C.A.R.E. 4 K9s


Your Furry Family Member
Dogs are pack animals that thrive on companionship. When you own a dog, he sees himself as part of your pack—your family. He wants to be around you, and looks to you for direction in life. He depends on you to provide not only food and water, but basic vet care, exercise, proper training and affection.

Dogs have highly developed emotional systems and do experience feelings like sadness, loneliness, boredom and frustration. Forcing a dog to live isolated in a yard or garage with little or no human interaction is psychologically damaging to the animal. Away from his pack, a "backyard dog" gets anxious and stressed and often becomes destructive and more difficult to handle. Continuously chaining or tethering a dog is even more cruel and can lead to neurotic and aggressive behavior.

Allow your hound to be a happy, healthy and well-adjusted member of your family. You will be richly rewarded!

Keep Snoopy Safe
A few simple steps to ensure your dog stays safe.

Tag It Your dog's ID is his ticket home. The ID tag on the collar should include your phone number with the area code. Ensure the collar fits securely so your pup can't slip free.

Use microchip technology While collars and ID tags are essential, the collar and/or tag can easily fall off or get damaged. Be sure to have your dog microchipped for permanent identification. Most shelters, rescue organizations and vet clinics check for a microchip when a lost dog comes in. Microchips are designed to last for the dog's entire life and do not need to be charged or replaced.

Yard check Make sure to secure your yard so that your furry pal can't dig under the fence, jump the fence or slip through a board. Always keep gates closed. Keep a close eye; dog theft is common in many areas.

Spay or neuter Most stray or lost animals brought into area shelters are unaltered. Spaying or neutering your dog can help prevent it from roaming—and from contributing to the high number of unwanted dogs born each year.

Lost your dog? Act fast! According to The Humane Society of the United States, most animals will hang around the same area for approximately three days and then they start to wander farther. So look around your neighborhood first. Call your local county shelter to see if your dog has been found. Also post "lost dog" flyers around your neighborhood and in dog parks.

A Happy Hound
As Cesar Millan reminds us, the key to having a happy, well-balanced and well-mannered dog lies in the concept of exercise, discipline and affection—in that order. Here's why:

Exercise burns the dog's excess energy and helps him maintain a healthy state of mind. According to Cesar, this is important because “in order to talk to the mind, you need to remove the energy from the body.” Take your dog on long daily walks, hikes or bike rides, whatever fits your lifestyle. You and your dog will both reap the benefits.

Discipline involves giving a dog rules and boundaries in a nonabusive manner. Cesar explains:

• Dogs need to know that their pack leader is clearly setting the rules, boundaries and limitations for their life both inside and outside the house.
  
  
• Anger, aggression or abuse toward the dog will not establish you as pack leader; an angry, aggressive leader is not in control. Calm-assertive energy and daily, consistent leadership behavior will make enforcing the rules easier.

Affection is a reward you give your dog and yourself, but only after the dog has achieved calm submission in your pack.

Behavior Basics
Having an untrained dog not only causes you problems and frustration, but is frustrating for the dog as well as for people and dogs around you. A well-trained pooch is a joy to have as part of the family—your pack. Plus, proper training could save your dog's life in a dangerous situation.

Dogs thrive with set rules and boundaries. Again, we borrow from Cesar Millan's training principles of pack leadership:

• Be the leader: When a dog doesn't have a pack leader, he tries to fill the vacant role, usually with disastrous results for the owner and dog. The pack leader is in charge by projecting "calm-assertive" energy.
  
  
• Don't shower your dog with affection when you walk through the door. This kind of attention is wonderful for a child, but not for a dog. Remember, dogs are animals, and the kindest thing you can do to your pup is to treat him like a dog—and communicate in clear way.
  
  
• Correct bad behavior. The dog's mom, the ultimate pack leader, never tolerates inappropriate behavior. When a puppy does something she doesn't like, mom stops him by moving the puppy out of the way in a calm-assertive manner. She teaches her pup boundaries, and her firm and unambiguous leadership balances the puppy's submissive role in the pack.
  
  
• When your guests arrive, ask your dog to sit patiently. Your dog will follow your commands when he respects you as his pack leader. Remember, the pack leader doesn't negotiate to get what he or she wants.
  
  
• You can't be a leader only some of the time. Leadership is constant; inconsistency triggers confusion and anxiety in a dog. Animal pack leaders never stray from their leadership role, and neither should you.

The Scoop on Food
Keeping your dog (and cat) at a healthy weight is the kindest thing you can do to the animal. Just like with humans, an overweight dog is at much higher risk for a variety of health problems including joint pain, and may not live as long. Unfortunately, some vets recommend drugs to combat ailments that could easily be combated with a proper nutrition and exercise regimen. Beware that some of these drugs may actually cause damage to your pet's inner organs, like the kidney and liver (always do your own research and/or get a second opinion when suggested a drug by your vet to ensure it's the best option).

Dogs that don't get much exercise need less calories than active dogs. Feed the appropriate amount of calories for your dog's activity level. If your dog is in ideal body condition and isn't gaining weight, you're feeding the right amount. But if your dog has become less active while his feeding has remained the same and he's getting overweight, try this:

• Cut back on treats and snacks.
  
  
• Feed less of the animal's regular pet food and/or switch to a reduced-calorie food.
  
  
• Add more exercise and playtime each day.

Loose stool, diarrhea and gas may result from overfeeding. If this occurs decrease the amount fed by 25% and observe stool and general temperament. If this corrects the problem, but the animal is still "acting" hungrier than normal, increase gradually to find the proper amount. Be sure to feed twice daily in measured portions to ensure proper digestion. Stool consistency is the best indicator of proper feeding. Always look at the body condition of the dog, not the dog-food package, to guide the amount to feed.

Do your research and consult a veterinarian before changing a pet's diet. The veterinarian can help tailor program for an individual pet and can track progress and help troubleshoot along the way. Also, pay attention to your dog's energy level, potential reasons your dog's energy level might change and things you can do to keep your less active dog fit.