How to care for a dog?

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for the puppy owners to have a pet look, to put it mildly, a very rough idea. Most of them are inexperienced masters, who for the first time got a four-legged friend. This article is devoted to how to care for a dog. What you need to do to make the pet constantly cheerful, healthy, energetic and lived a long( by dog ​​standards) life. If you do not have a love for animals, do not have the desire and( or) time to pay attention to it, then think about it many times: should you start a dog?

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Which breed suits you?

If you are not sure about the choice of the breed, it is very important to make the right decision, not to be mistaken:

• Dogs like Caucasian and Central Asian shepherds, Moscow watchdogs, black terriers strike with their beauty and power, but are completely unsuitable for urban apartments. These handsome people will feel more at ease in the cage, in the courtyard of the cottage or private house.
• Such breeds as the Great Dane or St. Bernard will feel uncomfortable in a small apartment. Such giants will simply be cramped in a small area.
• For people living in small apartments, mainly dogs of decorative breeds are suitable: levretki, yorkshire terriers, pugs, chihuahua, English and American cocker spaniels.
• Of large breeds for keeping in flats fit companion dogs - Dalmatians and Labradors, poodles.
• Dogs are best suited from service breeds: doberman pinschers, rottweilers, boxers. These are short-haired dogs, and keeping them on the street is quite problematic.

Important! Choosing a four-legged friend, answer in all honesty and the following question: will you be able to cope with a large and powerful animal. Often, just a good relationship is not enough, that the dog obeys commands of the owner without question. You will be able to control the behavior of the dog in only one case: if you win her unquestioned authority. Otherwise, you are not immune from a variety of troubles: from the inability to bathe a pet or clean his ears to the trained passers-by on the street or family members. First of all, a dog in the family is a huge responsibility.

Sometimes the choice of breed is made on the basis of tests on the Internet "What kind of dog" or "Which dog suits me".As the saying goes "All this would be ridiculous, when it was not so sad."Most of the Internet tests are comic. Not to mention the fact that people do not always honestly answer questions. Therefore, the result obtained, to put it mildly, is far from the truth.

Important! If the choice of the breed causes you difficulty, it is much more reasonable to contact a specialist-cynologist who can give good advice and conduct their own, purely professional testing.

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Dog care in the apartment: feeding issues

On the right diet depends the dog's health, the duration of her life, finally, the mood. If you believe advertising, then there is nothing better than dry food. The advantage of dry food is that there is no need to prepare a special food for the pet, to take care of the purchase of mineral and vitamin supplements.

Important! Veterinarians are far from complacent about this kind of dog care. If the dog is fed exclusively with dry granules, stomach problems may eventually develop, up to a peptic ulcer.

You should not rush to the other extreme - to feed the dog with food "from the general table."Cook food for the dog you need separately. It is important to include in the diet of the pet such products:

• Raw meat, by-products( lung, scar).
• Greenery and vegetables.
• Sour-milk products.
• Porridge( rice, buckwheat, oatmeal) with the addition of meat.

The frequency of feeding the animal with proper care of the dog - at least 2 times a day: after the morning and evening walks. The size of the portion depends on the weight of the dog and its activity.

Important! Naturally, small-sized dogs eat many times less than large dogs. But in any case it is important not to overfeed the dog. Excess body weight is harmful to dogs and humans.

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Paddling

If you are interested in how to care for a dog, be prepared for the fact that the pet needs to be strolled daily:

• The ideal option is in the morning, afternoon and evening.
• Often working people are limited to two walks, in the morning and evening. It can not be said that it is very good for a dog, but it is quite tolerable and feels under such a regime.

Important! Many owners mistakenly believe that a walk is just for the dog to be able to do his "business."But it's important to play with the dog during the walk. It's good if there are special places for dogs walking near your house. A outing on the weekend to nature, where the dog will be free to frost, will be a real holiday for him.

If you live in an apartment building, and there are no special places for walking nearby, you have to take the dog out for a walk to a crowded yard:

• For security reasons, you need to keep the dog on a leash.
• If the animal is aggressive by nature, a muzzle is required.

Important! And one more nuance regarding the care of the dog. The owners do not always clean up their livelihoods with their pets. The owner with a sovochkom and a bag is, more likely, an exception, than a rule. The result - the lawns and flowerbeds in the cities are corrupted. Do not forget about the surrounding people, clean up for the dog!

