Puppy Education

Although it doesn’t sound like the most appealing job in the world, housebreaking a new puppy will play an important part in bonding with the newest member of your family.  It will teach you patience and leave you with a better understanding of what your puppy wants once he has learned.  In addition, he will learn acceptable behaviors and exactly what is expected of him to live happily and comfortably in his new home.

It’s important to remember that, just like a small child, a puppy’s attention span is very short.  When you teach a young child not to hit, he likely won’t learn the lesson the first time, but instead, gradually after you’ve shown him repeatedly that it’s not okay.  Similarly, you will have to be consistent with your dog when training him.  Also, when housebreaking your puppy, keep in mind that he is not intentionally being a bad dog; he just has not yet learned what behaviors are acceptable!

Start housebreaking your puppy with a simple feeding schedule.  Give him breakfast, lunch and dinner, just as you would yourself.  By doing this you will be helping him become regular with his bowel movements.  Once he has eaten, wait 20-30 minutes and then take him outside.  Watch how long it takes before he is able to void.  This will give you an idea of how long to wait the next time you take him out.  (Within about a week, you should have his schedule down.)  Try to never let him eat at free will, leaving food in his bowl all day, because it will cause him to have accidents and make housetraining all that much more difficult.

Despite the old rules of training a puppy, you should never hit, rub his nose in his messes, or yell at your puppy.  By doing this, you are telling him it is bad to relieve himself at all!  In addition, most dogs respond negatively to aggressive and mean behavior and it has the opposite effect—they regress in their training rather than advance.  Instead, while housebreaking your puppy take him straight outside when he has an accident.  In addition, don’t forget the praise!  Every time he “goes” where he’s supposed to, praise him lavishly, and soon he will begin to understand exactly what brings praise, and what brings that disappointed face.  During the process, don’t forget that full control of the bladder and bowels won’t happen until 16 weeks of age, so don’t expect too much from your puppy in the beginning.

Also helpful in housebreaking a new puppy is to buy a stain remover/ odor relief spray.  Household cleaners and sprays cannot be smelled by dogs; only those made for animals will work.  When an accident happens, clean the mess and spray immediately.  This will cover the odor left and your puppy will not try to mark his territory there again.

Remember that housebreaking a puppy is a big responsibility that can lead to you and your puppy sharing a special bond.  Giving encouragement and lots of love will make all the time spent worth your while!

Fleas are a problem for dogs and their owners alike.  These tiny insects will live on the body of your dog, sucking the animal’s blood and laying eggs.  The bites and presence of fleas will cause the dog to itch and if the dog happens to be allergic to fleas (the allergy is technically to the insects’ saliva) it can experience extreme itching, loss of fur in some places, inflammation, and infections.  Regardless of whether the dog has an allergy to flea saliva, infestations must be dealt with or they will go on and on and the fleas will also infest your home, other pets, and can even live on humans.  In short; you can be directly and adversely affected by an uncontrolled flea infestation.

Detecting Fleas

If you suspect that your dog has fleas because it’s been scratching more than usual, there are ways to check for their presence.  Fleas are very small (about an eighth of an inch long), but visible to the naked eye, and brownish in color.  Because they prefer dark places they will try to hide beneath the dog’s fur, under the collar, or on the underbelly.  Their fecal material can also be seen on the dog’s coat and looks like multiple black flecks or specks – almost like pepper.  If fleas or their droppings are found it is time to treat your dog to get rid of them.

Treating Your Dog for Fleas

While flea collars, powders, and sprays may help to prevent infestations to some extent, they will not help if the dog is already infested.  When fleas are infesting a dog the female lays eggs at a rate of about thirty per day.  These eggs fall off the dog and into the carpet, soil, or wherever the dog may be.  In these areas they hatch and pupate, eventually growing into adult fleas which can then re-infest the dog.  In order to halt the cycle all the fleas on the dog and in the environment must be killed or the life cycle must be interrupted.

There are several flea treatments available for dogs, but one of the best is an oral medication that will not kill adult fleas, but does kill the eggs and larva.  This interrupts the flea life cycle and prevents them from coming back, as long as the dog is not continually exposed to new fleas.  If that is happening, the source must be cleaned of fleas whether it is the carpet, the environment, or other dogs with which your pet associates.

Fleas can be a real nuisance for dogs and their owners, but catching them and treating the dog quickly is the key to eliminating the infestation and preventing the insects’ return.

