Today, dogs are one of the very well-liked pets. They became a part of the rescue agencies and law enforcement for their invaluable service and dedication to their best friend, the human beings.  Taking care of this so-called “best friends” is really important and vital because it involves big responsibility, accountability and commitment.  It also involves significant venture of both your time and your money. Here are some general tips that will help you take good care of your dogs:

FOOD

There is a need for you to provide nutritious food and water to meet the daily nutritional needs of your dog. On choosing the right food for your dog, you must pay much attention on the ingredients as well as the nutrients present on that dog food formula. Some inexpensive formula may seem to be light for your pocket but is not healthy for your dog and might precipitate illness due to its artificial ingredients. Many dogs are obese because of the high-corn and low-protein food formulas sold at many food stores.  Your veterinarian might recommend a dog food that is nutritious and the proper feeding schedule for your dogs. Usually, dogs are fed once or twice daily.
EXERCISE

Like human beings, regular exercise is important. Daily walks and other kinds of dog exercise provide numerous benefits for dog’s health like weight maintenance, behavioral issues, and muscle strength. It helps to promote loyalty, bonding and connection between the dog and the owner.

SAFE ENVIRONMENT

When owning a dog, it doesn’t mean that you should fence your backyard but it does help to maintain a safe environment for you dog.  They need a safe bathroom whether in a fenced yard or in a frequent leashed walks. They also need a safe porch or a dog house to go out to if the weather is fine. Proofing your house will help you minimize breakage of some breakable things and will also help prevent dogs be in a dangerous situation. Proper supervision is vital in owning a dog.

VETERINARY CARE

It is a must that you bring your dog for the routine veterinary care visits. This includes series of vaccinations plus booster doses and deworming. Most dogs, especially those who are pure breed have higher chance of developing serious health problems in their entire lifetime. It is important for you to bring your dog to a vet regularly for check-up. Owners might consider having a pet insurance to cover certain expensive medical procedures.

It is important to provide a proper dog care from the day your dog is born to the day you’ll part ways. There are many things that go with a proper dog care, but the plunder of a faithful and trustworthy family pet are vast.

Almost every six months, a female dog comes in heat. It is a part of female dog’s normal life cycle. At this time, her hormones are organizing and preparing her body to catch the attention of a male dog and get pregnant after mating. A dog that is in heat is impulsive and restless. If you want her to be pregnant and have some puppies, then this is the right time. If breeding is not a priority at this moment, this normal cycle would be a stressor for her and for you as well.

When dogs are in heat, their body is preparing her for mating. Usually, she will get a lot of attention from a male dog due to her distinct scent at that time and her unusual behavior. As pet owner, one must watch his dog closely because she needs help to ward off the advances from other dogs. Certainly, caring a dog that is in heat needs patience and dedication. Here are some ways you can care for your dog:

• Keep your windows, doors and gates close if you are not around. Your dogs might go out and look for a partner without your knowledge.
• Choose car rides rather than walking to any destinations.
• Continue daily walking but choose a well-contained area rather than an open area. Preferably, an area that doesn’t have dogs.
• Encourage and allow her to play and walk in your lawn or backyard but don’t leave hear unattended.
• Never let male dogs invade your house. Some male dogs may climb fences or jump wooden fence. They can even open screened doors.
• Do anything that you can do to sooth her and keep her calm most of the time. A dog that is in heat is very anxious. Avoid activities that will promote agitation on your dog and instruct children to treat her with respect and avoid rough play with them.

Throughout the entire first 14 days of being in heat, your female dog’s vulva might swell and she may also experience a brown spotting or even slight bleeding. This is usually the indication that your dog is in estrus. Having your dog wear a protective panty is a very nice idea during her first stage of cycle. Make sure that her bed comes with a cotton cloth or a washable covering to avoid staining the cloth.

If you’re not willing to give up most of your time and patience doing stuffs like this, you might consider spaying your dog to eliminate issues associated with heat cycles. It is usually performed before she experiences her first estrus. This may also decrease her risk of having cancer, mammary tumors and any stressful anxious behavior.

BREEDING YOUR DOG

Is it that your kids want another baby pup to play with, or that you want to make some extra bucks selling puppies? Whatever your reasons are, try to clarify them before you attempt to breed your bitch.

Your bitch usually comes into heat about twice every year, and it is during this heat periods that you can attempt to mate her. Before the mating, she should be placed on special diets to flush her system and get her ready for the task ahead.

CHOOSING THE STUD

Getting the male dog (stud) that will mate your girl is an important task and it has to be carried out judiciously. You may have a friend or a neighbor with a stud that you think is suitable for the process, or there ay be a breeder who can get you one. However, breeding is not just about bringing together a male a female. There are several factors to be put into consideration if you are to get the desired results. They include:-

*  Ascertaining the pedigree of the dog – Do you want your bitch to produce purebred puppies? Then you must certainly mate her with a purebred stud (if she is also one).  You may want to check out his registration  details etc.

