Dogs Need Care and Love

It’s fun and exciting bringing home a new puppy, but they are a responsibility just like other pets. They need healthy food and fresh drinking water, hygienic and safe living quarters, regular exercise, visits to the vet, regular bathroom breaks, and grooming. They also need training, socialization, your attention and love.

Healthy Food and Fresh Drinking Water

Hygienic and Safe Living Quarters

Your dog’s living space should be clean and give them a sense of safety. It should also be comfy so that your dog is happy and feels at home. A dog bed is a necessity, and older dogs might even benefit from having an orthopedic bed. Extreme temperatures can cause great discomfort and be unhealthy, so your dog’s living quarters should give them protection from the heat and the cold. If you see your dog panting, it is likely too hot, and they’ll need to be cooled down. If your dog has access to the backyard, you should be wary of other animals. Coyotes can take your dog as food, and raccoons and skunks, which can live in urban settings, can get into fights with your dog.

Regular Exercise

Exercise helps your dog stay both physically and mentally healthy. Would you like to stay cooped up everyday of your life? Probably not, and neither would your dog. A golden doodle puppy should be walked 15-30 minutes a day, and an adult goldendoodle should be walked for at least 30 minutes. Different dog breeds need even more exercise. Walking your dog and taking them to the dog park are both good ways to socialize your dog with other dogs and people, which is important for their mental health. It also makes them more comfortable while in different environments.

Visits to the Vet

Just like how you need to visit a doctor, so does your dog. Taking them to a veterinarian at least once a year lets you know and find if there’s any problem with your dog. Your veterinarian will also tell you what you can do to help them live healthier lives. Checking for parasites and giving your dogs vaccines on a timely basis is important for their health. The canine parvovirus, which is very contagious, has a high fatality rate if left untreated, but it can be prevented with a vaccine. Spaying or neutering your dog also has a host of benefits for your dog.

Regular Bathroom Breaks

Some people forget, but dogs need to go potty on a regular basis and more frequently than some people expect. Having your dog hold it in is an unhealthy practice and can lead to various health problems such as kidney stones, urinary tract infections, and incontinence. Adult dogs, although they can hold it in for 8 hours, shouldn’t be made to hold it in for longer than 6 hours. Puppies and senior dogs should be allowed to relieve themselves even more frequently. Puppies also can’t hold it in very long either and need to be taken out often. A puppy 2 months old should be taken out every 2 hours, and a puppy 3 months old should be taken out within 4.

Grooming

Dogs should be groomed so that they’re comfortable and clean. Letting your dog grow too long nails will lead to problems and discomfort, so nails should be filed every month with an electric filer, such as a Dremel. Brushing your dog also helps to remove dirt and the shed hairs that might be stuck in their coats.

Grooming goldendoodles is relatively easy, and they’ll only need to be brushed once every few days to remove knots and loose hairs. If your goldendoodle has a straighter coat, they will need to be brushed more frequently because they tend to shed more than goldendoodles with curly coats.

When your goldendoodle gets shaggy, it’s time for a haircut! It’s important to have the groomer remove the hairs within their ears. These hairs can house bacteria and cause ear infections, which are already common among goldendoodles. Removing these hairs and regularly cleaning your goldendoodle’s ears can help prevent ear infections.