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How to care for the coat?

When organizing hair care, it is necessary to take into account its features.

Long nap

Dogs with long hair are, of course, very beautiful. On collies, bobtails, setters, greyhounds or spaniels it is impossible not to admire. It is important that the pet's coat looks beautiful and well-groomed.

The main rule of caring for a dog in an apartment is regular combing of wool. This is especially true of the seasonal moult season, in autumn and spring.

As a rule, long-haired dogs have a fluffy undercoat. If the dog is not regularly combed out, ugly koltuns are formed, which can only be sheared. Comb the pet with a special brush, which can be purchased at a pet store.

Important! To comb out it is necessary not only long-haired dogs. For example, labradors also molt, so combing can not be avoided.

Rigid wool

Need for a kind of care for the wool of coarse dog breeds:

• Erdeli does not shed, but their wool requires periodic trimming( plucking outgrown hair).
• If you are the owner of a poodle, then it is possible that you will need the services of a grooming specialist. A poodle with untidy withered hair looks not at all aesthetically pleasing, but cut off by all the rules of dog fashion, is simply irresistible.
• Quite complex care requires yorkshire terrier wool, which in its structure resembles human hair. These cuties need to be combed regularly, bathed and taken to a dog hairdresser.

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Does the dog wash after walking?

This question is asked by many owners. After walking in bad weather, the dog comes from the street dirty and wet. Frequent bathing of the dog, even with the use of specialized dog shampoos, is unacceptable. The protective fat layer breaks down, and the dog can get eczema or dermatitis. The exception to this rule are Yorkshire terriers. Dogs of all other breeds are bathed several times during the year.

Important! What to do, so that the dog does not get dirty during a walk? Good special protective overalls help. They are beautiful, practical in care and protect the dog not only from dirt, but also from the cold.

But the paws need special care. They need to be washed or, at least, thoroughly wiped after each walk. Especially it concerns walks in the winter. Utility companies use chemical reagents to melt ice, which can cause irritation to the skin of the pads of the animal's paws.

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Protection against ticks and fleas

Unfortunately, not one breed is immune from bloodsucking parasites. They bring a lot of discomfort not only to the "flea-bearer", but also to the owners.

Important! Fleas perfectly feel not only in dog hair, but also in bed linen, in carpets and under skirting boards. The "blohastik" himself is suffering too, experiencing severe itching and soreness from insect bites.

Ticks, the peak activity of which falls in May-June, are carriers of diseases that threaten the health and even life of the pet. How to take care of a dog so that it does not catch parasites? To avoid these problems, you can use insecticides:

• Shampoos.
• Aerosols.
• Special "anti-block" collars.
• Drops from fleas and ticks( they are applied to the withers of an animal).

Important! The most effective are drops. Term of protection - up to 2 months. This is enough for the dog to survive safely, for example, the period of activity of ticks. A good effect is such drops as Front Line, Bars and others. Before you apply the drug, carefully read the instructions.

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Ears and teeth

Dog care implies hygiene of the teeth and ears of an animal, which is no less important than combing out the wool.

Ears:

• The dog ears should be periodically cleaned of sulfur using a dry cotton swab. A good effect gives special ear-lotions. If the animal picked up the ear mite, the veterinarian will prescribe special drops that need to be regularly applied so that the pet recovers.
• Decorative breeds of dogs( lapdogs, pugs, chihuahua) are prone to colds. Otitis( an inflammatory ear disease) is not uncommon for them. If you notice that the dog is restless, nervous and scratches his reddened ear, then it's time to pay a visit to the vet.

Important! Sometimes the cause of otitis is wool in the ears, for example, in poodles. Contaminated wool is a fertile environment for germs, hence inflammation. To avoid this, you need to cut off excess wool in the ears of the animal.

Teeth

To keep your dog's teeth healthy, you need to keep an eye on them from an early age. First of all, it is necessary to enrich the pet's diet with phosphorus and calcium:

• In this respect, cottage cheese and additives such as "Beafar" or "Glucosamine" are very useful.
• Large bovine bones, vegetables( cabbage, carrots) help the development of teeth.

Important! Dental plaque in adult dogs is removed with an ordinary toothbrush.

