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Taking care of your new puppy can be overwhelming, but with these tips and lots of love, you’ll be a great puppy parent in no time.
Just like a baby, a puppy's body is fragile. Avoid picking up your puppy unless absolutely necessary. If you must, be careful and use these steps:
Step 1: Place one hand under your puppy's rump, and place your other hand under his chest.
Step 2: Lift with both arms. With a small adult dog, use the puppy technique. For larger dogs, wrap both arms around his legs, draw him to your chest, and lift.
Before you bring your puppy home, be sure you have the following supplies:
Keeping your puppy safe in your yard requires good fencing. There are several options to choose from, and the one you should pick will depend on your puppy's personality, your property, and your budget. Here are some of the options you should consider:
The ideal time to bring home a new puppy is when the house is quiet. Discourage friends from stopping by and don't allow overnight guests. First, establish a daily routine and follow these steps:
Step 1: Before bringing him in the house, take him to the designated potty area in your yard and spend a few minutes there. If he goes, praise him. Be sure to take him to this spot each time he potties.
Step 2: Take him to the room with his crate. This restricted area will serve as his new 'den' for several days. Put bedding and chew toys in the crate, leave the door open, and line the area outside of the crate with newspaper in case of an accident. Let him investigate the crate and the room. If he chews or urinates on his bedding, permanently remove it from the crate.
Step 3: Observe and interact with your puppy while he's getting used to his new den. This will help forge a sense of 'pack' and establish you as the pack leader.
Don't treat a puppy as young as 6 to 12 weeks like an adult dog. Treat him the same way you would an infant, with patience, constant supervision, and a gentle touch. The way you interact with your puppy at this age is critical to his socialization. Use these tips:
Ideally, your kids should help you choose your puppy. When you bring him home, don't let them play with him constantly. Puppies need a lot of rest, just like a growing child. Limit puppy-children play sessions to 15- to 30-minute periods, two to three times a day.
Meeting Resident Pets
Just like in humans, obesity can lead to serious health issues in dogs as well. The primary causes of obesity in dogs are lack of physical activities, imbalanced diet, and overfeeding. If you notice a sudden increase in your dog’s weight despite having a normal diet and sufficient exercise, it could also be a sign of some hormonal disorder. Obese dogs are at risk of developing diabetes, heart diseases, bone deterioration, arthritis, and other severe disorders. Thus, it is crucial to monitor your dog’s weight.
Wondering what is the ideal weight for dogs? A dog’s healthy weight can differ from breed to breed; hence, you can consult your vet to understand the right weight range for your pet. However, the below dog weight chart will help you get an idea on whether your furry friend is underweight, healthy, or obese.
You can clearly see an underweight dog’s ribs, spine, and hip bone. There is zero body fat and that can be seen on its body. In dogs who are genetically thin, the loss of muscle mass may be evident.
You can easily feel the ribs, spine and hips of a dog that falls in an ideal weight category. Its waist should also be visible from above and the side. The last couple of ribs may be visible on a short-coated dog while playing or exercising, which is normal.
A dog is considered overweight when it weighs 10-20% more than its ideal body weight. It is difficult to feel the ribs of these dogs. The fat accumulation is also visible at the base of its tail and on the belly. Its back also starts to appear broader. It is advisable to start working on shedding the extra kilos your dog has gained at this stage.
A dog is considered overweight when it weighs 20% more than its ideal weight. You cannot feel its ribs at all due to the heavy fat accumulation. Fat deposits are also visible around the dog’s neck and its belly also starts to droop.
You can measure your dog’s weight at home if your dog is a small breed. Here are the steps to follow while measuring the weight of your dog at home:
Step 1: Stand on the weighing scale and take note of your weight
These steps should not be followed by those who have medium or large breed dogs. The size of your dog could make it difficult for you to hold it properly, and if it starts fidgeting, the handler or the dog could get injured. Hence, owners of medium and large breed dogs should go to the vet to weigh their pet.
You can easily manage your dog’s obesity and maintain the ideal weight of your dog if you follow a regime and take the necessary steps. Here’s are some things you should keep in mind during your dog’s weight management:
Dogs remain healthy if their food quantity is controlled and they are fed on time. But you should avoid feeding your dog home-cooked food. Wondering why? It is because home-cooked meals might not have the right nutrients in the right quantities and that can later affect your furry friend’s overall health. Hence, to keep such risks at bay, it is best that you avoid feeding home-cooked food. In case you plan on giving your dog home-cooked meals, it is imperative that you follow the recipe to the T.
Your dog is your friend so, it's hard not to share your delicious bacon or a mouthful of steak with it. When your dog sits next to you and makes those adorable puppy-dog eyes as you eat, it becomes even more difficult to not share some of your food with it. But you must resist. Giving “human food” greatly increases your dog’s fat intake. It also conditions the dog to believe that it will be fed every time you eat.
Exercise is a great way to keep your dog in shape. If you have a busy schedule, then you could break it down into short sessions to play fun games like tug-of-war or go for a quick jog with your dog. You could also play with a frisbee or start working on its agility. Dogs that get enough exercise are less likely to be stressed and this way, you would also get a break from your work.
Of course, you want to reward a dog when it’s been a good boy or a good girl. But keep in mind that those dog treats can add calories and fat. And more importantly, think about how many types of treats and snacks you are feeding your dog and how often.
Most of the time, dogs are overweight because they are taking in more calories than they burn. But it's possible there's a bigger problem. If you've tried to control your dog's diet and increase exercise and haven't seen any results yet, consult your veterinarian about thyroid disease or other metabolic or hormonal disorders.
Don't feel discouraged if you don't see results right away. The fight against obesity is fought one day at a time. It is the inculcation of good habits and discipline. By following the tips above and increasing your willpower and patience your dog’s weight management will be an easier and healthy process.
There are lots of dog foods available in the market and each pack contains different quantities of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. You must go for foods that provide complete nutrition to your furry friend, and not just calories. Hence, it is necessary to opt for a pet food brand that specialises in dog nutrition.
At IAMS™, we have been focusing on bringing out the best in your dog through healthy food. Explore our range of dog food and choose a product that best suits your dog’s size and age. However, consult your vet regarding the serving size and other details. A vet will also provide you with the tips and tricks on keeping your dog’s weight under control.
