...I have only lost one of mine (30 mile away) but I have plenty others not at risk - how are others dogs lives affected by it all?
.

I've been wondering about this too. There must be lots of breeders with multidog households and with puppies who are enduring terrible distress and hardship due to this exceptional weather. My land is just a swamp but we manage to plod through. Every other day I drive to forestry land and walk 5 or 6 at a time. It costs a lot in petrol but at least they are getting a good walk. We haven't been flooded out so consider ourselves fortunate indeed.

the fields I walk in are sodden and muddy but not unusable, just means the girls need washing off every trip out...they are coming home now and standing by the hose waiting !! thank goodness OH put a hot/cold feed to the outside tap so I can wash them off under warm water... Some are much less fortunate and have been unable to get out for weeks. I live near the Somerset levels and its dire there.
Aileen

The advantage of living in town with good pavements, I do feel for those who even if not flooded are faced with mud mud every walk.

Everywhere we can go off lead is muddy but it has been since October.  However I lost my garden for a while as a fence panel blew out.  Patched it for now but the girls had to go for wees on lead last night to stop them going exploring next door didn't want them leaving any "presents" for next door's kids!

Thank goodness no, but when we get another hoolie blowing, we don't go near the shore!!    Or trees .... but we are on the outskirts of town, with pavements to use.

One breeder in my main breed, who breeds/has kennels on the Levels has apparently had to pack it in.   She has a number of hounds and I know some of them have now been kennelled with another breeder in the same breed, reasonably locally.   Where she, and the rest are I don't know.   She has/had acreage, but lost the use of that ages ago when it flooded.   I have no idea if/when she's going to be able to go back, if ever I suppose.

I saw that on our local news MamaBas and I wondered if you would know the person as I guessed she was a breeder.

I cannot imagine how awful it is for people in Somerset who are faced with having their homes ruined by the flooding. Simple things like getting affordable insurance must be a nightmare in the aftermath. And if you decide to move afterwards, selling the house will be incredibly difficult if at all.

We haven't had any problems with flooding as we live high up in the hills and are far enough away from any watercourse. Yes the fields are a quagmire and I moan, but it's nothing compared to some.

We have been very lucky here and escaped the flooding, and I'm surprised to say that the field I use a lot only has a few big puddles - normally by now half of one side is underwater and impassable.  Although the rain is coming down again now.

Not that that helps with walks - some of my dogs just won't walk in the rain so we're losing out regardless.  If I take some the rest get too wound up even though they don't want to go out in it!

She also has cats which she breeds too!!   There is another lady on the Levels, in another breed and she was moving out, before the Basset breeder I know well.   Ghastly.   And just heartbreaking because who knows what the future holds for their properties, some of which will really be valueless in terms of resale.   Even if they decided to move out altogether.

All exercise locations here either under 2-8ft of water, or the ones on higher ground churned up into 1-2ft of mud.

Training cancelled as well (agility and tracking/scentwork).

Big knock-on effect, as those in low lying areas, if they can get out by car, are driving uphill, adding to the dog density,  so there are fewer places I can take mine where I'm able to avoid others, or mud or flood, or all.

Even road walking has been limited due to the constant rain and gales.