Training

Puppies learn by watching, but their instincts guide how readily they will learn certain basic requirements. A dog bred to guard the home will be less likely to run off following a scent than a bird dog bred to hunt game. On the other hand, a guarding breed will need direction concerning who is “acceptable” and who is not, whereas a retriever will befriend everyone. Knowledge of what a dog was bred to do is useful when trying to train it to be an acceptable companion.

There are many theories about how to train a dog to be a happy and willing companion, but certain principles apply to all methods. The dog must understand what is expected. It has to be praised for doing well. Punishment for an infraction should be immediate and appropriate to the act. The dog must be able to associate the punishment with the crime. Consistency and kindness bring the best results in training. Most dogs will accept domination readily, but there are some, usually males, who will challenge that authority. This is dangerous behaviour and must be stopped at an early age. Good training must be sensible, and commands should be enforceable.

Other maintenance concerns

Dogs need regular care from the time they are born. In addition to a balanced diet, grooming is an important part of maintaining good health. Care of the ears, coat, and nails on a weekly basis gives owners an opportunity to examine their pets and to spot any potential illness. Ears should be cleaned regularly and nails kept trimmed. Brushing should be part of a dog’s weekly or even daily routine. Dogs with long or thick coats will need more frequent brushing than short-haired varieties in order to loosen dead hair and prevent skin irritations or infection.

Regular veterinary care is important to a dog’s health. Puppies usually are vaccinated against the most virulent diseases, starting at six weeks of age. A series of three or four vaccinations against distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, leptospirosis, and parvovirus are given three weeks apart. At three months of age puppies can be inoculated against rabies. Booster vaccinations are given annually thereafter, except for rabies shots, which may be administered every two or three years, depending on the region. Routine vaccination procedures have succeeded in reducing, and in some areas eliminating, diseases that formerly killed half of all puppies born.

In many areas veterinarians recommend that dogs be tested annually for heartworm disease and be given a preventative. This should be administered throughout the dog’s life as long as it resides in a region where and when this parasite is prevalent.

Ailments

Fleas and ticks are sources of irritation and disease in every climate of the world (with the possible exception of the Arctic). Regular bathing and grooming helps to keep these and other external parasites under control. Treatment of the animal and its environment are essential to eliminate these pests. In some areas this is a yearlong process, whereas in other climates it is a seasonal problem.

Internal parasites are a common cause of sickness, especially in puppies. There are many kinds of worms that invade the intestinal tract, resulting in listlessness, loss of blood and subsequent anemia, poor hair coat, and occasionally death. Many of these parasites are found in dirt and are ingested or get into the bloodstream through the skin of the dog. Effective veterinary remedies are available for the animal, but it is important to determine through fecal examination or blood tests exactly what type of parasite is present. Puppies should be examined about every three months, and adults need to be examined annually.

Dogs are susceptible to many of the same illnesses that afflict humans. Cancer, respiratory ailments, allergies, arthritis, and certain forms of heart disease are all found in dogs. Some illnesses have a breed predilection, whereas others occur in all pure and mixed breeds. Large- and giant-breed dogs, such as Irish setters, St. Bernards, bloodhounds, and Great Danes, are prone to a condition known as gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV). This disease causes the stomach to twist in the abdominal cavity, cutting off the blood supply and filling the stomach with gas. GDV is always a medical emergency and must be treated as soon as the first symptoms appear. Early warnings may be restlessness, unsuccessful attempts to vomit or defecate, swelling of the abdomen, or distention of the rib cage.

Large breeds also are at risk for an orthopedic problem in which the hip joint does not develop properly. This is called hip dysplasia and is considered to be a polygenetic condition. It is a progressive disease in which the malformation of the hipbones causes arthritic changes, lameness, and pain. Some breeds are also at risk of developing elbow dysplasia and other problems of the bones and joints. Dogs built with long, low bodies, such as dachshunds, often develop spinal injuries or malformations of the spinal column.

Dogs do not suffer from high cholesterol or from the life-threatening circulatory illnesses that afflict humans, but certain breeds are predisposed to malformations of the heart muscle and valves. Some of these are surgically correctable, while others are not. In addition, heartworm and other parasites may affect the heart and circulatory system.

Dogs are as much at risk of contracting cancers as people are. The treatment is often the same. Cancers most often seen in dogs involve osteosarcomas, mammary tumours, and lymphomas. Veterinary research is at the forefront of the development of new treatments for cancers in the hope that new methods for combating them in humans will be found in the process.

Eye diseases, many of which are hereditary, also are found in dogs. Dogs are subject to cataracts, glaucoma, and retinal diseases, all of which can cause blindness. Treatments in dogs are not as successful as in humans, but dogs appear to adjust to vision loss very well as long as they are kept in familiar surroundings. Their keen sense of smell helps them to get around, although they must be protected from sudden falls and unforeseen dangers. Many canine ocular problems of a hereditary origin are difficult to eradicate because they do not appear in some breeds until the dogs are five or six years old. Nonetheless, genetic research to identify dogs that are carriers or that will develop eye problems has made significant strides since it began in the 1970s.

Breeds with large, protruding eyes, such as the Pekingese or the pug, are susceptible to eye irritations and corneal lacerations. These must be attended to promptly to avoid serious damage to the eye.

Dogs with dropped ears—the basset hound is an extreme example—are prone to diseases of the ear canal. Moisture becomes trapped in the ear, producing yeast infections. Such parasites as ear mites thrive in the ear canal, causing a dark, malodorous exudate. Frequently, the dog is uncomfortable and scratches the ears or rubs the ears along the ground or on the furniture. Most ear problems can be cured with proper medication. If problems are left unattended, the ear canal will develop ulcerations that are painful and difficult to treat.