Dog owners love to think of their dogs as children.  “That’s my baby,” they’ll say when referring to their dogs.  They’ll refer to themselves as “Mommy” or “Daddy” when talking to their dogs as well.  And, of course, they buy their dogs toys to play with.  Choosing the right dog toys can be tricky.  People like to get cute, squeaky toys for their dogs or give them stuffed animals to chew on and carry around (the stuffed toy becomes the dog’s “baby” quite often – “Get your baby, checkers!  Checkers, where’s your baby?”) because they think it’s “adorable.”  Dog toys don’t need to be “cute.”  They need to be practical, fun for the dog, durable, and safe.

Avoid Non-Toy “Toys”

For as lovable, loyal, friendly, and playful as they are, dogs are not the brightest creatures.  They are naturally attracted to things that can cause them the most harm.  It’s important to start early with your dog, providing save toys to chew and play with while teaching the animal to avoid household items it may wish to use as toys.  Dogs love to chew on pantyhose, for example, but these could easily be partially ingested, choking the dog.  Some dogs will chew on power cords, risking a harmful (or fatal) electric shock.  Teach your dog early on what things are for chewing and playing and what things are off limits.

The Best, Safest Dog Toys

The size of a toy is an important consideration.  Kongs, balls, and other typical toys must be small enough that the dog can chew them and carry them, but not so small that they can become lodged in the dog’s mouth or throat.

Durability is a factor, especially for a dog that loves to chew.  A toy that will break apart easily can become a hazard as the small, sharp parts can be swallowed, caught in the throat, or cut the mouth and gums.  Again, a hard rubber Kong (easily one of the best dog toys ever conceived) is an excellent choice.

Softer toys, like the popular “squeak” toys made of thin plastic and full of air are good for dogs that are a bit gentler.  They’re unlikely to chew through such items and are usually attracted by the squeaking sound.

Tennis balls are great for some dogs, but poor choices for others.  This is a question of size ratios.  If the dog is too small to fit a tennis ball all the way in its mouth, then it can be an excellent toy that the dog will love but costs very little.  If the ball can fit all the way in the dog’s maw, however, it becomes a choking hazard.

A fairly common degenerative disease in dogs, canine hip dysplasia, is often misunderstood.  Many mistakenly think that the ailment is a form of arthritis, but that is simply not the case.  Often, dogs that suffer from hip dysplasia will develop arthritis, but this condition is a result of hip dysplasia and not the disease itself.  The condition is most common in mid to large size dogs that grow rapidly and can be a source of severe pain and limited mobility for the animal.  Even when detected early, there is no “cure” for hip dysplasia; it must be treated with medication to reduce the amount of pain that the dog suffers or be corrected as much as possible with surgery.

What is Hip Dysplasia?

Hip dysplasia is essentially an abnormal formation of the hip joint.  This formation causes looseness in the joint that causes an array of problems for the dog.  The most common results of hip dysplasia include pain and lack of mobility.  Dogs that are severely affected can not move their hindquarters at all.  There are many degrees of dysplasia; they range from only the slightest abnormalities in the connection of the joint to complete dislocation of the femur from the hip socket.

What Causes Hip Dysplasia?

Hip dysplasia is primarily caused by genetics.  If one or both parent animals carry a genetic trait for hip dysplasia, it will be passed on to their offspring.  Genetic conditions and their likelihood of being passed on are measured in terms of “heritability factoring.”  Something that is determined completely by genetics, like eye color or gender, is considered to have a heritability factor of 1, indicating that the condition is 100% genetic.  A condition that has absolutely nothing to do with genetics, like a sprained ankle, has a heritability factor of 0.  Scientists have determined that hip dysplasia carries a heritability factor between .25 and .85, meaning that there is a 25% to 85% chance that the condition is genetic in origin.  While injuries to a young pup – incurred before or after birth – can cause the condition, almost all hip dysplasia is passed on genetically.

How is Hip Dysplasia Treated?

As stated earlier, there is no “cure” for hip dysplasia.  Medication can be given to control the pain and reduce inflammation of the joint, but the only way to treat the condition on any permanent basis is through surgery.  The best way to combat hip dysplasia is through selective breeding.  If the either of the potential parent animals show traits of hip dysplasia, they should not be bred and should be spayed or neutered to ensure they do not pass on the trait.  All breeding dogs should be X-Rayed at a young age to check for signs of the condition.  Many times a dog that appears perfectly healthy and has no signs of the condition can actually have hip dysplasia.