Tips for dog
care:
- Try to
make a routine for your puppy as soon as you collect him.
- Ensure
that you leave your puppy in its cage/room/kennel for short periods
early on in its life to prevent separation anxiety at a later stage.
- Take
your puppy out for short journeys in the car as soon as possible to
prevent car sickness.
- It is
extremely important that your puppy gets plenty of rest while he/she is
growing. If you have children, an indoor crate or kennel is very useful.
- Enrol with a puppy socialisation class as soon as possible. Your vet may have details of classes or hold classes themselves. Through training we build a fantastic bond with our puppy. This is an ongoing process throughout the dog's entire life.
- Your puppy must NOT be over exercised and allowed to run free excessively in park or on beach or to jump (in and out of cars or over fences) until its hips are fully formed and grown.
- Set boundaries for your dog and ensure the whole family adheres to doggie house rules.
- Groom your puppy from the moment you take him home so that it is a pleasurable experience for you both.
- ‘Remember, this is your puppy. Its education, safety and sanity are in your hands. It only takes a few days to ruin an otherwise perfect puppy’ (Dr Ian Dunbar)
Health issues:
Hips for Hip Joint Dysplasia (HD)
- How: x-ray taken by a vet and the plates are
forwarded for analysis and scoring at the British Veterinary
Association.
- When: after first birthday. Performed once in the
dog's lifetime.
- Where: Veterinary practices where radiographers are
available.
- Each
hip scored separately, ideally the hip score should be fairly even. The
perfect hip score is 0/0. The worst 53/53.
Eyes for Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
- How: Eye examination.
- When: After 4/6 months of age and then annually.
- Where: By a veterinary ophthalmologist.