Tips on how to look after your dog!

All dogs require much love, care and attention!

If you're getting a dog for the first time, here are some helpful hints about what will keep both you and your dog happy!

Feeding

A healthy diet makes a healthy dog! Make sure your dog has a balanced diet. An all meat diet will lead to nutritional deficiencies and growth problems. The best diet is high quality prepared dog food, both canned and dry. You can feed your dog raw bones but try to avoid giving them any cooked bones as these often splinter and can cause your dog to choke.

Water is essential to your dog's well being and clean water must be available at all times. Make sure your dog has its own food and water bowls placed near its sleeping area.

Jojo, Mellie and Rusty love food and always hang around the kitchen when they smell dinner cooking! However, usually they have to be good and wait until their own dinner is served (unless naughty Daisy or Alex sneak them food from their own plates!)

Exercise

All dogs love walks! Ideally you should take your dog for a daily walk. This is particularly important for larger and more active dog breeds. You can visit any of the council's designated off-leash areas to give your dog a good workout. Using a toy or ball when you play with your dog will ensure that your dog gets some fun exercise. Making sure your dog is well exercised means it will be more content when it's at home and help your dog maintain a healthy weight.

When you're walking your dog, don't forget to pick up after it! Responsible dog owners must ensure their dog does not soil parks, gardens, beaches or streets. Always be prepared and carry plastic bags or ‘pooper scoopers' to clean up and dispose of your dog's faeces.

Jojo, Mellie and Rusty love going for long walks with Lucy and Malcolm. Sometimes they get so tired that when they get home, they just laze in the sun all day! Ahhh, it's a hard life!

Finding lost dogs

The best way to make sure a lost dog returns home safely is to ensure that it is permanently identified by a microchip and properly registered. Your dog should also wear a collar with a tag showing the name of the pet and your address or telephone number.

You can contact your local vet to have your dog microchipped. The microchip is inert which means it does not put out any signal of its own but can be read by passing a scanner over it. This is helpful if a dog is lost as a vet, animal welfare organisation or other people can help find its owner.

All dogs must be registered by their local council by the age of six months. To register your dog, you will need to complete a lifetime registration form available at the Council's Customer Service Centre.

If your dog is lost, check with your neighbours, local veterinary clinics, animal welfare organisations, the pound and the local council. Check with these organisations in neighbouring suburbs as sometimes lost dogs can travel some distance!

A little tip: It's best to keep dogs confined during thunderstorms or fireworks. Mellie is always easily frightened during loud thunderstorms and has been known to run away! (She always manages to come home though…to a very worried Daisy!).