YOUR DOG AT HOME

Dogs who share human homes have to have some arrangements made for fitting them into the household environment.  An important consideration, too often forgotten, is a need for a refuge from the general hurly-burly of everyday life in the house.  Typically, this is where the dog’s basket or bed would be situated.

Each dog should have an area set aside as its alone.  This is particularly important when there are small children about who need to be told that this is territory for the dog.  It becomes even more of a priority if the animal is very young and has just been introduced into the household.

An effective way of introducing a puppy into the household is to set up a playpen to keep it confined for a few days to get it used to the home scene.  This is even more useful if there is an adult cat well established on the strength.  It also serves to distance inquisitive infants for a while.

The location of the refuge should be somewhat dry and draught-proof.  If, as it often is, it is in the kitchen, it should be well clear of human traffic and away from the hazards of cooking and heating.

BEDS AND BEDDING

The size and degree of activity of the dog will dictate the dimensions of the bed.  The most important feature should be enough room for the dog to turn itself around in.  A metal-framed wooden bed set a few inches off the ground works very well but others may prefer a basket.  Anything made out of cane tends to get chewed and is difficult to clean but often serves an older, quieter dog very well.  A waterproof lining to go under the blankets is a useful addition.

The blankets themselves do not have to be too luxurious and for the animal’s puppy hood, material that can be considered expendable is preferred until the chewing and wetting stages are passed.  Some specially designed blankets are easily washed and are robust enough for almost any dogs.  Adult dogs usually take very well to what are known as beanbags.  Although they are not always very easy to keep clean they are very relaxing.

It is necessary to keep all bedding as clean as possible, especially where there are small children about or the dog spends much of its time around the kitchen.  A supply of clean bedding has to be kept available for frequent changing and to allow for the occasional ‘accident’.

COLLARS AND LEADS 

Every dog requires a suitable collar and lead.  There are many different types of collars available but a simple good-fitting leather one is quite adequate for almost all purposes.  Chains and harnesses have their adherents but they do the job no better than an ordinary leather collar, and may be less effective or unsafe if misused.

By the time a puppy has just been weaned, it should have already been introduced to a light collar.  This needs to be adjusted very frequently, as puppies are growing at a very fast rate during their first months.

The collar must not be so loose that it could slip over the animal’s ears, as puppies nearly always pull back when they first experience a collar.  Neither must there be any danger of strangulation.  So the difference between a collar that fits exactly, and one that is either too tight or too loose, is not very great.  Because of this, the fit has to be inspected at least every day.

Another reason for frequent collar inspection arises when there are several dogs in the household, as puppies often like to chew the collars of their companions.

Leads can be made of metal or leather, and again the leather variety is quite adequate for most pet owners to use, provided they keep a close eye on any deterioration.  A lead that snaps can cause a disaster, so it should be inspected every time the dog goes out for a walk.

Several type of clip attachments are available for the end of the lead.  With each of them there is a slight risk of the dog catching the web of its forepaw in the metalwork as it walks or plays.  Leads should therefore be kept away from feet.  This problem usually arises only when a dog plays with its lead.  However engaging it may seem to see a dog frolicking away with a lead in its mouth, it is safer to avoid the slight risk.

A very useful addition to the dog’s leatherwear is an extending lead.  This allows the dog a great deal of freedom while some degree of remote control is maintained.  In the event of any potential hazard coming into sight, the owner contains enough control to take in most of the lead and bring the dog under close attention.

EXERCISE 

There is more to exercise than activity of the muscles.  If that was all that was needed, then a running machine would do.  Just allowing a dog the run of a garden, however extensive, is still not enough.  Dogs need to explore, they need new stimuli to enrich their lives.  They need to be taken out.  Just letting them out onto the streets is inviting trouble both for the dog and the owners, not to mention the neighbors.

The commitment to exercise a dog is a very great one.  The animal who has no regular new experiences is unlikely to be a happy one and will eventually become a behavioral problem.  That is, it can become both a nuisance and a hazard.  Exercise should be regular and interesting for dog and owner, rather than an attempt to find the physical limits of either party.

Keeping only to a set walk may improve the chances of the dog getting any exercise at all, but there is a strong chance that the dog will regard all the well-trodden terrain as his own, carefully marking it at frequent intervals and defending it vigorously.  Too set a walk can become something of a drudge for the owner as well.

Bad weather will inevitably restrict activities on some days and prevent them altogether from time to time.  Some variety in the types of exercise, such as longer and shorter paths to tread, and the occasional completely new adventure, will be appreciated by most dogs.  If you can find an area for the dog to run free, provided it is well enough trained and under reasonable control, then both dog and owner can expect to be happier and healthier as a result.

As most dogs are social animals they are much more active and interactive in small groups.  So taking more than one dog out is better for all, provided they are compatible and reasonably controllable.  As ‘pack leader’, an owner must always direct operations, otherwise all outside activity will very quickly get out of hand.

It is often thought that size alone dictates the amount of exercise a dog needs.  In fact some very large dogs, such as Saint Bernards, are fairly inert when it comes to energetic movement, and a tiny Jack Russell or Cairn Terrier may not want to go home when all the humans are practically all in.

