Dog Nutrition Tips

Dog Nutrition Tips

A balanced diet is critically important to your dog’s cell maintenance and growth and overall health. Barring any special needs, illness-related deficiencies, or instructions from your vet, your pet should be able to get all the nutrients he or she needs from high-quality commercial pet foods, which are specially formulated with these standards in mind.
But dogs of different ages have different nutritional requirements. So, how much—or how little—should you be feeding your four-legged friend? Read on to learn what your pet’s body needs at the various stages of life.

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Nutrients Your Dog Needs

Nutrients are substances obtained from food and used by an animal as a source of energy and as part of the metabolic machinery necessary for maintenance and growth. There are the six essential classes of nutrients dogs need for optimum healthy living.
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Weaning and Feeding Your Puppy

If you’re responsible caring for puppies in the first few months of their lives, you’ll need to be prepared to move them from a diet of mom’s milk to regular puppy food. This process of gradually reducing a puppy’s dependency on his mother’s milk, known as weaning, should generally begin between three and four weeks of age and is ideally completely by the time the puppy is seven to eight weeks.
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Feeding Your Adult Dog

Adult dogs require sufficient nutrients to meet energy needs and to maintain and repair body tissues. The amount you feed your adult dog should be based on his or her size and energy output. Activity levels may vary dramatically between pets, and will play an important role in determining caloric intake.
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Feeding Your Senior Dog

Dogs begin to show visible age-related changes at about seven to 12 years of age. There are metabolic, immunologic and body composition changes, too. Some of these may be unavoidable while others can be managed with diet. When feeding your older dog, the main objective should be to maintain health and optimum body weight, slow development of chronic disease and minimize diseases that may already be present.
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Overweight Dogs

One of the most common pitfalls dog parents should watch out for is overfeeding. Attempts to shower our dogs with love by means of big meals and lots of tasty treats are sweet, but misguided. In dogs, as with humans, extra weight can lead to health problems. Be sure to indulge your four-legged friend with affection, not food!

Dog Grooming Tips

Dog Grooming Tips

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Have you ever watched your dog roll on the ground, lick her coat or chew at her fur? These are her ways of keeping clean. Sometimes, though, she’ll need a little help from you to look and smell her best. But don’t worry, we’re here to help. Read on for ways to keep your dog’s fur, skin, nails, teeth, ears and paws healthy and clean.

Bathing Your Dog

The ASPCA recommends bathing your dog at least once every three months, but some may require more frequent baths if he or she spends a lot of time outdoors or has skin problems. Here are some steps to help you get started.
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Brushing Your Dog

Regular grooming with a brush or comb will help keep your pet's hair in good condition by removing dirt, spreading natural oils throughout her coat, preventing tangles and keeping her skin clean and irritant-free. Plus, grooming time is a great time to check for fleas and flea dirt—those little black specks that indicate your pet is playing host to a flea family.
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Shedding

Although shedding old or damaged hair is a normal process for dogs, the amount and frequency of hair shed often depends upon their health, breed type and season. Many dogs develop thick coats in the winter that are then shed in the spring. Dogs who are always kept indoors, however, are prone to smaller fluctuations in coat thickness and tend to shed fairly evenly all year.
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Skin Problems

Your dog’s skin is an indication of her overall health, so it’s important to keep it in prime shape. When a skin problem occurs, your dog may respond with excessive scratching, chewing and/or licking. A wide range of causes—including external parasites, infections, allergies, metabolic problems and stress, or a combination of these—may be to blame.
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Dental Care

Regularly brushing your dog's teeth, along with a healthy diet and plenty of chew toys, can go a long way toward keeping her mouth healthy. Bacteria and plaque-forming foods can cause build-up on a dog's teeth. This can harden into tartar, potentially causing gingivitis, receding gums and tooth loss. Many pooches show signs of gum disease by the time they're four years old because they aren't provided with proper mouth care.
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Eye Care

Giving your pup regular home eye exams will help keep you alert to any tearing, cloudiness or inflammation that may indicate a health problem. First, face your dog in a brightly lit area and look into his eyes. They should be clear and bright, and the area around the eyeball should be white. The pupils should be equal in size and there shouldn’t be tearing, discharge or any crust in the corners of his eyes. With your thumb, gently roll down your dog’s lower eyelid and look at the lining. It should be pink, not red or white.
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Ear Care

