Hi folks, for the fourth morning straight this Dog Listener is wide awake at a ridiculously early hour and so pondering the meaning of life, dogs and dog listening.(what’s the formula for recovery – one day for every hour difference?).

Jet lag is a reminder that although we are able to travel great distances in a relatively short time, our bodies are still working at a natural pace. We may pretend that we are such highly evolved creatures above all others, but that natural side of us is never too far away.

Similarly, I have always thought of winter as only being three months long (optimistically). Using logic, four seasons in twelve months makes sense. Yet as I look out at the frost on the ground, March is frankly letting the side down. My suntan is already starting to slide off for goodness sake…

Once more I am grateful that I was able to follow the geese and fly South for the winter, leaving the cold and dark behind. Have you noticed that when they fly overhead they are laughing at us?

Trees shed leaves, bears hibernate with a home-made cork up their bums (according to QI), squirrels go home and play with their nuts and tortoises are wrapped up in a cardboard box and shoved next to the radiators (childhood memories of Blue Peter are responsible for that last comment).

So if nature understands that winter means shut down, little surprise that human beings find it hard to adjust to continuing the same 9 to 5 working life when our systems are telling us to slow down. Sales of custard shot through the roof last winter in Britain, as people indulged in stodgy rib-sticking puddings to keep warm (and maybe for some comfort).

Which brings me back to pondering the biggest obstacle to getting a great relationship with our dogs - our belief that they think like people. If you found last winter hard, it is proof that we are looking at that relationship the wrong way around. We think like dogs, we are creatures of Nature, a force that sometimes comes into direct conflict with our everyday life.

OK enough talk of winter already, the clocks will be going forward soon enough and no doubt this summer will be brilliant… all three months of it (!) Check out these clips to show how some creatures can thrive in cold conditions, while others… struggle a bit.  Tony Knight