DogsCanis familiaria

Dogs are animals that humans have used as pets for more than 10000 years.

There are several theories regarding the origin of the dog. From wolves that were trained to hunt Wolves that were interbred with jackals Came from other wild species that was neither

jackal nor wolf.

History

Dogs were quickly recognized for their value for hunting, guard and draught work.

Dogs are carnivorous, meaning flesh eaters. The scientific name for dogs is Canis

familiaria.

General Information

Dogs have well defined skeletons, which vary with breed and size of the dog.

Smaller breeds can lives 15-18 years, while larger breeds live on average 8-10 years.

What is the gestational length of a dog?

General Information

There are about 300 breeds of dogs, they are split into 9 groups.

Herding, sporting, hounds, working dog, terrier class, toy, non-sporting, and miscellaneous.

Breeds of dogs

Herding-used to help herds of livestock Sporting-used for sporting purposes Hound-used for tracking Working-used by people to get work done Terrier-used to chase animals Toy-small weighing 4-16 pounds. Non-sporting breeds-dogs developed for a specific

purpose. Miscellaneous- all other dogs not included

Breeds

Dogs are meat eaters. They need a moderate amount of meat in the diet in order to stay healthy. Different age groups of dogs have different nutritional needs….why is that??

Nutritional Needs of dogs

Weaning-puppies are weaned from 3-6 weeks of age. A good puppy food is needed for proper growth and development.

When bringing a puppy home it is important to use the same food as the person had him on before.

Nutrition

Dry food is often fed due to the low cost. Wet food is more expensive and often has more fat.

Remember a large dog needs a large amount of food per day!

Dogs should be fed on a schedule, same time every day!

Nutrition

Table scraps can sometimes be fed to certain breeds to increase fat and add energy. Smaller breeds can have serious issues from being fed people food, including destruction of the digestive tract and obesity.

Nutrition

A healthy dog begins with good nutrition, sanitation, and the environment in which they are kept.

Of course yearly visits to the vet are a must!

Health Care

Keeping facilities clean and proper veterinary visits will help to prevent and eliminate parasites!

Internal: Heartworms, hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, whipworms.

External: Fleas, lice, mange, ringworm

Parasite control

Will be covered later……

Infectious diseases

Your vet will determine the proper vaccination schedule for your dog. Recommendations are:

6-8 weeks for distemper, measles, parainfluenza and parvo.

8-12 weeks for distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, and parainfluenza

12 weeks-rabies 12 months rabies

Vaccinations

Grooming is the washings, combing, brushing, trimming, and otherwise caring for the external appearance of the dog.

Grooming

Brush regularly-some breeds need more brushing than others.

Wash only when needed-excessive bathing removes essential oil from the skin and can cause irritation.

Coat

Some dogs need nails trimmed often while others can go a year or more.

Be careful especially with dark colored nails, not to cut too short. Think about when you cut your nails to the quick! It hurts and will bleed, also can cause fear of nail trimming in the future.

Nails

Ears should be cleaned regularly with a cotton swab and mineral oil to remove dirt. Never use a sharp object Check for parasites and a bad odor.

Ears

The feeding of hard food and denta treats will help to prevent tarter buildup and tooth decay.

The brushing of teeth at home will help dogs to have healthy teeth for life and reduce the need for expensive vet cleanings.

Refrain from feeding dogs sweets!

Teeth

Dogs can be trained in many ways as we will see in a future lesson.

Training