*  Check out poor performance results -does he have a past performance of repeated breeding, abortion etc. This may be due to the stud carrying a venereal disease, defective sperm abnormalities etc. you can very well know what to expect from scrutinizing past records.

*  Check out for conformation - Does the stud have all the unique posture and other characteristics features of it’s breed?

*  Be careful to mate your bitch with a stud or commensurate size. Do not mate your small -sized bitch with an over-sized, over- weight male. The results could be disastrous.

MATING

when your dogs come into a season, she remains on heat for about three weeks. During this time, there will be swelling of vulva  and discharges. When she is on heat (peak period), she welcomes all attempts by the male to mount her. She is usually fertile, releasing eggs during five days of the period.

It is usually advisable to take your bitch to the stud (not vice versa). This is because the stud is more comfortable within her own premises , and it is better able to carry out his own duty. The female may not be so submissive when the male is brought  into her territory.

The stud mounts the bitch and after ejaculation, remains in the bitch for a several minutes while her vaginal muscle still hold onto his penis. Sometimes the dog may climb off her back and turn 180^o facing the other  way. This act is referred to ‘a tie’ and is usually believed by the breeders to mean a successful mating..

Gestation period (pregnancy) in the dog usually ranges from sixty days to sixty six days, with sixty three days as the average. When the range is exceeded, you may need to call the attention of your veterinary doctor.

Note – your bitch should not just be mature in age, she also has to have developed enough physically before she is bred. This will help to foretell future reproductive (birth) complication.

This question often looks so simple but holds more meanings in that. During the examination of your dog, first you need to prepare the dog first psychologically for a better-restrained status.  For this, you need to take a leash and place the dog on table by the careful delivery of suitable command.

When the dog is trying to avoid the thorough examination by the veterinarian, just try to distract the dog by simple scratching of your dog behind the ears, etc. Hence, the dog’s attention is some what diverted from the examination procedures that are carried out often in a systematic manner.

However, there are obedient dogs, which will remain calm during an examination.  Such dogs need to be given some patting on the shoulder or the body and praises.  Perhaps, many owners may try to provide some treats that are liked so much by the concerned dogs.  However, it all depends on the trainings offered to the concerned dog earlier and the effective follow up procedures by the owner for the maintenance of such reflexes during the examination.

Muzzles are required for some dogs if they behave in a different manner by objecting the examination procedures by the frequent movements of the body or trying to bite the veterinarian doing the examination of the dog. Hence, the owner needs to observe the dog closely during the examination to rule out any abnormal activity by the dog.

Restraining activities in a proper manner during the clinical examination of the dog are of highly appreciable if they are successful with the concerned dogs. Such control will be of highly helpful for the effective examination of the patient by the concerned veterinarian in the pet clinic.
If the dog gets more distracted during examination by means of restlessness, then one may even use the electronic equipments which will make some sound that are audible to the dogs’ ear. Such things will be helpful in the proper distraction of the animal during the examination.

Home dental care is to be given more emphasis nowadays because of the fact that the dental diseases are emerging in the case of pet animals like dogs to a greater extent. Though you are giving home dental care, if you suspect on the extension of the dental diseases, then immediately approach the veterinarian for intervention.

Try to provide bone materials without very sharp points to the dogs and they may love to chew them and then swallow the bitten products. Such activities help them to go for the development of strong teeth structures in a natural manner.

Mind that the breeds of dogs like Pekingese, etc. are more prone for the development of teeth diseases because the teeth are closely crowned in the oral cavity be to the small size of the these dogs. Hence, these dogs need to be checked up for the excessive plaque formation in the home itself.

Recreational raw beef bones are wonderful materials to keep the teeth structures of your dog clean and free from formation of plaque with build up of bacterial organisms. Teeth brushes are available for use with care in case of dogs and one has to be careful during the usage of these brushes in dogs. Teeth brushes are to be used with special kinds of pastes recommended by the veterinarians for home use in case of dogs.

Specially prepared food materials are available in the pet shops to remove the tartar and the plaque materials from the teeth structures. Dry dog food and toys that are specially made to add strength to the teeth structures are often used at home for better teeth cleaning.

The plaque materials are intermittently to be removed at home to avoid any occurrence of the periodontal diseases, which are more common among the dogs. Dental wipes are available in the pet shops and they may be used carefully in the home. This helps to remove more plaque and the tartar like materials that are loosely attached.

Bathing a dog needs to be given more emphasis. This is because of the fact that if you are careless in bathing, the animal may end up having some infections. For example, if you don’t close the ears with large cotton ball, the water may enter into ear canals and may cause some ear infections with signs like constant discharge from the ears and shaking of head.