Your dog’s regular grooming routine should include regular ear checks. This is especially important for dogs who produce excessive earwax or have a lot of inner-ear hair. Don’t clean your dog’s ears so frequently or deeply as to cause irritation, and take care to never insert anything into your dog’s ear canal—probing inside can cause trauma or infection!
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Nail Care

As a rule of thumb, a dog’s nails should be trimmed when they just about touch the ground when he or she walks. If your pet’s nails are clicking or getting snagged on the floor, it’s time for a trim. For leisurely living dogs, this might mean weekly pedicures, while urban pooches who stalk rough city sidewalks can go longer between clippings.
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Paw Care

The pads on the bottom of your pups feet provide extra cushioning to help protect bones and joints from shock, provide insulation against extreme weather, aid walking on rough ground and protect tissue deep within the paw. It’s important to check your pet’s feet regularly to make sure they’re free of wounds, infections or foreign objects that can become lodged.

Dogs and Babies

Dogs and Babies

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Preparing Your Dog for a New Baby

When you bring a new baby home, your dog will face an overwhelming number of novel sights, sounds and smells. She may find some of them upsetting, especially if she didn’t have opportunities to spend time with children as a puppy. You’ll drastically alter your daily routine, so your dog’s schedule will change, too. And, out of necessity, she’ll get less of your time and attention. It may be a difficult time for her, especially if she’s been the “only child” for a while.
To make things go as smoothly as possible for everyone, it’s important to take some time to prepare your dog for the arrival of your new addition. In the months before the baby comes, you’ll focus on two things:

• Teaching your dog the skills she’ll need to interact safely with her new family member
• Helping your dog adjust to the many new experiences and changes ahead

Making a Plan

Your dog will benefit from any training you can accomplish before your baby’s birth.
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Teaching Your Dog Important New Skills

Having good verbal control of your dog can really help when it comes to juggling her needs and the baby’s care. The following skills are particularly important.
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Preparing Your Dog for Lifestyle Changes

Many dogs experience anxiety when their lifestyles are drastically altered. Although things will change with the arrival of your new baby, you can minimize your dog’s stress by gradually getting her used to these changes in advance.
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Prepare Your Dog for the Baby’s Touch and Movement

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Bringing the Baby Home

First impressions are important. Your dog should have pleasant experiences with your baby right from the start.
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Daily Life with the Baby

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Troubleshooting

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Preparing Your Dog for Life with a Toddler

Many dogs who haven’t spent time around children find toddlers confusing and intimidating. Some find them downright scary! Read on to learn about what you can do to influence the developing relationship between your dog and your growing child.
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Teach Your Child to Respect Your Dog

As your child develops, teach him to respect your dog’s body, safe zones and belongings. Always supervise interactions so that you can guide your child as he learns to communicate and play with your dog appropriately. Playing an active role in the development of a relationship between your child and your dog will benefit everyone.
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Teach Your Dog to Like Other Children

Your child will eventually want to have friends over to play, so it’s important for your dog to become comfortable with unfamiliar children.

Water Safety Tips for Dogs

Safely enjoy the pool, lake or ocean with your dog

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Overview

• Protect against drowning
• Other water health tips

Dogs are natural swimmers, right? Actually, no they aren’t! Dogs instinctively tread water if they fall in — it’s called dog paddling – but that isn’t the same as knowing how to swim. That’s why all dogs need to be properly introduced to water.

The first, most crucial step is obedience training, because a dog who disobeys you on land will definitely defy you in the pool, lake or ocean. After that, follow this advice to keep your pet healthy and happy.

Protect against drowning

• Know your dog. Some breeds are better suited for water than others. Breeds with short snouts, including pugs, English bulldogs and Boston terriers, aren’t built for swimming and will likely be better off on dry land.
• Never throw a dog into a body of water.
• Never leave a dog unattended around water. (Be sure to fence in your pool if you have one.)
• If you have a pool, show your dog how to get out using the steps. The two of you should practice exiting the pool together until your dog understands where the exits are and how to get out if they accidentally fall in.
• Swimming is tiring, and a pooped pooch is more susceptible to drowning. It’s up to you to get your dog out of the water every so often for a rest.
• Invest in a doggie life vest and take a dog CPR class.

