Basics Of Dog Care

Dogs are man’s best friend. Whatever happens, your dog will always be by your side to serve and protect you. The only reward you can give them is your love, and love comes with caring.
Dog care does not require too much of your time and effort. A few minutes will be enough to show them how important they are to you and your family. Let them sense your friendship, spare them a little of your time each day and they will be more than grateful to return your friendship. Below are some of the basics of dog care:

Housing
Having a new dog is like having another member of a family. Human-dog relationship is considered one of the most perfect relationships of all times because it is believed that dogs have an inborn pact with the humans. They are friendly, loyal and protective with the human family they consider their own and their territory which is now their home.

It is important for your canine to know you and your family so it will know who to protect. Housing them with you has always been the best method of acquaintance. If your pet is an outdoor dog, be sure that you provide it with a house big enough to accommodate itself, a warm bed and a clean food bowl. It is good that sometimes, you also let your dog enjoy the ambiance of a good and loving family inside your house. Let your children touch and feel them. In this manner, your kids will learn the importance of animals and they will learn to love them too.

Feeding
Puppies. Puppies must never be separated with their mothers until their reach their first month. On their fifth week, besides getting the nutritious mother’s milk, try mixing one-half water to one-half condensed milk in their food bowl. Feed them with this at least five times a day. As the puppies grow older, you may gradually transfer them to puppy food then to adult dog food. Six months old dogs may be fed at least twice a day, and starting on the ninth month onwards, feeding them once daily would be enough.

Adult Dogs. Most big canines result to obesity if they get used to eating more than the necessary amount – this is a bad and indeed an unhealthy habit you must prevent your dog to suffer. One meal a day (best time to give is during evenings) is sufficient to sustain the daily nutrients needed by a large and still growing dog. You may also give small snacks in the morning if you want to, and do not forget that fresh water must always be readily available.

Grooming
A grooming treat for your pet dog is a weekly bath and shampoo which helps remove and prevent parasites like fleas, ticks and lice. A baking soda in vinegar and water solution is best in removing stubborn dirt and bad odor from your dog, at the same time, also removes pests.
Also, make it a habit to untangle your dog’s fur with a wide-toothed comb. This will prevent pests from hiding under the fur which can result to skin infections. Your patience is required in combing or brushing your canine’s hair coat. Try to trim the hair of long-haired breeds at least once every two months for a more manageable hair coat.

Medical health
Regular check-up monitors your pet’s health. It is necessary for the early detection of any infections that manifests illness. But as an old saying goes “Prevention is better than cure.” Dog’s well-being depends on the level of its immune system – how far can your canine tolerate infections? Vaccination is a good example of illness prevention. Vaccines to fight hepatitis, leptospirosis, intestinal worms, heartworms and rabies should be administered between your dog’s 6th to 8th week. Boosters should be given once a year after the initial injection between the periods of 12 to 16 weeks.

Chossing A Dog

Dogs are not just pets, they are investments. You feed them and they protect you; give them enough love and affection and they will respond to you with loyalty.

There are many considerations in choosing your canine. Below are some important guidelines:

Your Lifestyle

Unlike other pets, the history or breed of a canine manifests its personality, so be very specific in what dog type suits you best. Imagine a jogger accompanied by a short-legged, slow Chihuahua – how do they look? Is the jogger’s nature of activity compatible to the nature of a Chihuahua? Obviously, no. Of course, an extrovert owner must have an extrovert and hyperactive dog like the Retrievers, Herding dogs and Scent dogs. Homebodies, on the other hand, goes along with the small kinds like the said Chihuahua or a poodle.

When you adopt a dog, you have to make sure that your lifestyle suits with your dog’s lifestyle too, or else, both of you would not just click.

Dog Size

True enough that it is not advisable to bring a Great Dane or a Saint Bernard besides a Spaniel in your small apartment, nor is it practical to adopt a purebred, large dog for a middle class family (larger dogs result to larger expenses – more food, larger bed, and bigger medical expenses). The point here simply is “size does matters!” However, there are still exemptions to the rules. Most of the times, an owner’s ability to train his pet is what matters most, regardless of whether they may weigh almost the same.

For the inexperienced dog handlers, stick to the old rule – just be intelligent in choosing the right size of dog for you.

Male or Female?