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Glow from bitches

This phenomenon occurs 2 times a year. The duration of estrus is 21-28 days. In this period, you should give the animal maximum attention:

• You can not let the dog during walks with a leash, otherwise - your lady can slip away in search of knights.
• Especially, it is inadmissible "communication" of your young lady with wandering males. Unplanned binding you do not need. Do not need and puppies of unknown breed with an incomprehensible exterior.
• It is impossible to bathe a dog during a heat, as there is a risk of infection of the genitals.
• So that your beautiful woman thinks less about the representatives of the opposite sex, play with her, but, as they say, without fanaticism.
• So that the dog does not get dirty furniture and floor coverings, wear special panties on it. You can buy them at the pet store.

Castration and sterilization

This is one of the best outlets for owners who do not plan to receive puppies. The best age for castrating a male or sterilizing a bitch is six months.

Important! If you castrate a male over one year old, there is a fairly high likelihood of complications. Therefore, to castrate a male over one year is desirable only for special medical indications.

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Vaccinations

Timely preventive vaccinations protect the dog from infectious diseases such as:

• hepatitis;
• leptospirosis;
• rabies;
• pyroplasmosis;
• plague carnivorous.

Important! Good reviews from veterinarians and owners have such complex type vaccines as Nobivac( Netherlands), Eurikan( France).With the choice of vaccine will help a veterinarian. At the same time, he will assess the health of the animal and determine whether it is possible to vaccinate the dog.

The first vaccination is given to the puppy at 4-6 weeks of age. The further scheme of vaccinations is developed by the veterinarian.

Now about how to care for the dog during vaccinations:

• Approximately 10 days before vaccination, it is recommended to proglistnonit dog.
• After vaccination, the health of the pet may deteriorate somewhat. There is no cause for concern, vaccination is not a disease. Soon the state of health of the animal will be adjusted without any treatment.
• However, one must take into account that immunity against diseases is not developed immediately, but for 10-15 days. At this time, the beast is particularly vulnerable to infections. It is necessary not to communicate with other dogs and colds.

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Training, behavior correction

There are breeds for which training is an objective necessity. First of all, these are service breeds of dogs. If the dog is not trained to carry out the commands, then it presents a potential danger not only to strangers, but also to family members. You can go in for training at a special club or you can study with a dog specialist individually.

Training for decorative dogs is also desirable. An ill-bred dog, regardless of size, can cause a lot of trouble to the owners and neighbors. For example, if a dog, while remaining alone, constantly barks, it is unlikely to please people who live in a neighboring apartment. It is necessary to adjust the behavior of the dog, consult a specialist.

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The dog fell ill. ..

It is advisable not to allow serious pet illnesses. However, many breeds have good health. Subject to proper care of the dog, it will not give you any special problems.

Important! If you notice that the dog's appetite was gone, it became sluggish, vomiting, upset of the stool, - it is necessary to contact the veterinarian. Even if the inspection shows that your pet is completely healthy, it is better to be safe. If the dog is ill, it is important to strictly follow the doctor's instructions so that the pet will recover.

Care of the dog in the apartment must be especially careful.

How correctly to assess the state of animal health?

These signs of a healthy dog ​​will allow you to correctly assess the condition of your pet, even if you have a very mediated attitude to veterinary medicine:

• Mucous membranes, painted in pink. The exception is a dog with a dark color.
• Teeth white, with intact enamel.
• Clean external auditory meatus, without plaque and damage.
• White eye protein.
• Brilliant wool. Seasonal molting is normal. But if the dog molts constantly, this is a sign of the disease.
• All dogs scratch. But if the dog scratches too often and strongly, this may indicate flea infestation or allergies.
• Normal stool frequency 1-2 times a day. Feces formed or creamy.
• Good appetite, playful behavior, adequate response to standard situations also indicate good health of the animal.
• Increased aggression, including against hosts, indicates the onset of the disease.
• The normal temperature of dogs is 37.5-39 degrees. An increase in temperature by ½ degree after stress and strong physical activity is considered the norm. In this case, the temperature should be normalized within an hour.
• The dog can cough or sneeze while eating, then these phenomena pass.

Remember that a dog is not a toy, but a living being. Care for her correctly, and the pet will answer you with devotion, faithfulness and love.