Basic Puppy and Dog Care

Food 

Young puppies need 2-3 small meals a day but older dogs can be fed once or twice daily. Dog food is best.  How much? It depends on the size of your pet, read the directions on the back of the dog food.

Meat and rice are OK but NEVER give your puppy or dog chicken or fish bones, chocolate or milk. These items can make your pet sick or worse.  Make sure your dog or puppy has plenty of fresh, clean water every day.

Bathing and Grooming

A bath once every 1-2 weeks should be plenty unless your dog or puppy has gotten into something messy.

Do not get soap or water on your pet’s eyes or ears; only wash the top of its head. Don’t use flea or tick shampoo on your puppy until it’s over 6 months old!

Check your puppy’s (or dog’s) ears every day for ticks and infection. Remove any ticks. If  the ears are dirty inside, you can CAREFULLY wipe them with a slightly damp cloth or cotton. Do NOT let any drops of liquid fall into their ears. If they smell bad see the vet.

Also check between their toes for ticks and in their arm pits. Fleas and ticks are hard to kill; you can drown them in a glass of water.

Fleas and Ticks

The best way to keep your dog or puppy from getting ticks and fleas  is not to let them sleep on the sand.  All dogs want a bed.  An old box or piece of cardboard with an old towel or sheet is ok.  If they have to sleep on the sand, an elevated platform (cement blocks and plywood) would keep most of the ticks away.  Try to get your dog in the sea with you! Ticks and fleas hate the salt water! Be sure to rinse your dog with fresh water.

If you use a flea collar, make sure it’s not too tight: you should be able to fit 2 fingers underneath the collar.

There are several skin medications available to keep ticks and fleas off your pet such as Frontline, Nexgard and Nexgard Septra.  These work better than powders, but can be expensive.

Training

Your dog needs love and attention, and most of all, training. If you have questions about training, come to the next vet clinic. Remember, never hit your dog for discipline, a loud “no” is usually all it that’s needed. And always praise you dog when it does something right!