Dog owners are responsible for house-training, bathing, feeding grooming and generally taking care of their pet and ensuring their dog is healthy.
As a puppy, you must monitor its toilet habits after eating and drinking. Putting newspapers down around the house is a good idea initially, but as the puppy grows, taking it outside at the appropriate time will teach the puppy to associate the outdoors will their toilet habits and they will soon learn to go to the door when they want to pass water or poo poo. (Always remember to clean up after your dog)!
Puppies should not really be completely bathed until their first birthday or excessively groomed. This is to preserve the natural oils in the puppies skin. A light brushing with a soft brush to remove dust and dirt is adequate at this stage and a gentle rub with a damp flannel or small damp towel will be adequate to freshen up their fur.
As the dog gets older, you can run it a nice warm (not too hot) bath and use a special dog shampoo to give it a good cleaning. Be sure to stand back when you get your dog out of the bath or else YOU will get a soaking when your dog has a good shake! Dogs must be kept in the house after bathing until they are completely dry, especially in winter.
Whatever you feed your dog, whether it is fresh meat, biscuits or canned dog food, a dogs diet must contain carbohydrates, fats, minerals, proteins and vitamins essential for the dogs well-being.
Always have fresh water ready and available for your dog especially after exercise. Never over feed your dog or give him sweets and chocolate. Although your dog may sit there and beg if he sees you eating these things, your dogs cannot digest these type of foods very well and could become ill.
Trim your dogs nails periodically using special nail clippers. Always be careful to only clip the transparent parts of the nail, just past the foot pads or else you could cut into the ‘quick’. The ‘quick’ (as in most animals) is where the blood vessels and nerves connect to the nail and if clipped, can be very painful to your pet.
If you suspect your dog is ill, it is best to immediately take it to see the vet. It is probably a good idea to take your dog to see the vet for a yearly check-up, this will ensure your dog stays in tip-top condition and also any serious illnesses can be detected early and treated quickly.
Supply your dog with something to chew. All dogs need to chew for various reasons:
to release pent-up energy
they enjoy chewing
stress
teething (puppies)
If you provide good quality, solid chew toys for your dog you are most unlikely to find your favourite book or slippers in bits.
Try and take you dog for a regular walk at around the same time each day. Taking you dog for walks provides both you and your dog with exercise, enables your dog to do its toilet business and is both pleasant and fun for you both. Your dog will get used to the daily walks, at a certain time of the day and will fetch its lead at the appropriate time to remind you.
Keep your dog happy and loved and your dog will be your best friend and love you forever! Woof Woof!