Raising a dog can bring to us is another kind of joyful friendship.
Before you make the decision to get a dog, make sure you acknowledge the following:
Taking a good care of them by:
1- Visiting the vet:
Consult with a veterinarian is an important first step to checkup your dog in order to provide you with a plan on health practices and vaccination and to be aware of the symptoms that should be monitored.
2- Dogs nutrition:
Adhering to a good diet can really make a huge difference in the dog overall health and prevent sicknesses. You can ask the veterinarian about the suitable nutrition for your own dog breed as well as the appropriate portion and total meals a day. You need to make sure that your dog gets a good quality food and enough clean water during everyday.
The number of meals for dogs varies according to their age:
• Age 6 to 12 weeks – 4 meals a day
• Age 3-6 months – 3 meals a day
• From 6 to 12 months – 2 meals a day
3- Build a good relationship with your:
The bond between you and your dog develops fast and continues growing. Having activities along together and sharing some of your time with the dog can really promote a very healthy relationship. You can start by coaching him in some games like volleyball or just walking together.
Using the toilets
The ideal time to teach your dog to go to toilet starts at the age 12 to 16 weeks. As he/ she is be able to control intestine and bladder. By that age you will see some indication when they need toilet, the most noticeable ones are setting on positions like squatting or you may see him/ her nervous or shaking or sniffing around to find a proper place.
To teach him/her to do so, you may guide the dogs to their proper toilets and reward them for doing so, you may also repeat some words on them every time they succeed to follow the rule like “ Good Job” and also playing with him/ her as a kind of your acknowledgment of the good job, that will allow the dog to relate having fun with going to toilet.
You may need to find a suitable place whether indoors or outdoors that is away from other pets in order to prevent the spread of any bacterias or viruses.
Some convenient timing for toilets might be:
• at the wake-up
• Right before bed
• After meal and after drinking water
• After a nap
• After physical activity
How do you know your dog is sick?
At first few months of the puppy’s life, they are more likely to experience illnesses than afterwards. The most important symptoms that require a visit to the vet are:
• loss of appetite
• Failure to thrive and gain weight
• Vomiting
• abdominal distension
• fatigue
• Diarrheas
• Shortness of breath
• Cough
• Gum pallor
• Periorbital swelling
• Runny nose
• Constipation or urine retention
