Puppy Pet Care

Every puppy owner is encouraged to make his own puppy growth chart, plotting the changes of weight, height and body type of the puppy. You may never know when this might be handy. If your puppy displays symptoms of unhealthy conditions, your homemade puppy growth chart might give significant clues to your veterinarian when diagnosing the problem. For wannabe breeders, maintaining a puppy growth chart is a good way for you to keep a record of how large or small your puppies will grow. You can then make an educated guess as to how big the future puppies will be when you decide to mate your current dog with another bitch or male.

The Purina Body Condition System has a systematic way of categorizing the dog’s weight condition. The 9 types of dogs aim to give a distinction between the thin dogs and the really obese ones by listing physical characteristics that any pet owner may check for himself. Consider this your informal puppy growth chart.

1. EMACIATED
   The canine doesn’t have any perceivable body fat and there is an apparent loss of muscle mass. All bony structures seem to jut far apart.
   
   
2. VERY THIN
   There is no obvious body fat but there is a slight loss of muscle mass. Ribs, lumbar vertebrae and pelvic bones can be seen clearly.
   
   
3. THIN
   The canine’s pelvic bones become conspicuous, the ribs may be noticeable without fat and the top of the lumbar vertebrae is detectable.  Tucks in the waist and abdominal area can be observed.
   
   
4. UNDERWEIGHT
   Waist can be easily spotted when viewed from above while the abdominal tuck is still visible. Lastly, the ribs are evident with minimal fat covering.
   
   
5. IDEAL
   The pup’s ribs are palpable without excess fat covering. The abdomen tuck is seen from the side while the waist can be viewed from above.
   
   
6. OVERWEIGHT
   Trivial excess fat covers the ribs while the waist is discernable from above although it doesn’t stand out that much.  Abdominal tucks are blatantly exhibited.
   
   
7. HEAVY
   Ribs are still tangible but only difficult to locate because of the heavy fat cover.  Some fat deposits form over lumbar area and the base of the tail. The puppy seems to lack a waist and the usual abdominal tuck.
   
   
8. OBESE
   Ribs are under heavy fat cover and may be seen only when pressure is applied.   A hefty amount of fat deposits over the lumbar area and the base of the tail characterize this pup. Waist seems to be non-existent and so is the abdominal tuck.  Marked abdominal swelling is normal for this body type.
   
   
9. GROSSLY OBESE
   This last category of dogs has a manifest difference with the last category in terms of body fat.

These 9 classifications in the puppy growth chart determine whether you have overfed, underfed or gave the ideal amount of food to your puppy. If you have underfed your puppy, adjust the feeding amounts until he exhibits weight changes. If you have given the ideal amount of food to your puppy on a daily basis, continue this regimen but be sure to vary the menu! If you have gone overboard with the pampering, it would be advisable to modify the daily diet of your puppy until you have made progress towards the ideal weight. It might be wise to adopt a more active lifestyle with your dog and give him more exercise. Longer walks and supplementary games seem like a good place to start.

A puppy growth chart may keep a registry of ideal heights, weights or body types according to sex. As Charles Schultz said, “Happiness is a warm puppy”. And more blissful hours will be spent with your puppy if you would make that effort to keep the optimum level of health for your adored animal in the world.

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Leash training a puppy is best advised instantly after you have your own puppy. Leash training’s purpose is to prevent animals from biting or frightening people or animals, even urinating in some inconvenient places, and causing other damages. It can also prevent your puppy from getting away or getting lost.

As a start, put the leash on your dog everyday for a few minutes, especially before you even start to walk your dog. You may want to start with a “loose leash” first, so that it could allow your dog to wander around without choking itself. Leash training a puppy is an important skill that should be done in an easy way, although it takes a lot of effort. Your puppy should learn to follow the move you do with your leash. If your puppy refuses to move whenever he is on a leash, you might find it difficult to walk your dog.

First, your puppy needs to get used to the collar. At first, you may notice how your puppy may get irritated with it, but you have to be firm not to remove or take it off when your pup is doing it. What you can do however is to turn his attention on something else, like playing games with your puppy while doing so. In the event that your puppy has stop fidgeting on the collar then you can remove or take it off.

Patience is always part of the course. You should also be aware of what type of puppy you are dealing with. Some dogs are born not take leash training seriously. Some breeds like Beagles are often easily distracted and hyperactive. So this also should be taken into consideration.

Furthermore, you may start leash training a puppy by placing a collar and leash before your puppy eats. Let the leash hang a little loosely. When you go out, let your puppy drag the leash around, without picking the leash yourself and following the puppy constantly. And take your leash training outside the house; choose a place where there are fewer distractions. Best places to go to will be the park or around your backyard. Place your dog in the leash when your dog is overly excited. Never yell or yank at your puppy if he doesn’t obey while training. Patience is again required.

Don’t forget to use the proper leash and collar before you start with everything. Choosing the best accessories can help you and your puppy go through a successful training. Leashes come in different types. You can use leather, nylon and metal chain. It really depends on what you desire. Take note of the size or length of the leash also. Same with collars, there are unique collars that are already attached to the leash.

Leash training a puppy should be fun. So enjoy teaching your dogs and have fun. Don’t take it too seriously. Besides, the main purpose of getting a pet dog is to have fun while getting unconditional love from man’s best friend.

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