Frequency of bathing actually depends on the breed of the dog. If the dog is of a hairy type like the cocker spaniel, then the bathing is to be carried out once in six to eight weeks. If these breeds are bathed too frequently, then the skin and coat loose the protective characters. However, when the dog has defecated on the skin due to the frequent digestive upsets leading to diarrhea, to avoid the bad smell, the dog may be subjected to frequent bathing some times by the owners.

Take more care in avoiding some irritant soaps or human soaps. The soap materials used for human beings are not suitable for dogs. Similarly, many human shampoo products are having some ingredients that are not suitable in the proportions that are to be used in case of dogs. Hence, always try to use the shampoo products that are mentioned mainly for use in dogs. Take more care in using any new product.

Always have good time and patience for products required for bathing in one place with availability of water source. Dogs love the sprinkling of water, river, and oceans. Even when you are using bathtub, have everything in one place and then start bathing of the dog. Try to have a leash, conditioner, towel, and shampoo in the bath place.

Conditioner is of helpful to make the combing activity easier later. Bathing should be a convenient activity to both the dog and the owner. This should not be a burden.

Grooming is one of the important activities to be known well by the dog owner. If the dog owner is not aware of the grooming, then the dog may encounter many types of diseases. First steps of grooming consists of activities like maintenance of coat, nails and ears. The maintenance of the coat mainly consists of enrichment measures like proper bathing, combing, drying of skin by dryers, and more.
The animal need not be bathed daily and this helps to protect the skin’s characteristics like insulation feature.

Use conditioners and shampoos that are meant for dogs. Combing needs to be carried out with a soft brush meant for use in case of dogs. There are varieties of brushes available and depending on the type of breeds, one can use the concerned brush. This grooming of the coat by a comb needs to be carried out daily and the fallen hair if any needs to be placed in dust bin always.

Otherwise, when the dog owners switch on the fan, the hair will fly and may enter the nostrils of persons. Always don’t clip too much because this may lead to injuries of nail always. Similarly, you need to carry all the materials required for the clipping with you before the start of the procedure.

Use a sharp clipper designed for use in case of dogs. It is better to have the dog on the raised place and hence, the control of the animal is easier. Ear canals are to be checked up frequently and sterile cotton may be used for cleaning purposes. Grooming associated guidelines need to be followed strictly by the dog owners.

Nail-maintenance is one of the first steps of grooming activities. Live nail areas can be easily clipped away and are always light colored than the reddish area of the nail in the higher position. During the holding of your dog’s feet by you, always have a firm grip. If not, the dog will take an upper hand during the clipping and some injury may occur.

Many dogs scoot (drag) their bottoms across carpets, ground or other rough surfaces making it appear as though they are wiping their rear. The real causes can be much more serious and may warrant a trip to the veterinarian for an examination. Some of the most common reasons for this behavior are discussed below.

Anal Sac Disease is common in small dogs but rare in large dogs. It occurs when the anal sacs become impacted, infected, abscessed or neoplastic (abnormal tissue formation).

Impaction is when the anal gland fluids become too thick to be easily expressed.

Infections will result in the production of a yellow or bloody pus-like substance.

Abscess around the rectum area will become swollen and will be hot and tender to the touch. If the abscess erupts it will produce pus and blood.

The anal glands are two tiny sacs located inside the dog’s bottom. They are believed to be scent glands because they accumulate a fluid substance that, when released, produces a strong, foul odor.

The sacs are packed with a thick and pasty brown substance which, when secreted, is like a thin ribbon. This substance can be expressed (released) as a thin ribbon only with a great amount of pressure usually produced by the act of defecating.

The anal fluids may fail to naturally express during defecation. When dogs defecate the fluid from the anal sac generally releases leaving the scent of the dog on his stools, thereby identifying him to other dogs.

If the dog is obese he may have poor muscle tone and may not have the ability to cause the release of the anal sac fluids on his own. If the dog is unable to express the fluid himself, it may have to be done manually by the owner or by a veterinarian.

The retention of these fluids can lead to bacterial overgrowth, infection, and inflammation of the anal sac area. Signs of anal sac fluid retention are pain while sitting, scooting or dragging the rear end, licking or biting the anal sac area and pain during defecation.

If your dog is showing any of these signs have your veterinarian examine him to see if the sacs are impacted. If there is Impaction and the fluid is not expressed, the glands could rupture. Your veterinarian may choose to manually express the sacs or, if the area is infected, he may choose to flush the sacs and fill them with antibiotics. Surgical removal of the sacs is also possible on dogs with chronic problems.

Diagnosing the problem is usually done by a digital rectal examination. If the sacs are found to be impacted, they can be manually expressed but must be done very gently. While some dog owners prefer to express the glands themselves, it may be best to have your veterinarian do the procedure.

Generalized seborrhea or the production of glandular hypersecretion may also cause the retention of the fluids.

Round worms or tape worms may also cause your dog to scoot his bottom or bite at the area around the rectum.

Allergies to flea bites can make the area around the rectum itchy.