Our Charlie's dog health was a very important issue to us in our family. It all started when he was a puppy of course. Aside from the fun and laughter he brought into our lives he brought us new found responsibilities we hadn't concerned ourselves with BC. With some common sense and attention dog health shouldn't have to be a major family issue. Here's how we dealt with Charlie.

A few dog health issues:

Feeding ?

This is normally the easy and fun part. Be careful though because there's so much ballyhoo about the great stuff various products can do. Major brands are tried and true with a normally safe harbour. Avoid going off into generic diets. Competing with the major brands on research and quality control is pretty tough. Better to take the high road for your doggie's sake. Vitamin and mineral supplements would be a great addition to the diet helping to keep the immune system strong. Remember, dry food helps keep the teeth nice and strong too.

Bathing ?

The primary concern here is to use a pet product. Not shampoo made for us people. We want to use a very mild shampoo. The pH balance of our doggies is quite different and if not careful we'll dry out the skin so bad that scratching, itching and all sorts of other fireworks will go off. Bath less not more. Chances are that a good wash job every 30 days or so will be just fine. Don't forget to drop a couple of plugs (cotton balls will do)into the ears before you start along with a nice brush job on the coat before and after. Keep the shampoo away from those gorgeous heart breaking eyes, if you slip simply wash with warm water or even a saline. Hey, a nice little designer outfit afterwards really makes your great little buddy a spiffy looking dude.

Those nasty tick and fleas issues ?

Give me a break, how'd you like to run around itchy and biting, scratching and jumping around all day. That would be enough to drive anyone nuts. A topical oil usually placed between the shoulder blades will do the trick. Your best friends natural oils will spread it evenly over your pet. Be watchful about exposing the oil to the kids and put it in a safe place. Try and have your pet really dry for a few days before and after application. This process will rid your doggie of fleas and ticks. Good riddance for sure. A super blow on those nasty critters ensuring good dog health.

Puppy housetraining ?

The all time favorite issue. Potty training! No different than when we potty trained our children, the process is somewhat similar. Patience, consistency and confinement does the trick. Do yourself a favor, get a crate for your doggie big enough for it to stretch out in and also take a snooze being able to nestle into a little corner.

Your best pet friend needs to be in there when you're asleep, gone from the premises or to be left unattended (you're busy cooking dinner and doggie treats. Doing so teaches them to hold it for awhile. Putting them in a crate for 6 ? 8 hours during the training period is alright too.

While home have your little sweetie out with a timer going off around each 60 minutes or so. You and the doggie hit the turf outside for 10 minutes or so giving them a chance to potty. When they do reward them with positive comments, petting, stroking ? some real love if you will which is positive reinforcement( something we all would like to have,right?). Chances are pretty good your doggie will catch on very soon. Be patient, take your time and no accident frustrations. Your new best friend needs a little time to learn, adapt and assimilate your wishes. Keep in mind that your doggie loves you. Cleanliness goes a long way for good dog health.

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