Other water health tips

• Don’t let your dog drink swimming water. Lakes and rivers can host parasites and algae, pool water is chlorinated, and ocean water is salty; none of these are good for your dog. Keep a dish of fresh water available for your pet.
• Rinse off dogs after swimming to get rid of chlorine and salt water, which can dry their skin. Dry their ears afterward, too, to help prevent infection.

General Dog Care

General Dog Care

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A dog can be a wonderful addition to any home, but whether you're an experienced pet parent or a first-time adopter, it's important to keep your canine companion's health and happiness a top priority. Below are some useful tips for all dog parents.
And remember: If you're considering bringing home a new dog, please make adoption your first option. We encourage you to browse our directory of adoptable dogs in your area or visit our Find a Shelter page to start your search.

Feeding

• Puppies eight to 12 weeks old need four meals a day.
• Feed puppies three to six months old three meals a day.
• Feed puppies six months to one year two meals a day.
• When your dog reaches his first birthday, one meal a day is usually enough.
• For some dogs, including larger canines or those prone to bloat, it's better to feed two smaller meals.

Premium-quality dry food provides a well-balanced diet for adult dogs and may be mixed with water, broth or canned food. Your dog may enjoy cottage cheese, cooked egg or fruits and vegetables, but these additions should not total more than ten percent of his daily food intake.
Puppies should be fed a high-quality, brand-name puppy food (large breed puppy foods for large breeds). Please limit "people food," however, because it can result in vitamin and mineral imbalances, bone and teeth problems and may cause very picky eating habits and obesity. Clean, fresh water should be available at all times, and be sure to wash food and water dishes frequently.

Exercise

Dogs need exercise to burn calories, stimulate their minds, and stay healthy. Individual exercise needs vary based on breed or breed mix, sex, age and level of health. Exercise also tends to help dogs avoid boredom, which can lead to destructive behaviors. Supervised fun and games will satisfy many of your pet's instinctual urges to dig, herd, chew, retrieve and chase.

Grooming

Help keep your dog clean and reduce shedding with frequent brushing. Check for fleas and ticks daily during warm weather. Most dogs don't need to be bathed more than a few times a year. Before bathing, comb or cut out all mats from the coat. Carefully rinse all soap out of the coat, or the dirt will stick to soap residue. Please visit our Dog Grooming Tips page for more information.

Handling

To carry a puppy or small dog, place one hand under the dog's chest, with either your forearm or other hand supporting the hind legs and rump. Never attempt to lift or grab your puppy or small dog by the forelegs, tail or back of the neck. If you do have to lift a large dog, lift from the underside, supporting his chest with one arm and his rear end with the other.

Housing

Your pet needs a warm, quiet place to rest, away from all drafts and off the floor. A training crate or dog bed is ideal, with a clean blanket or pillow placed inside. Wash the dog's bedding often. If your dog will be spending a lot of time outdoors, be sure she has access to shade and plenty of cool water in hot weather, and a warm, dry, covered shelter when it's cold.

Licensing and Identification

Follow your community’s licensing regulations. Be sure to attach the license to your dog’s collar. This, along with an ID tag and implanted microchip or tattoo, can help secure your dog’s return should she become lost.

Fleas and Ticks

Daily inspections of your dog for fleas and ticks during the warm seasons are important. Use a flea comb to find and remove fleas. There are several new methods of flea and tick control. Speak to your veterinarian about these and other options. Visit our Fleas and Ticks page for more information.

Medicines and Poisons

Never give your dog medication that has not been prescribed by a veterinarian. If you suspect that your animal has ingested a poisonous substance, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center for 24-hour animal poison information at (888) 426- 4435.

Spaying and Neutering

Female dogs should be spayed and male dogs neutered by six months of age. Please visit our Spay/Neuter Your Pet page to learn more.

Vaccinations

Your dog may benefit from receiving a number of vaccinations. Please visit our Pet Vaccinations page to learn more.

Dog Supply Checklist

• Premium-quality dog food and treats
• Food dish
• Water bowl
• Toys, toys and more toys, including safe chew toys
• Brush & comb for grooming, including flea comb
• Collar with license and ID tag
• Leash
• Carrier (for smaller dogs)
• Training crate
• Dog bed or box with warm blanket or towel
• Dog toothbrush

The Scoop on Poop

Keep your dog on a leash when you are outside, unless you are in a secured, fenced-in area. If your dog defecates on a neighbor's lawn, the sidewalk or any other public place, please clean it up.