Lynne Stringer
Your course application forms will still need to be returned to the relevant people, i.e. section reps/course instructor/section administrator.
BDTC CLOTHING – AN IDEAL CHRISTMAS GIFT!
If you wish to see a few samples of the club clothing available please speak to Catherine Brown (bdtccharity@billingshurst-dtc.org). Surrey Embroidery is the supplier of BDTC clothing.
Check out the items below on the Surrey Embroidery website: www.surreyembroidery.co.uk
Either phone them, contact them via the contact page, or email them with your order at the address. info@surreyembroidery.co.uk
Sweatshirts – Navy: RX300: £20.40 RX 301: £18.60 Hoodies: 265M French Navy: £27.50
Rugby Shirts: FR100 Navy with white collar: £28.00 Polo Shirts: RX101 – Navy and white: £16.60
T shirts: GD95 – Navy and White: £13.60 Jackets: PW171 – Navy: £29.60 RG125 – Navy: £39.95
Cap: RC050 Navy: £13.70 Body Warmer: RS214 – Navy : £30.30
Prices include garment, embroidery, vat and p&p, i.e. everything included to receive an individual order. They will send an invoice with the garment.
Please note, Surrey Embroidery do not accept Card Payments so people can pay by BACS, Cheque or Cash. (Note: Prices are correct at time of printing but are subject to change.)
The Surrey Embroidery Co Ltd, The Old Coach House,
1 Fengates Road, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 6AG.
Tel: 01737 761666, Fax: 01737 780666.
BACS payments: The Surrey Embroidery co. Ltd, NatWest Plc,
Sort: 60-04-35, Account No.: 52236269
TAIL NOTE!
I hope you all enjoyed this copy of ‘DOG ENDS’ and have found something of interest, (I know I certainly did in the Autumn Dangers).
Hopefully we will see you at the AGM on the 28 th November.
If you need to find anything out about Billingshurst Dog Training Club, the best place is to check out the website www.billingshurst-dtc.org, which I try to keep updated regularly.
If you have anything you would like added (or put in ‘DOG ENDS’) please contact me at noticeboard@billingshurst-dtc.org, and I will be pleased to add it.
Contributions for the next issue and website are always gratefully received.
As ever, a very big thank you to all of you who contributed to this edition of ‘DOG ENDS’ The Ed!
(Please note BDTC cannot be held responsible for any information found on any links on the BDTC website!)
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