Dogs as Pets & Caring for a Dog
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Caring for a Dog A LEASH is birth control, a seat belt, first aid, a
portable fence, good neighbor relations, liability insurance, identification, property
and wildlife protection, and its the law in public parks and many municipalities.
A CRATE is a playpen, bed, toy box, a home away from home, and a house training aid.  IDENTIFICATION (personalized collar, a tag or a
tattoo--even a microchip) is your dog's only chance of phoning home if he or she gets
into trouble. Identification is all that some humane organizations require to offer
emergency care if they are alerted to an injured dog. If a dog has identification,
people assume that somebody cares for the dog. If he is found, someone may call you
instead of keeping him, ignoring him, or calling animal control agencies to take him
away.
 PUPPIES: You will need to come home every 4 or 5 hours until the puppy is 6-8 months
old so the puppy can be exercised and fed. Many working people hire a neighbor or
professional service to do this until the puppy is a year old. Believe it or not, you may
even opt for doggie day care. In the wild, puppies are not left alone until they are
several months old. It is ideal to wait until the puppy is 6 months old before taking a
long vacation and leaving the puppy in a kennel. When he is older, the puppy will be able
to separate from you and expect your return.
 GROOMING: Pet your dog often, brushing out tangles in his fur that, left unattended,
can develop into problems. You may hire a groomer to bathe, clean ears, and trim nails
for you. You may even have the groomer cut your dog's hair short making it easier to care
for at home. If your dog is healthy, regardless of his breed, his coat will grow back.
You can even brush your dog’s teeth with dog toothpaste.
 MEDICAL CARE: Your dog should see a veterinarian when you first adopt him. Periodic
check ups allow you to establish your dog’s healthy statistics so a veterinarian can
better assess the seriousness of illness or injury. Taking your dog to the vet also helps
him become accustomed to the office and procedures so that the animal hospital does not
become an unpleasant experience. Your veterinarian will let you know if your dog needs
any dental care or other routine maintenance such as prevention or treatment of parasites
common to your climate.
Dogs commonly receive vaccinations to protect them against rabies and canine diseases. Puppies will need several until they are old enough to form adult immunities. Your vet can tell you how often your dog should receive boosters depending on your area and your dog's exposure to other animals. You may opt to have boosters every year if your dog is in contact with other unvaccinated dogs. Otherwise your dog will only need boosters as your vet recommends.  NUTRITION: Dogs live much longer now that they are kept indoors and on leashes and are
fed commercial dog food. However, no food can contain everything that every dog may ever
need. Since changing brands or flavors can lead to stomach upset for your dog, a good way
to be sure your dog is getting the best nutrition is to use one brand of dry food (good
for his teeth) and supplement it with another brand of canned food (good for his coat and
more appetizing). Use premium brands rather than generic ones. Table food should not make
up more than 10% of your dog's intake or it will reduce the value of feeding a balanced
commercial diet. You may not want to feed your dog from the table to prevent begging or
stealing food. Once they learn this habit, it can be hard to break and even embarasing when
company comes over to eat and your dog is hovering around or under the table.
 FORMAL TRAINING: You will naturally train your dog just by living with him. You may
want to start with a basic lesson before you begin formal schooling. There are plenty of
books and and audio/video tapes available too which also can be helpful with training your
pet. Once you learn more about animal training you may decide to go to an obedience class.
A class is a great place to introduce your dog to other dogs. Be sure the instructors
philosophy is similar to yours. Some trainers use praise and food, some use training
collars to shape your dogs behavior. Most use a combination.
Many classes do not accept puppies until they are six months old. This is because collar corrections are physically hard on dogs. In addition, other dogs in the class may expose a puppy to illness before he has completed his vaccinations. However, there are special puppy training classes that use positive reinforcement, such as food or play, to shape behavior. Puppies must be vaccinated to participate. Puppy classes begin training as early as 8 or 10 weeks. It is an excellent opportunity to help socialize your puppy while he is young enough to gain the maximum benefit from positive experiences. PLAY GROUPS and DAY CARE: Many dog trainers offer all day programs for those dog owners who want an alternative to leaving their dog at home alone. Dogs benefit from this type of program when it is suited to their temperaments. Many dogs do not need this type of care. However, high energy, outgoing dogs whose owners work away from home until after dinner, can expend their energy and enjoy the company of other dogs. In addition, many doggie day cares offer short training sessions throughout the day to keep dogs practiced in obedience commands. ORGANIZED DOG ACTIVITIES: Dog owners sharing the same neighborhood provide exercise for their dogs in common areas. Other dog owners are a great source of referrals to pet professionals such as groomers and veterinarians. Some municipalities offer off leash licensing. This allows a dog to pass a test that designates the dog as a Canine Good Citizen. The test assesses the dogs behavior in public on and off leash. Dogs that pass the test are able to respond to their owners voice commands in distracting situations and are not likely to jump up on strangers or chase other animals. Areas that honor the Canine Good Citizen designation often set aside space in public parks where dogs are welcome to play off leash for everyones enjoyment. There are many formal activities that dog owners and dogs enjoy together. If you have a pure bred dog, you may want to compete in an AKC conformation competition. Though beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, these national competitions allow judges to assess the best physical specimen of each recognized breed according to an established standard. The perfect specimens are awarded points toward championship titles that are recorded on their offsprings' pedigrees. Search and Rescue dogs are trained to trail human scent to find people who are missing or may be trapped in dangerous situations. Hunting dogs participate in organized competitions to locate and retrieve game animals. Herding trials measure a dog and trainer's ability to manage sheep or cattle. Greyhound coursing is still popular and guarding breeds can pass several levels of coursework to be designated as protection dogs. Many dog training and breed clubs have developed challenges of their own; relay teams, frisbee competition and obstacle or agility courses. Whatever you do with your dog, it should consist of activities you both look forward to. After all, dogs are perfectly suited for life in a human family and it isn't hard to find activities suited for everyone in your own back yard. Click Here for Lots of Excellent Articles on EVERYTHING you'll need to know about Dog Training. | ||
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