Lesson 4 - Dog Care and Management PDF

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Summary

This was all about how much it costs to have a dog, what people need to do, the time dogs need and whether to get a puppy or adult dog...

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Dog Care and Management, Time, Cost and Suitability - RC4301 Learning Objectives: 

Understand the needs of dogs throughout each stage of their life

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Identify cost implications

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Understand the time and manageability required in dog ownership

Reasons why people buy a puppy? 

As a present (Christmas)

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Breed (make money)

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Exercise motivation

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Status

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For the children

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Companionship/loneliness

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Protection

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Fun

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Latest fashion

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As a favour (owner died)

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TV/Films/Celebrities

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Service

Are you ready? 

Long term commitment

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Dogs take up a lot of time as they need walking, interactive time, grooming, feeding and vet visits

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Does your home and social life allow space and time for a dog? This may even mean giving up some other things in your life so you must be ready and willing to do this before making a commitment

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Is it a good idea to get a puppy just before you are expecting a baby?

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Although it may seem like a good idea to get a dog when you are unhappy, dogs thrive better with strong, supportive owners

What will they need? 

Walking

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Training

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Feeding

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Preventative health care such as wormer, vaccinations, de-flea

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Pet insurance

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Bedding

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Leads, collars, harnesses

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Dental care

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Grooming

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Toys

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Time

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Enrichment

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Socialisation

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Routine

Daily Requirements: 

Constant access to clean water

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Feeding - how does this change with age, breed, exercise?

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Daily health checks - observe his behaviour and investigate any changes, whilst grooming /stroking check for injuries or problems

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Grooming - frequency depending on coat type

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Exercise - walk and play

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Companionship and attention

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Mental stimulation - walks and training

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Taking on a dog means that someone will have to be available throughout the day to let it go to the toilet and offer it companionship and exercise

Exercise requirements: 

All dogs need regular exercise to keep them fit and healthy

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Feeding should match exercise, so the dog’s weight and energy level are corrected, diet requirements

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Most dogs enjoy exercise and will take as much exercise as the owner can give. Remember the warm-up and cool off period

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Large dogs may need to have their exercise restricted for the first 12-18 months as they grow - clumsy, not fully grown

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With very active/hyperactive dogs which are always on the go, training and mental stimulation can be more tiring than just physical exercise and should be incorporated into their walks/or training sessions

Games: 

Mental stimulation

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It is also good if the dog can learn to play alone

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Choose dog toys sensibly - too big/small, destroyed?

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Play with other dogs, controlled and supervised

Dog Training: 

Training fulfils many of the dog’s needs - mental stimulation is far more stimulating than physical exercise

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Methods of training should be fair but fun - positive reinforcement

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What are the benefits of good positive reinforcement training? o

Improved relationship/bond with the dog, built on mutual respect and trust

o

Increased ability to communicate with the dog and understand him in return

o

Greater control - ability to help the dog respond appropriately in difficult situations

o

A well-trained dog can be controlled without the need of physical handling/restraint

o

The dog becomes accustomed to co-operating and learns the benefits of doing so

o

Happy dog = happy owner

Dog Training: 

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Initial training will consist of o

Handling, rules and manners

o

Socialisation

o

Obedience training

Teach good manners right from the start o

Leaving food

o

Not jumping up

o

Giving way at doors

Training is necessary for the dog and owner/handler to live together harmoniously

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Dogs need rules to fit comfortably into society

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Training can be costly if paying to go to classes or paying a behaviourist to help with training

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Behavioural issues are the most common reason for euthanasia in young dogs

Grooming: 

Cleanliness

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Health - the coat needs to be kept clean, removes dead hair and prevents tangles which could cause discomfort to the dog

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Accustom - accustoms the dog to handling

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Inspection - inspect the dog all over for any health issues or injuries

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Coat, skin, ears, eyes, nose, feet, external parasites, teeth, claws, anal glands and dew claws

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Relationship - bonds the dog to the handler, important in the showing world

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Costly and time consuming

Specific Requirements: 

Puppies need a lot of training and a lot of time spent with them. They are babies after all and need to have someone looking after them

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Older dogs may need to be exercised little and often and may also need to go to the toilet more

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Larger dogs will need more space to run around

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Size, breed, daily requirements, age, mental stimulation, training and grooming requirements should all be considered when deciding on a breed and what time you can dedicate to a dog

Cost: 

Dogs require feeding and the bigger the dog the more food they will require

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Dogs need preventative health care such as wormers, grooming and yearly vaccinations

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Dogs require pet insurance as medications and vet treatments can be costly without o

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Costs depend on the company, policy chosen and the breed

Medication costs increase with the weight of the dog, the heavier the dog, the more medication is required, so this will increase the cost

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Training and grooming can also be costly if required and so can get someone to look after the dog while the owner is at work

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Year long insurance policy or life-time policy

Feeding my dog: 

Depends very much on the size and breed of the dog

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Research will need to be done on different types of food to determine what best suits the dog’s breed and lifestyle

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Working dogs that have lots of energy such as the Border Collie will have high energy requirements and therefore many need a specific type of food which could be more costly

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Raw diet - not accepted in kennels or vets due to disease risk of raw meat

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Chews and treats to keep the dog’s teeth in good health

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Prescription diets?

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Other examples?

Preventative Veterinary Treatment: 

Vaccinations/neutering

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Health care checks

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Grooming

Bedding: 

Dogs should have their own bed/area and their right to privacy and their own space should be respected

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The dog’s bed should be somewhere the dog can feel secure and safe

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Dogs can tolerate cold, but not always damp and drafts so position the bed accordingly

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Choose one that is suitable for your dog and fits into your lifestyle

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Destructive dogs will need to avoid softer beds such as beanbags and padded beds and may be better off with a plastic bed or crate with blankets

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Bedding should be cleaned regularly

Crates: 

Safe space

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So they know their position in the pack

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So they know to sleep and not tempted to play at night

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Gets them trained for kennels

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Whilst humans are eating

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Can travel

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Some have had bad experiences with crates

Walking Aids: 

Leads - for walking

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Collars - all dogs should wear one

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Harness - used for dogs that have problems with collars

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Halti - gives more control

Puppies: 

Puppies are very costly and time consuming

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Constant care and attention

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Puppies need lots of training and especially in the first 14 weeks

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Socialisation is important and requires time

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Puppies require an owner that is willing to dedicate the time to training

Adults: 

The life expectancy of breeds differs but with better food and veterinary care, dogs are living longer

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Middle aged is classed as 7 years+ but bigger dogs may age faster

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With age, the body slows down and uses less energy and there is an increased tendency to deposit fat dogs may put on weight

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Some dogs may lose weight due to poor digestion or illness

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As the dog becomes less active, they require less energy, senior diets are lower in calories but may be higher in protein

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The dog may require smaller more frequent meals

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To check weight, you should be able to see the waist when the dog is viewed from above and feel the ribs when lightly touching the dog’s side

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Older dogs can be more time consuming and may not be suitable for someone with a busy lifestyle Rehoming

Breeder

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May not know background May have behavioural issues Already has personality Helping a dog in need of a home Can choose bread and age and based on temperament Rewarding

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With you from the start so full history known Will need training from scratch Personality can be determined Paying a breeder a substantial amount of money for a specific breed Personality yet to be determined...