free puppies in michigan information and anything puppy
related, including how
to train a puppy to sit or
how to care for a sick puppy. Browse
through the
articles on feeding,
puppy potty training, picking
the best Veterinarian and
traveling with your pets.
When a dog reaches full maturity, he enters the maintenance period.
Normal healthy dogs who are not pregnant, nursing or hardworking have
relatively low nutritional requirements for maintaining an appropriate body
condition. Good body condition for a dog is defined as.
One in which the animal is well proportioned
easily observable waist behind the
ribcage
Ribs can be felt with a slight fat covering over them
dogs fed a complete
and balanced diet do not need supplemental vitamins, minerals, or meat.
If supplemental meat or table scraps are fed, they should account for no more
than 10% of the total diet. Higher levels can dilute the nutritional value of a dog’s
diet, predispose him to obesity and may create a finicky eater.
For dogs with lower caloric needs and or for dogs that are less active, attention
should be paid to the potential for excessive weight gain. Overweight dogs may
have more health problems and a shorter life expectancy.
A dog's weight can be reduced simply by eliminating table scraps and treats
from the diet and by avoiding high energy dog foods.
Getting a puppy is a very
exciting time. Perhaps you’ve been waiting for the time to be right, or maybe
you just fell in love with a puppy at an adopt a thon.
Either way, once you get
the puppy home, the realities of having one tend to set in rather quickly.
Although they are adorable, sometimes snuggly and very fun to play with,
there are some things puppies do that can be rather exasperating such as biting.
Yes, biting, biting, biting. frequently, people wonder whether they somehow
accidentally brought home a pet alligator instead of a pet dog.
The kids are standing on top of the couch crying, your arms are so scratched
up that your coworkers are asking whether things are okay at home,
and the puppy is running around with glee looking for more mischief to get into.
Puppyhood and Beyond Puppies are growing animals. When they are young,
they learn much and what is learned has a lasting impact. Even sexual patterns,
which emerge as puppies mature, can be affected by early experience.
All dogs, regardless of breed, pass through various stages as they grow and
develop, physically, mentally, and psychologically. Psychologists use the term
critical period to describe a specific time in a dog's life when certain
experiences have a lasting effect upon their psychological development.
Understanding these critical periods and a dog's stages of development will
better help you to understand your dog's behavior and how to handle him
during these special times.
Additionally, puppies benefit greatly when their owners understand their development.
play hunting games
