Here are some tips to take good care of your dogs:
- Ensure your dog is collared with an id tag and microchipped These are a great help when your pooch invariably goes missing at some point.
- Ensure your vet is vaccinated at all times. Many dog diseases in Australia are both preventable, and fatal if not prevented. Check with your vet for a vaccination schedule.
- Find off leash areas to exercise your dog
- Appropriate Shelter will differ depending on whether your dog is an indoor or outdoor dog, but in general all dogs will require a kennel to shelter from the sun, the cold and the rain if outside, and their bed off the ground whether indoors our out.
- Regular veterinarian check-ups will keep your dog healthy. Don;t wait till your dog is sick to visit the vet.
- If you are not intending to breed your dog, get it spayed. Unspayed pet dogs usually result in unwanted mix breed puppies for you are someone else. Spaying your dog early also removes unwanted aggression
- All dogs need good nutrition and plenty of fresh water. Good nutrition usually does not come in a can, just as it does not for you. God nutrition can extend you dog’s life by as much as 50% so go the extra mile and ensure your dog is fed a balanced diet. They are omnivores, not carnivores and require the vitamins and minerals from vegetables.
- Training your dog will create a strong bond between your and your dog, and having a dog that behaves as it should in most circumstances makes for a much more pleasurable time than owning a tearaway dog. Do note, training techniques and even trainability differs wildly across the dog types. Expect to use different techniques and get different results when training a hound dog, a livestock guardian dog or a herding dog.
- Exercise level will be determined by the size, age and breed of your dog… but whatever the level is, meet it especially with the active breeds. Tip. If you are a lazy dog owner, get a lazy dog breed. If you are highly active, get an active breed.
- Man’s best friend relies on you for everything, his physical and mental health, his behaviour modification and your are as much his protector as he ever will be of you. Understand as the pack leader, you have a tremendous responsibilty.
Helena is aSenior Associate Veterinarian at Kleintierpraxis Wandsbek and an avid dog breed author.