Ways of Dog Caring
Common mistakes by dog owners and the correct ways of Dog Caring
In its ten year of service, Mount Everest Kennel Club has encountered various misconceptions dog owners have about dog rearing which actually are the reasons for their dog’s mental or physical problems. Years of experience in dog keeping does not account for proper rearing.
The correct methods have to be followed.
- Puppy Rearing
Many of the dog owners have been found not using a name while addressing their dogs. You should give you’re a dog a name to give it an identity and for it to know that you are associating it with that name. Though owners tend to come up a lot of fancy names for their dogs it is imperative that the name is maximum 2 syllables so that it will be easy for your dog to understand. Remember, dogs do not understand words and their meaning; they just react to the tone of your voice. It should also be kept in mind that each family member uses the same name to address the dog. Otherwise, the dog will get confused and will never figure out its real name.
Another common problem is regarding the dog’s bedding. Even if you simply dote upon your dog it is actually a serious threat to its health of you let it sleep with you in your bed. Since dogs are alert animals and do not sleep throughout the night, they move around and may end up in the part of the bed where they catch cold and fall ill. The ideal place for your dog’s bed is in a place from where it can observe the actions of all the family members, for example the corridor. However, it should also be kept in mind that the place it such that it will get the least disturbed in terms of members not irritating it by carrying it around. Giving unnecessary stress to a pup when it has just learnt to adjust in your home will just fall ill.
When a family member returns home from outside, some give the dog excess attention by letting the dog jump at them while some totally ignore the poor creatures. If you give equal attention to the dog and let it jump on you and lick you, you are actually encouraging the dogs to get overly enthusiastic whenever it sees you. Though there is nothing wrong with showing love to your dog, this is only fun while the dogs are pups. When they grow up, the same thing becomes an annoying and sometimes even dangerous problem like jumping up. However, it does not mean that those who are ignoring their pups are doing the right thing either. The more you ignore your dog, the responsive percentage of your dog will also decrease and as your dog grows, it will grow increasingly disobedient. Therefore, it is necessary to remember to pet your dog in moderation.
- Food
There are numerous mistakes dog owners make while feeding their pups too. One common error is the misjudgment of the quantity of food given to the dog. Dogs require different quantities of food depending on their age, breed and activity level. When a puppy comes to your home, it leaves behind its mothers and siblings. Nostalgic of its litter, the pup is mentally stressed and hence requires intensive care in order to adjust to the new family. Introduce it slowly to the entire family in order to make it comfortable. Dogs can be fed on puppy dog food or light and easily digestible food such as Cerelac or mince chicken meat and rice. For the first week, don’t give pups a large amount to eat because they cannot digest it. The quantity of the food can be slowly increased after the first week depending on the requirement. Puppies should be fed small quantities of food for as much as 4 times a day. As the dog grows, the frequency of feeding should be decreased up to 2 times a day and the quantity should be increased. Dogs grow in between 4 to 9 months depending on the breed of the dog. For instance, small breeds such as the Japanese Spitz mature in a year whereas larger dogs like Great Dane and St. Bernard take 18 months to mature. During their growing phase, dogs require extra nutrition. After the growing phase, nutrition needed only for maintenance can be given. However, the level of nutrition also depends on the activity level of your dog with dogs more active require extra nutrition.
Leaving your dogs eating bowl in front of it all day and all night is also a grave mistake done by dog owners. Only keep the bowl in front of your dog for 20 minutes. Remove the bowl out of your dog’s sight after that, regardless of whether the dog eats the food or not. If the feeding bowl remains in front of your dog 24X7 then it will never perceive you as the pack leader. Pack leader is also the provider of food. If the food is in front of your dog then it will take the liberty of eating the food whenever it wants. At first, it will show its perception of it being above you by not eating when you tell it to. Then, it will start looking up at you in the expectation of delicious treat. As its disobedience continues, it will show its sheer dominance by not even letting you touch the bowl.
How many of you toss a food treat at your dog while you are eating when the dog asks for it? Though this might solve the problem for the time being, the same thing will become a nuisance later on as each time you give your dog occasional treat, the more you are encouraging it to beg which is a very bad habit. For pups, having a great variety of food can lead to indigestion and diarrhea.
There is also a large misconception that dogs cannot digest oily food when the reality is that dogs require more oil than humans. Dogs have extremely dry skin and excessive fur. Therefore, they require more oil for moisture. Moreover, they also require salt, vitamins and minerals.
Water should be available 24hrs for the dog.