Gender is not really an issue; many do not consider it at all. Usually, dogs of different sexes behave just the same. Well, if you want to reproduce many from your chosen breed of canine, you would probably purchase a female.

Purebred or Mixed-breed?

There really is nothing much on the canine breed. Purebred dogs may always be the preference of dog owners-to-be nowadays. Besides believing that purebreds are more specific breeds that would answer to whatever the purpose a man wants to achieve, they are majestic and more beautiful than the mixed-breed. Although it is true that purebred have a specific purpose, it is still the training that matters most. A Rottweiler would never see its said purpose without proper training - if mixed with a poodle (without being trained), it will act like a poodle too. Mixed-breed dogs, on the other hand, can fulfill the task of a hunting dog if well-trained for that purpose.

Exercise versus Space

Exercise is vital for a dog’s health as it is vital for human beings. In choosing your canine, you must be considerate enough of their activity in your home space. Obviously, larger dogs need larger exercise space like big gardens or backyards, and smaller dogs can go well in smaller houses. But then again, there are still little exemptions. Some large dogs like the Saint Bernard may sleep all day and may only require a few minutes of walk to exercise; while the smaller ones like a Terrier breed are the ones who need a mile run a day as an exercise.

Purpose

What is your purpose of getting a dog? This question must be reflected for you to understand how important it is to choose your dog carefully. Is it for guarding your home or your business? Is it for hunting? Or do you just want a companion to inspire you and your family? Whatever the purpose is, right selection is most essential.

Puppies for sale

What to look for in puppies for sale

Are you looking for puppies for sale? Are you wondering if there certain things that you have to consider when choosing a puppy or puppies for sale?

When choosing the right puppy among the litter of puppies for sale, there are certain characteristics to look for.

1. Healthy puppies for sale should have a nose that is cold and wet when they’re awake and without any discharge or sneezing.

2. Healthy puppies for sale should have ears that are clean. Inner ears should be pink and free of any redness or discharge. In addition, the ears should not have any unpleasant odor.

3. Puppies for sale should have a pleasant breath. Teeth must be white and straight, gums should be pink.

4. Puppies for sale should have coats that are shiny and clean. No signs of itchy or bald patches should be apparent. Also check for fleas and other visible signs of parasites.

5. The eyes of puppies for sale must be bright and clean with no watering or redness. Under lids must be a healthy pink.

6. Skin of healthy puppies for sale should be clean and dandruff free with no visible signs of sore patches or blemishes.

Understanding your puppy's Socialization Period

The socialization period is a crucial stage in your puppy’s growth. This occurs during the third to twelfth weeks of the dog's age. Your puppy’s first social association is developed during this period. If he is able to establish a social relationship with people at this stage, it will not be hard for him to form a lasting bond with people all throughout his life. On the other hand, if the puppy gets very little interaction with people during this stage, he will have difficulties adjusting to people from that point on.

The socialization period is divided into four stages. The first stage is the stage of becoming aware. This is between the third and fifth week after birth. The second stage is the stage of curiosity. This occurs between the fifth and seventh week. The third stage is what is referred to as the stage of behavioral refinement that occurs between the seventh and ninth week. The last stage in the socialization period is referred to as the stage of environmental awareness. This happens between the ninth and twelfth week after birth.

In the first stage if socialization (the stage of becoming aware) the puppy is able to see, hear, and his sense of smell is improving rapidly. This is the stage where he starts to bark and growl, bite his litter mates, and wag his tail. His paws are almost fully developed. He is starting to walk but gets tired easily. He is beginning to become aware of the surroundings around him. He starts to play with the other puppies in the litter.

The stage of curiosity is a very crucial part in the puppy’s life. This is the period where he is very dependent on the settings that are provided for him to develop his behavior. He is very curious about his surroundings and starts to develop a small sense of fear. He learns to take part in group activities as well as engaging in sexual play within the litter. Weaning also begins at this stage.

During the third stage, the period of behavioral refinement, his visual and hearing ability is fully developed. He starts to explore anything and everything. He is scared of abrupt loud noise and movement and is very cautious of whatever is new in the environment.

On the fourth week, the period of environmental awareness, puppy is starting to develop a strong dominant behavior within the litter. He starts to learn how and when to act. His coordination and motor skills are rapidly improving although he has a very short attention span.