Dog Harmony

What A Dog Needs

You dogs primary need, of course, is love. He gives his devotion and loyalty in the hope you will do the same. When it comes down to it, your dog actually needs very little from you physically. The details are few in number, but very high in levels of importance as his survival is dependent on your care.

In basic terms, a dog has to be given food and water each and every day. They need a safe environment much as you would baby proof a home for a new toddler. The state of the dog's health needs to be supervised and should receive any and all of the injections that the local authorities require. They need regularly grooming and exercise. Sounds simple? In most cases it is. However there are exceptions, either prescribed by the type of dog, it general state of health and how much time and money that the owner has at their disposal to invest in the dog's wellbeing.

Diet

The dog's diet is also a very important and expensive part of its upkeep, and should be taken very seriously by its owners. All varieties of dogs, and especially large dogs, need to have a balanced diet full of nutrition. If regular dog food is being bought, the owners should place less emphasis on the cost and more on the levels of minerals, vitamins, fats, nutrients and carbohydrates contained in the food. In the long term, a consistent lack of these vital ingredients will be detrimental to the dog's health. They may cause it to be in pain or ill as it gets older or its premature death.

Your breeder or vet can make recommendations on what to feed you new dog. Puppies usually get a higher fat content food and then change over to a lower fat content food once they have grown to size as their nutrition needs change based on their stage of life. An older dog will often need a leaner diet to maintain their health and not put on extra pounds. Table scraps are never recommended. One tip on food changes for your dog, mix the old with the new for about a week so their digestive system can adapt and you will see fewer "accidents."

Additionally, all dogs need a constant and clean source of water available at all times.

Safety

• Never let your dog off-leash in unfenced areas, even if you think they won't wander, a tragedy only takes one time of them not listening when a cat dashes across a road and they follow.
• Make sure your yard is securely fenced and high enough to prevent your dog from leaping or climbing over if determined or scared. Monitor for areas of digging out and fill these with something like bricks to keep your dog in.
• If you live upstairs, make sure your windows will not allow a young and enthusiastic dog to leap out as they have no idea of height. Why would they leap out? Perhaps a pigeon lands on the roof or ledge, perhaps a cat is on a neighboring roof. Perhaps they thought of it as a door and wanted to go out?
• Keep all solvents, cleaning products etc in higher up or locked cabinets.
• Do not assume your dog knows not to eat the rat poison. Or for that matter, not to ingest a dead rat or mouse that has been poisoned.
• Do not assume your dog knows to not eat the snail poison etc that you may have in the yard.
• Antifreeze is deadly to dogs. Fix any leaks and never flush it out into a gutter or area where any animal can get to it. Antifreeze apparently smells great to animals and they will die if they drink it.
• Keep all vaccinations up to date including heart worm medication. Puppies need a set of shots before they have any immunity to things carried by other dogs, so check with your vet before taking them "public."
• Never leave your dog in a locked car, even with the window "cracked" open and if you think you will be "right back." The temperature gets deadly in minutes and it's a horrible way to die.
• Never leave a dog tied up. Dogs hate to be tied in a yard. If you have a dog that escapes from your yard, put in a kennel or take them to doggy day care. Tying a dog is bad for their quality of life and many dogs choke themselves trying to get free.

Health

It has to be said mixed breed dogs tend to have less needs than their pedigree brothers. They are less prone some of the genetic disorders and are generally a healthier and less susceptible to disease. Owners should always be able to judge when their dog is not feeling 100%, the signs are not hard to follow. If they stop eating and drinking, or they seem very listless, their nose is dry. If they seem to be in pain or discomfort, their demeanor changes, or for any other reason, then a visit to the local veterinarian is in order.

In any event, every dog should have an annual check up, just to check up on its general state of health, hearing, eye sight, the state of its joints and its teeth are the signs that your veterinarian will know what to look for.

The pedigreed breeds usually require more attention and the further up the pedigree scale that that they are, the more specific and expensive the treatment can become. For instance, Golden Retrievers who are a much loved and popular variety of dog and ideal household pets are particularly susceptible to hip disorders that begin to show from the middle years of their lives.

Known as hip dysplasia, this disorder is a genetically induced abnormal formation of the hip joint. The hip joints, which should normally fit tightly into its socket, are loose. Up to 85% of pedigreed golden retrievers are born with this problem, and are liable to contract arthritis when they grow older.

Awareness of the problem and proper nutrition will plays a vital role in preventing the onset of arthritis. Keeping the dog' weight under control will also be a factor. Not often an easy task knowing the dog's voracious appetite.

Every pedigree variety has it own characteristics, which, thankfully are very well documented, either in print of through the internet. Any new owner who has just acquired a puppy dog of a certain variety would do well to study the suggested diet for their new pet. They should take into account that for at least for the first year of the dog's life, it will need a very healthy diet, as it will be growing very rapidly. Later, and again depending on the size of the dog, it should be given as healthy a diet as possible, some vitamin supplements as well as plenty of exercise.

Grooming

Dogs need to be clean to fight pests and to be allowed the close proximity they desire with their owners. Weekly baths are recommended. Nails need to be trimmed as well and if your dog has dew claws, these do not wear at all on their own and need to be clipped. Teeth should be brushed, this will improve your dogs breath and keep the dental bills down over time. Dogs with longer coats need to be brushed weekly to prevent mats and keep shedding indoors down.

Exercise

All dogs need regular exercise. The rigor of that exercise depends on the size and energy level of your dog. Many dogs like australian shepherds and border collies make great jogging companions. Labs love to swim and will fetch til they drop. Most dogs can stay well conditioned with regular walks of some length. Your dog wants to play with you, have your time and earn your approval. Regular exercise on hikes, frisbee, training, walks, etc. all help your dog to live a balanced life. Hyper dogs become calm good citizens when exercised and all dogs become happier.

Exercise also provides the dog with mental stimultion. Getting out an about lets him sniff the local gossip (literally), meet new people and see new sites. A walk at your dogs pace and a long enough lead allows him the joy of discovery.

All these factors put together are the responsibility that an owner has to his dog, to allow it a full, healthy, happy and long life. Not much to ask when you consider what you get back in return.