Portuguese Water Dog Magazine » Fur

Bathing Your Dog

Master — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 23:59:42 +0000

Great care should be taken when bathing you dog; his ears must be protected from the water withBigcotton wool balls. If water enters the ear canals he may get an ear infection. The symptoms of an ear infection are a shaking of his head and a constant discharge from his ears.

How often you bath your dog depends on his breed. If long haired breeds are bathed too often their skin and coat will not protect the dog as well as they should. However sometimes it is unavoidable if the dog has messed its self due to illness then it would be necessary for the sake of hygiene.

Ensure that bath products used stipulate that they’re suitable for dogs. Human shampoo and soap isn’t suitable to use on your dog. Human shampoo and soap could irritate the skin of your dog. If you use a new product be sure and read the label.

Dogs love water if you take him out to where there’s river or stream let him have a swim in it. Ensure that you’re organized with the lease to hand and a towel. When bathing your dog organize yourself before hand and make sure you’ve everything you need within reach.

As with humans if you use conditioner on your dog at bath time his coat will be easier to comb.

If you don’t clean your dogs ears properly you could damage them as they are very delicate. In order to clean your dogs ears properly you need to ;-

Use cotton wool balls in his ears at bath time to prevent water getting in his ears and causing an infection.

Every four weeks clean your dogs ears with a cotton swab, your vet may make a recommendationas to a mild cleansing agent but you could use mineral oil. Take the swab and gently clean both the inner and outer parts of the dogs ear but being careful not to push any wax into the ear, leave a Littlewax in the ear as this will protect the ear canals.

Clean under the ear flaps and remove any foreign objects that may be stuck in the fur around the ears.

Trim any long hair around his ears as this can cause an infection. The air circulation will be improved by trimming the hair.

Call your vet if necessary if you dog has any wounds, cuts or scratches to his ear flaps that have become infected.

Clipping your dog

Clipping a dog is an art. Skin disease can be caused by dirt accumulation in a dog’s coat. Clipping of a dogs coat or nails must be done very carefully so as not to cause any injuries.

Clipping can expose any skin complaint or parasite that your dog may have. Pet Health Parlors are available for the clipping of your dogs coat and nails. If you you’re your dog yourself take care not to cut his coat too short in the winter, also you may cause your dog injury which could cause bleeding if you clip his coat and nails too short.

If you do your own clipping sharp good quality clipping instruments are available from most pet shops remember it isn’t advisable to clip you dog if he’s ill.

Teaching your child about proper dog care

Master — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:48:53 +0000

If you’ve a child then eventually his or herTiny voice will probably utter the words, ‘can we get a pet dogie?’ Depending on your thinking and circumstances your answer may be yes or no. If it is yes however, then with bringing a dog into your home you are presented with a uniqueopportunity to teach your child about proper dog care.

When kids see a adorable dog, providing that they have not had any negative experiences regarding dogs, they will want to put their arms around them. They will want to run their hands through the dogs fur and to kiss them on the nose. Although this may sound lovely in reality it isn’t always a good idea.

There are ways of handling a dog that are ideal for children. These ways have to be taught otherwise a child may get themselves inadvertently nipped and hurt. The result of this can be a dog being put down and a child being fearful of dogs forever.

Children are liable to tug at a dogs tail, and possibly to pull their fur. For them this is experimental behaviour, but for the dog it is a nightmare that could end badly.

The way to teach a child to handle a dog is to tell them that they must not accidentally hurt the dog in any way. They need to understand that the dog has feelings and is not just a cuddly toy to be bounced on and thrown about.

Showing your child that a dog needs regular food and drink can teach them to be caring and thoughtful. Letting them join in with such activities so can also help them to bond with their new pet. If you are letting them give the dog her food then you’ll also need to instruct your child about how animals can be protective of their dinner.

Some dogs are less protective, and don’t mind others interfering with their food, while others can become defensive. There-fore your child shouldn’t be left unsupervised during the feeding time of your dog and should comprehend that they mustn’t interfere once the dog bowl is placed on the ground.

Hopefully you will have chosen a child friendly dog, from asuggested breed that’s known to be good with children. However, caution is always necessary when it comes to kids and dogs.

Another important part of a dogs care is exercise and playtime. This is where a child and dog can really benefit the most from each others company, becoming strong play friends and instilling a love of dogs into your child’s heart.

You may chooseto begintaking your child along with you while you walk your dog, and bringing with you a frisbee or ball for you all to play with. Your child and your dog will love this and will have allot of fun. When you feel your child is old enough, you may want to let them take charge of the dogs exercise altogether.

While you’re still going along on walks though, instruct your child how to handle your dog in a social situation, so that later on they can cope alone. This means showing them how to control the dog when other dogs come along, and also how to retrieve the dog if she happens to rush off each time she spies new dog friends on the horizon.

Finally, grooming is an important part of your dogs care too. Some love to be groomed. It gets all of the dirt and itchy bits and bobs that have been picked up during walks out of their fur and makes them feel good. other dogs are not so keen.

If your dog does enjoy being brushed then you can instruct your child how this can be done by demonstrating. They will need to know how to brush your dog without being too harsh and accidentally hurting her, as well as how to reach all areas that need grooming the easiest way.

Hopefully your dog and your child will become great friends and will be wonderful companions. When a child makes a close bond with an animal the memory stays with them forever like a never ending gift.

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Best small critters as pets

Master — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 06:49:19 +0000

The three of us wanted a pet for our apartment. I’m not a large fan of dogs. Both my girlfriend and my roommate are allergic to cats. (I must admit I’m a tad allergic myself.) It wasrecommended to me that I get chinchillas, for chinchillas are the perfect pets. They are hypoallergenic, they’re inexpensive to maintain, and they’re easy to take care of.

I’d like to tackle that first misconception. THEY are hypoallergenic. However, they eat hay, and they bathe in dust. All three of us are allergic to one or both of those things. And who knows, maybe we are of that rare breed of humans who are actually allergic to chinchilla fur.

Secondly, chinchillas may not be asCostlyto take care of as state a dog, or a peregrine falcon. That does not mean inexpensive. Food and toys for my adorable little boys has cost me about fifteen dollars a month. Bedding and cage liners, about five bucks a month. That doesn’t sound so bad, and that is all anyone will ever tell you about. Here are just a few of the hidden costs. Air Conditioning: Chinchillas need to have the temperature always at or below 75 degrees. (or so, it all depends on who you ask.) That means our A/C is on all day every day for the entire summer. Vacuums: These guys make quite a mess, and a regular vacuum won’t cut it, and will likely break down when all the dust clogs its gears. Replacements: Chinchillas will chew on or through everything you own, including but not limited to wires. (see below) These things will need to be replaced, and only if you’re lucky will that not be expensive.

Lastly, chinchillas are not easy to take care of. Yes, they only need 30 minutes a day of your attention, and even then, just letting them out of their cage counts as attention. However, when you let them out, you need to get them back in. Sometimes they are hard to find, and almost always, they are hard to catch. The cage needs to be cleaned weekly, and the area around the cage, daily. All of those household objects they destroy need to be protected or replaced. Allow me to regale you with a brief anecdote. Recently, my chins chewed through an audio wire connected to my television. While replacing it, I found out, the hard way, that they had also chewed part way through the power cord.

All of that being said, I still love myTiny guys, and wouldn’t trade them for the world. I highly recommendthem as pets to people who do not want cats or dogs. God made them cute so we humans would keep them alive.