- Training
Dog owners frequently make mistake of physically reprimanding their dog while toilet training. When you beat your dog for eliminating indoors, the actually perceives it as getting beating when is eliminates in front of people- not as getting punishment for where it excreted. Generally, puppies eliminate 4-5 times a day. Dogs/puppies eliminate:
- First thing in the morning
- After it has eaten
- After it wakes up from its naps
- After it plays or receives some type of exercise
- After it encounters any excitement
Therefore, they should be taken to the place where you want them to eliminate after these events or in every few hours. It is also important to understand the pup’s body language when it wants to eliminate. A dog will move round and round while sniffing if it wants to go to toilet. You should either guide it or carry it out in such case. If your pup has already excreted, do not react. Just stay quiet and clean the pace up with dettol. If your pup eliminates outside, praise it. The nest time it will want to go out itself as it will expect reward.
It important to socialize your dog well from the day it comes to your house, teaching it where to eliminate. If your dog keeps eliminating inside house, it is necessary to teach your puppy that the whole house is its nest and that the garden is its toilet. Make sure to take your dog out every few hours. It is not sufficient that your puppy goes out alone. Go with it and stay with it till it is done. Praise it enthusiastically after it eliminates.
All you need to give is 5 seconds at a time but repeat the exercise for 10-15 times a day to make your dog accustomed.
- Exercise
Dogs are gregarious creatures and need constant stimulation of mind and body. They require more exercise than humans. The amount of physical stimulation required depends on age and breed. For instance, technically, German shepherd needs to walk 12 miles per day. Working dogs require more exercise than small ones. If dogs are deprived of exercise, then various behavioral problems like boredom, digging etc may arise. In Nepal, there is hardly any place for the dogs to exercise. Hence the alternative to this is daily morning walks or teaching your dogs how to catch toys which are thrown. This will give them enough physical stimulation.
Like mentioned before, don’t let your pup jump on you or bite you playfully because this will later cultivate itself as bad habit.
- Grooming
Grooming is essential for dogs. It is important for the dog owners to regularly clean their dogs: cleaning their fur, ears, toes on a regular basis, combing the fur, powdering it are extremely necessary to keep your dog spic and span as well as odorless. However, daily grooming of your dog is not equivalent to bathing it every day. In fact, bathing is not required for your dog if you follow an efficient routine to comb and towel bath your dog daily for up to 2 times a day if possible. The reason humans take bath every day is because of our oily skin which accumulates dirt. Dogs on the other hand have dry skin. So, the dirt accumulates in the fur. Therefore, cleaning the fur regularly with a wet towel is sufficient to keep your dog clean. Bath is only recommended when your dog is really dirty after playing in mud for instance.
Dog owners are also plagued by the problem of their dog’s constant hair fall. Dogs have an inner and outer coat of hair. The majority of the hair that falls is from the inner coat in the process of renewal. Outer hair also falls seasonally in the process of renewal. If your dog’s hair is falling continuously, then first, comb its hair properly. Back comb its hair first and then comb it straightly. The more the hairs fall while combing the better. Then finish off with a good towel bath which will extract all the excess hair in the towel itself.
While grooming, do not let the dogs have their way with things. For instance, do not allow them bite you or writhe while grooming them or else you will never retain control over your dog.
- Habit
In order to correct dogs’ misbehavior, it is important to understand the entire concept of pack structure. Dogs start misbehaving after they start perceiving themselves above other members of the family. Hence the pack structure should be clearly maintained with the dogs being always reminded that they are subordinate. It is also important for the dog owners/ handlers to be constant and consistent at all times. You cannot allow your dog to sleep in the bed with you today and expect it not to do so tomorrow.
If you allow your dog to do something today, you must be sure to commit yourself to it for the rest of your life. The same thing applies to letting your dog to bite and jump on you while it is a pup. The same things become a nuisance when the pups grow into dogs. However, since you have allowed it to do so while it was young, it will perceive it as being natural when it gets older. Hence it is important to teach your dogs its limit from the day you bring it home.
How many of you have intentionally beaten up your dog in the absence of other family members? Though the majority of you might say no, this is one of the most common mistakes found. It is not difficult to figure out who beats up the dog as dog’s behavior and body language clearly shows who the culprit is. If one thinks that s/he is correcting the dog’s bad behavior by physically abusing it then s/he is clearly misinformed. Dogs need to be verbally reprimanded and various techniques are required to correct their mistakes. If dogs are being physically abused then a fear develops in them which is evident in their body language with their tails in between their legs. To find the culprit- in a scenario where the dog is kept in between a circle of family members, the dog is always afraid to go near the member who beats it and happily goes to the ones who love it.
Therefore violence toward dog is highly discouraged. Remember, dogs recognize pack leaders from heart and by respect, not based on fear. The treat you well if you treat them well too.