Advices for Those Who Adopt a Dog for the First Time

It’s a great decision to add a new member to your family, but of course you may be confused about where to start. At this point, we first start our series that can guide you with dog care.

Responsibility

As with every animal species, owning a dog requires great responsibility and dedication from every family member. Being left alone at home all the time can cause separation anxiety in your dog, so if your lifestyle is not suitable for spending one-on-one time with him, we recommend that you reconsider your decision. Taking him out at least once a day is absolutely necessary for toilet training, exercising needs, socialization, and instinctual desires such as digging and catching. In short, you must make sure that you can provide him with the necessary attention and care, as well as the material and moral resources required for this.

Veterinary Health Checks

Considering the diseases they may catch from other animals during the excursions we mentioned, routine veterinary checks and vaccinations should not be interrupted. It is especially important to carry out internal and external parasite treatments on time. These practices will protect you, as well as your dog, from zoonotic diseases. Regardless of adult or puppy, you can create annual check-up and vaccination schedules with your veterinarian. When he reaches the required maturity, neutering is also one of the issues that should be considered. When conditions such as the ability to provide post-operative care, the adequacy of financial means and your dog’s readiness for such a procedure are met, you can take the subject of neutering more seriously by talking to your veterinarian about the details.

Routines

One of the most important items is to create a nutrition routine. 8-12 weeks old puppies need 4 meals a day, 3-6 months old puppies 3 meals a day, 2 meals a day from 6 months to 1 year old, and 1 meal a day after they reach the age of 1 is usually sufficient. Some changes may be recommended depending on your dog’s health problems or breed. Since finding the appropriate food can vary widely, you can reach the best quality result by consulting your veterinarian. Food and water bowls should be easily washable, of sufficient weight for ease of eating, and made of a material such as stainless steel that does not provide an environment suitable for toxins.

In order to bond with your dog, the one-on-one time you spend with him is very important. The excursions we mentioned above are a great opportunity for this. What you need is a 1-1.5 meter leash, a comfortable leash suitable for your dog, and poop bags to avoid polluting the walking environment. Additionally, providing toys that suit your dog’s character will make him happy.

You should create a special area to turn your home environment into a peaceful place for him. You can get a comfortable and easily washable dog bed.

Combing your dog is one of the essential routines. Starting this at a young age not only turns into an enjoyable bonding activity, it also becomes an important part of fur health. It is an application that should be done regularly, especially in breeds with thick, long hair. In this way, you eliminate dust, dirt, dead skin, shed hair and things that cling to it in the external environment.

You can wash it when you deem necessary, and you can choose from specially produced shampoos for this. However, you should pay attention to the drying part during the winter months.

Our advice to anyone who wants to adopt any animal species and meet its needs and make friends is that they should not buy it. It is known that special breeds and their hybrids are more prone to some genetic disorders. Adopting stray animals should be the first choice to prevent this situation that affects the quality of life and welfare of animals.

Of course, if you have a dog of a specific breed, you should talk to your veterinarian about the diseases you may encounter specific to this breed and be informed about the necessary supplements and what can be done to minimize the symptoms. We wish you a happy and healthy friendship with your dog in advance.

This blog post has been verified by Doctor of Veterinary Medicine ELİF KENAR.

SOURCES

ASPCA. “General Dog Care”. Erişim: 28.10.2023

https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/general-dog-care

FetchFind. “10 Essential Pet Care Supplies for Dogs”. Erişim: 28.10.2023