In discussing dog care for the beginner or for someone THINKING of getting a dog for the first time, there are some main points that I would like to get across. These points are things that I learned, but most of which I did not know before becoming an animal control officer.
1. Dogs are easy to take care of because of the length of time that they have been domesticated. They are MADE to live in our homes with us. They are quite hardy in makeup. Whenever you find yourself spending a lot of money on special dog foods, vitamins, minerals, glossy coat items, etc., remind yourself.......A stray dog can successfully raise a healthy litter of puppies in a junkyard, living on cheetos and other refuse. Of course, that is not ideal, but dogs are survivors, there is nothing fragile about them.
2. Dogs are a pain in the neck until they are between the ages of 1 1/2 years and 2 1/2 years, then, they are SUDDENLY ANGELS for another 10 years! So the trick is to get through those first couple of years without dropping them off at the pound. To keep problems at a minimum, you keep their mouths busy and their legs tired. (Don't go overboard with exersize, though.) This is easily verified if you note that the average age of dogs at your local pound/humane society is usually between the cute baby puppy age and the nice, calm grownup age. The only exception is the unneutered male dog, which sometimes never becomes an angel. Unneutered male dogs frequently get hit by cars because they can smell female dogs in heat from a LONG ways away.
3. Dogs are social animals. They do not feel secure when they are alone. If you are not home much, you should get two littermates to play and wear each other out. This really pays off on guilt relief when you go on vacation.
4. Dogs like to be in a pack situation, or with their families. A dog in a secure kennel cannot do anything but bark if someone intrudes upon your home. Only an indoor dog can really keep you safe. Dogs need A LOT of attention, but every bit you invest is paid back with security and affection. I live in an area where illegal aliens manage to come through by the thousands. I have seven dogs and have never even seen an illegal alien on my property. (No robberies or burglaries either.) No one I know who has dogs has been burglarized. As a matter of fact, Elizabeth Smart's cousin's kidnapping was prevented by a dog. (Elizabeth Smart's family now has a dog.)
5. The 4th of July is the most dangerous holiday for all pets. At animal control, we had to staff extra officers on the 5th of July and New Year's Day and after Hot Air Balloon events because the effect of fireworks and loud noises is to shake up and redistribute all the pets in a city. Because of the great fear incurred, dogs that had never jumped fences before are able to scramble over them, leaving humans at home saying "My dog was stolen." Bottom line, dogs aren't stolen very often and people do not look for their pets if they think they were stolen. Tell them to look anyway.
6. Some breeds of dogs were raised originally to be food for humans while the vast majority were raised to help humans procure food. There is a big difference in the personalities of these dogs. Food. Dogs need good dry food. If you feed them poor quality dry food, you are the one who will suffer, as they have increased gas production and increased waste production! I feed Pedigree Small Bites dog food. It is easy to find, reasonably priced and avoids the two problems mentioned. Other foods may be just as good. Once a day, all of our dogs get part of a small can of cat food mixed with their dry food. This is the most exciting part of our dog's day and costs us about 25 cents. We feed adult dogs once a day, in the evening, and be sure to let them out before bedtime.
Most small dogs cannot make it through the night without an outside visit to relieve themselves. The bigger the dog, the longer they can hold it. Also the bigger the dog, the faster they seem to be housebroken. They can't stand their own offensive odors.
Even if the mother dog is worm free, the puppies can be born with worms. Checking one puppy's stool is as good as checking the whole litter's. If the mother dog had worms when SHE was a puppy, she can pass them on. The wetter the climate, the more of a problem worms are. In Arizona, many dogs never have any worms their entire life. Unlike in horses, once you kill dog worms, you should be set. You do not have to worm on a schedule. Unlike other intestinal worms, tape worms do not lay eggs, which means
1. tests cannot detect their presense in a stool sample and
2. only one treatment will kill them all.
Hookworms are a very serious matter, left best only to a veterinarian to treat.
Vaccinations may have no effect until the age of 4 months, so they MUST BE REPEATED periodically, according to directions. I learned this lesson the hard way, with an English Springer Spaniel puppy named Molly Brown. Dog shots can be purchased at feed stores or online but you must be sure the temperature of the shot itself does not exceed certain limits. When I buy shots at a feed store, I either bring a frozen ice pack with me or ask if they have one I can take with me. Then I go directly home with the shots and put right into the refrigerator. Otherwise, the shot may be no good. Rabies shots have no value unless they are administered by a veterinarian, legally. In most places, the first rabies shot lasts 1 year and subsequent boosters last 3 years. Rabies vaccinations to domestic pets provide a barrier from the wild animal population to humans, mainly because most humans are not tempted to chase foxes and skunks. Keep you proof.
Flea and tick prevention has improved dramatically with the drops you apply to the back. I have found that I can buy bigger poundage than my dogs require and split the liquid into smaller poundage, for example, buying a 30 lb dosage and dividing it by three using a pipette into three (3) 10-lb dosages. I cannot recommend that, as it does not say you can do that on the package. Look online, and make sure it kills ticks, not just fleas. I keep the original packaging, writing each animal's name and the date applied in magic marker. If I sell or adopt out an animal, I give them the original vaccination or flea and tick prevention packaging, so that they can show it to their veterinarian. The drops do not work on the fur, they must be applied to the skin. I hope I do not sound condescending, I am trying to help a beginner decide if he or she can handle the responsibility of a dog!
The best things about dogs are that they make you feel safe and they love you unconditionally.
Email any questions or for my opinion, but remember, I am not a veterinarian and I have GREAT RESPECT and AWE of their knowledge, gained by years and years of schooling and also remember that things change rapidly in any scientific or medical field. If you find something in my blurb that you disagree with, please let me know. I will reconsider it.
Nancy Casurella
Benson, Arizona
July, 2003
Benson, Arizona