The right care for your dog is the key to your pet’s health.
Many people think that keeping a dog is easy. Just feed it, walk it, feed it if necessary and it will be happy. But caring for a dog is far from just keeping it looking nice.
If you follow the rules listed below, your puppy will be healthy, happy and content:
Upbringing
When choosing a dog breed, remember: his instincts are strong and he will always follow them. This means that a hunting dog in the city can catch cats, while a poorly trained service dog can become unmanageable.A dog’s upbringing and proper care determines its health and future.
Nutrition
A dog is a predator and its diet must include meat products. For strong teeth they should be given raw bones. However, tubular chicken bones should not be given as they can damage the intestines. Puppies can benefit from dairy prproducts: cottage cheese, kefir, milk. The dog must not be fed leftover food. Many dogs are fed dry food, which should be chosen according to their age, condition, sex and breed.
Toilet
When raising a dog that lives in an apartment, many problems may arise in relation to its natural routine. After every meal and sleep, the small dog must be taken outside. It should be walked until it has done all its natural business. An adult dog should be taken outside 2-3 times a day. Just remember to always pick up any litter left by your dog!
Walks
Small puppies should be walked up to five times a day in all weathers. Adult dogs should be walked for at least 30 minutes twice a day in special squares or parks. It is a good idea to combine walks with training. Any dog needs to know the commands “Fu”, “Place”, “Sit”, “Near”. This is the guarantee of his obedience. If you want your dog to know more commands, it is advisable to entrust him to the care of a trainer.
Diseases
When walking, the dog may suffer frombe offended. The wound should be treated with an antiseptic and if it bleeds heavily, contact your vet. Infectious diseases often result in the death of the puppy, so make sure it has all the required vaccinations, including rabies. A sick dog sleeps a lot, eats badly and looks sluggish. If your dog vomits or has diarrhoea, has incoordination, a dry nose and a fever, contact your vet immediately.
Once you have acquired a dog, another important question is where to keep it – outside or in the apartment? These tips will help you decide and make your pet feel comfortable and safe.
Outdoors
For an outdoor dog, choose a place about 10-15 m away from the house. It should be dry, clean and sunlit. The site should be well prepared by breaking up the ground and sprinkling it with soil. There must be no unnecessary objects around the site that would interfere with the dog’s movement.
A dog living outdoors must have a way to protect it from the frequently changing climatic conditions. If the dog continues to run in winter stored outdoors, the method must be insulated.
If the dog is kept in a shed or outbuilding, it should be placed in a corner that receives natural light. A bed should also be provided where the dog can rest.
The dog must not be kept with other domestic animals, i.e. in cowsheds, pigsties, sheepfolds, or indoors out of the sunlight. It is not recommended to keep your dog near latrines, rubbish heaps or in a garage near a car.
Keeping a dog in an apartment
Nowadays it is common to keep dogs in apartments. It is important to remember that keeping a dog at home requires strict sanitary rules and discipline.
First of all, the dog needs a place to sleep and rest. Depending on the size of the dog, a bed or mat that can be easily cleaned should be placed.
The dog should not be kept in the bedroom, kitchen, in a place where there is no natural light, or in close proximity to heating facilities or refrigerators.