Dog Ownership 101 - May/June 2016

hungry and scrounging for every morsel of food
they could find before they had the good fortune to
come to live in your home. As a result, these dogs
are smart when it comes to snatching food, so you
always have to be on your guard. Do not leave food
in any location where your dog can easily reach it.
Providing adequate supervision is of paramount
importance when it comes to puppy-proofing.
EXTRA ACCESSORIES FOR YOUR DOG
3 It is necessary to supervise your puppy
at all times, not just for his safety, but it
is helpful in house training. Dogs are quite content
with just a few basics, but it’s okay to spoil them a
little with a few extras. Chew toys are actually not
optional, as puppies need them for tooth health.
Dogs don’t need a huge variety of accessories, and
they don’t need to be expensive. However, it is
essential to pick up a few basic tools to assist you
in dog training and your local pet store should have
everything you need. The most essential accessory
you can get for your dog is an ID tag. Because it
bears the name of your dog as well as your phone
number and address, this little piece of metal can
make it more likely that your dog will be returned to
you should she ever stray.
DOG IDENTIFICATION TAGS VERSUS
4 MICROCHIPS
Even if your dog is implanted with a
microchip, a dog tag is still essential. A person who
finds a stray dog can easily read an identification tag
on a dog’s collar and take steps to return the dog to
its owner. But not everyone will make the effort to
If you are looking for a new dog, there are so many different breeds of dogs to choose from. Check out
page 48 to learn about 6 distinct dog breeds and their basic characteristics and traits.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
take the dog to a shelter or a vet to have it scanned
for a possible microchip. Once you put it on your
dog, don’t take it off. Check to make sure that it is
still there, because an ID tag can easily be lost. Try to
choose a nylon or leather collar with metal or plastic
buckles. It can be decorated, it can be simple: the
choice is yours. For small dogs, or dogs that have a
tendency to pull quite a bit, maybe a harness would
be better, or could be used in addition to the collar,
but try to be sure that you still add the ID tag.
DOG CRATES AND KENNELS
5 Decide on a crate or kennel that will
be the right size for your adult dog. The
words “kennel” and “crate” are sometimes used
interchangeably, but they refer to slightly different
carriers: a crate is plastic with a wire front, while a
kennel can be all wire. There must be enough room
inside the carrier for your dog to stand up, turn
around, and lie down comfortably at its adult size.
If you are using an adult-sized carrier for a puppy,
you should block off part of it to make it smaller to
discourage your puppy from using the carrier as
a toilet. A dog will create a relationship with their
DOG ownership 101 | MAY / JUNE 2016
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