It is very unwise to try to force a dog to be more active than it wants to be.  This is rarely a difficulty encountered with young dogs, but as they age, or if they are unwell, they are bound to slow up.  A young dog of an active breed which has little interest in exercise is a subject for veterinary attention.

Clearly, working and hunting dogs are more likely to be energetic than more sedate breeds.  It is not just a matter of size and bulk.

CLEANLINESS 

All dogs need to relieve themselves, all pass urine and feces (stools).  Although toilet training is covered elsewhere, it cannot be stressed too much that all waste products of dogs, and of other pet animals for that matter, must never be allowed to be a hazard or a nuisance to people or other animals.

It is not difficult to achieve this if a little care and forethought are put in.  Getting a dog to relieve itself on command is easy enough, and once this is achieved you will have complete control over where the urine and feces end up.  It is most inconsiderate and anti-social  to use public parks and other open spaces as lavatories.

Getting a dog to relieve itself in the gutter, in a place away from as much human activity as is possible, allows owner and dog to be free in the park afterwards,  If the owner uses one of the devices widely available for collecting and disposing of feces (so-called poop scoops), so much the better.

Alternatively, if the garden is large enough, a dog can be trained to pass urine and feces before it leaves the owner’s premises.  A shovel or old newspaper allows the remains to be cleared away.

Most people find all animal waste products aesthetically unpleasant, far beyond the small health hazard they represent.  Carelessness in this regard does more to alienate the wider public from pet owners than any other single factor.

BOARDING OUT 

There are three basic reasons for boarding a dog out in a kennel.  Family holidays are the most obvious and the easiest to plan for.  Bitches coming into season (oestrus) are often put into a boarding kennel for security purposes when they are not intended for breeding.

The third possibility is when some emergency arises in the life of the owner, and there is no one to look after the dog, or nowhere else for the dog to go, while the crisis is being resolved.

So the most likely reason for boarding out is the easiest to foresee, and yet often the dog is the last consideration when making holiday plans.  The first thing to decide when planning a holiday is not where to go but who in the family is likely to go.  The dog is as much a part of the family in this respect as any other individual.

Dog owners living in Britain and Ireland must remember that dogs and many other animals must stay behind because of the quarantine laws.  Wherever you live, the point to decide is whether to take the dog on holiday or not.  If not, then proper arrangements have to be made well in advance.

Leaving a dog in an empty house is definitely inadvisable, even if there might be a neighbor or friend who can help out by feeding and exercising.  Anyone so thoughtless as to leave a dog alone in the house like this can expect it to become so bored, frustrated and bewildered that it may leave little of the interior of the house intact on their return.  They may well have lost a few friends in the locality too.

Even getting neighbors to take the dog into their home is asking a lot, as any dog is a considerable commitment and a very good relationship has to exist if this is going to be a success.

There are, however, agencies that offer people who come to live in the house of those who are away on holiday.  This is worth further investigation, as it may also provide greater security for the house.  Care must be exercised before entering into any such  agreements, for very obvious reasons.

VISITING KENNELS 

The golden rules of boarding dogs out are simple.  The first is to make firm bookings early.  Those who are in the boarding kennel business have to make a living during a few hectic weeks each summer.  It is quite unrealistic and selfish to expect the best kennels to be available at a day’s notice at the height of the holiday season.  The best ones are usually booked solid almost a year in advance.

The second point is to go and have a look at the facilities when making inquiries.  It is sheer improvidence to arrive at a kennel for the first time and find that it is quite unsuitable.  An inspection does not have to take up a lot of time and need not be too searching.  It is usually obvious if the owners are caring, reasonably clean and well organized.

Boarding kennels rarely look like our own homes, nor should they look like hospitals or barrack blocks.  They should have a fairly business-like air about them, and the dogs should give the appearance of health and contentment.  The best kennels have caring staff and clean, comfortable and secure accommodation for the dogs – so much so that the dogs enjoy themselves and can enjoy the holiday too.

All bookings must be honored by both parties:  not to show up is about the worst thing an owner can do.  Arrangements have to be made for emergencies:  where to telephone, and who to call for veterinary help should it be needed, are the most crucial points.  Any special feeding or medical requirements have to be made clear.  The extent of the kennel’s liability should, if possible, be made clear.

Having found a good kennel that takes to a particular dog and vise-versa, it is best to make the booking here even though this might involve extra time, travel and expense.  Paying a reasonable fee is something not to be fudged.  A good service merits proper payment.  It is silly to come home from your holiday without enough money to pay for the care the dog has had.

Two final points are equally important.  All kennels work very hard indeed, especially during the holiday season; it is a demanding way to earn a living.  Most of those who are in such a business genuinely care for dogs.  They are entitled to some rest after work.  It is very unreasonable to expect out of hours service to collect a dog after a late-night return from a holiday trip.

Lastly, any complaints about the service should be made right away on collecting the dog, and preferably to the owner or manager in person – not the kennel maid or another employee.  In this way, matters can usually be resolved promptly and without rancor.

from The Practical Guide to Dog & Puppy Care - Andrew Edney and Roger Mugford