Dog Kennel Guide

Puppies, like babies, need food specifically designed to meet their nutritional needs. Just as adults do not eat the same food as babies, puppies cannot be fed on adult dog food. Puppies grown at a phenomenal rate and their diet needs to be focused on giving them the nutrients they need to boost their physical development into adult animals. Puppies also have smaller stomachs, so puppy food needs to be given at more frequent intervals but in smaller portions to prevent stretching their stomachs.

Chicken, rice and corn-based foods suit most puppies and give them the specific dietary requirements they need. Protein is a basic necessity for fast-growing puppies. This aids their physical and muscle development to promote an athletic and healthy adult body. They also need calcium and phosphorus to promote ultimate bone strength, and carbohydrates and fats are also essential for growth. Puppies need to eat between two and four times as much as adult dogs to keep up with their development, and their food needs to give them the energy they need to grow.

Types of Puppy Food

There are a host of different foods on the market specifically designed for growing puppies to ensure they get a healthy balanced diet. You can chose from dry complete diets, semi-moist or tinned food and with or without biscuit mixes. Royal Canin puppy food also features different types for different breeds of dog, such as daschunds, boxers, Chihuahuas or bulldogs. The Purina dog food brand has also developed a range of special puppy formulas, designed for different breeds and sizes of dog, to give each breed the desired balance of ingredients.

Puppy food available on the general market includes all the proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals your dog requires for a balanced diet. This means you should not need to give your puppy any additional vitamins.

Puppy foods are generally created specifically to make sure they contain the essential balance of those vital ingredients to aid your dog’s growth. Buying commercial puppy food means you can be sure your dog is receiving the nutrients it needs in the correct amounts.

With the number of families owning a dog rising year on year, combined with a huge increase in the proportion of households where all adult members go out to work, there has been a sharp rise in the number of establishments offering doggy daycare to help fill the gap in the gaps in dogs’ daily care.

Some people simply leave their dog in a large dog cage to allow him to get some exercise in a secure environment while others employ a dog walker who comes around to the house once per day to take their dog for a long walk.  However, if you are looking for more wrap around care for your pet then by far your best option is dog daycare.

A dog day care business will generally be found on the outskirts of towns where there is plenty of space on which to build their facilities.   These usually include a large, secure field in which dogs can run around freely and a building with pens where dogs can be shut in if necessary.  Quite often there will also be a dog kennel or two so that any dogs who are used to sleeping in them will feel quite at home.

The are many great benefits of doggy daycare.  Firstly, you can drop your dog off at the centre on your way to work or, for an extra charge, they will even come and collect him.  You can then be sure that he is getting human contact all day, rather than being left home alone, and lots of time socialising with other dogs.  He will be exercised, either by running around in a field or by being taken for a walk with some of the other dogs, and will be played with and stimulated.

There are also lots of little extras that you may not at first think of, such as that if he falls ill he will be taken straight to the vets.  The owners of the doggy day care will also often take dogs to their annual trips to the vets for their jabs too.  Also, should the weather suddenly turn cold or wet they can bring the dogs inside or put dog jackets on them.  Some establishments will even perform dog care routines such as grooming, nail clipping and bathing for a little extra cost.

If you are suffering from feelings of guilt every morning when you leave your dog whining with a hang dog expression then go on the internet and search out your nearest doggy daycare centre.

Many people would argue that dogs are made for walking and that the phrase ‘walkies’ brings about a huge amount of excitement and bouncing around.  However, for some dog walking isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  It may be that your dog is old and arthritic and, though he still loves to be outdoors, he can’t walk any distance any more.  Or it may be that you have a smaller dog but often go for very long walks which he can’t manage with his little legs.  In these cases you would be well advised to look into buying a dog carrier.

Believe it or not there is actually a large and varied range of dog carriers on the market today.  Most people are well aware of the dog crates which are used when carrying a dog to the vets or a boarding kennel.  These are made from plastic with a grate at the front to stop the dog from getting out.  If you are proud of your green credentials then a cardboard eco-carrier made from mostly re-cycled materials will stop you panicking about the amount of plastic you are using.

If you have a particularly petite pet then a small dog carrier in the form of a hand bag is all you will need.  These specially designed bags have reinforced handles which are slightly longer than those on a normal handbag so that the dog can sit up and poke his head out.  The bag is also well ventilated so that your pet is able to breathe even if the bag is done up.

Modes of transport for babies have also been used as a model for various types of dog carrier.  It is possible to get a front pouch style carrier for dogs up to about 20lbs.  These have padded bottoms and a lead and collar fastener at the top to stop the dog from escaping.  They also have lots of useful pockets for the dog owner to stash his or her belongings.  The other type of carrier is in the form of a stroller only the seat is completely flat and padded with a mesh front to stop the dog from jumping out.

The final type of dog carrier to discuss is a collapsible carrier.  These are made from a light metal frame which has a nylon cover stretched over it.  These are incredibly light weight and fold down very small and so don’t take up much space.  This type of carrier is ideal for journeys in the car.

So, next time you think that you will have to leave your pet at home in his dog kennel while you go out for a walk, think again!

Everyone knows that dogs need walking.  Their age, size and breed will determine how much walking they need but all dogs will need to be taken out at least once per day (unless they are ill or extremely elderly).  Of course for many people part of the attraction of owning a dog is to take it on lovely long walks in the countryside but in the modern age of everyone in a family working, often long hours, it is not always practical or possible to do this.  If you are someone who finds it hard to fit in dog walks on the days that they work then you should consider paying someone for their dog walking services.

Leaving your pet in his dog kennel all day is not just boring for him, it is also unkind.  Dogs like to run around and sniff at new and interesting discoveries.  If you leave him in the same place all day he is likely to develop behaviour problems and to become unhappy.  Even an outdoor dog kennel, which gives him access to outside space will soon become tiresome for him if he doesn’t get to go out as well.  Luckily there are many people up and down the country who are advertising their dog walking services.

Look on the internet or in the local papers for people advertising as dog walkers and then ask for references from some other people who are using them.  These people will come to your home as many times in a day as you would like, collect your dog and take him out for a walk for however long you have specified.  Often they will have more than one dog to walk and so your pet will be getting some social interaction and company as well as some much needed exercise.

You will need to make sure that they have specific instructions such as whether he can be let off the lead, any fears he may have and whether he should be returned to the house or his dog kennel.  It is also very important that they know whether he is disturbed by other dog or children as you won’t want them to get him into a situation where he ends up in trouble.

You may also find that someone advertising dog walking services is also willing to do some pet sitting for you if you need to go away for a night or maybe even longer.

When you make the decision to go away on holiday then one of the first things that you will need to think about once you have made the booking is what you are going to do with your pets.  Are you going to use a dog kennel, dog sitter or get a friend or member of the family to look after him?  For many people a dog boarding kennels is the only real option if he can’t stay with a member of your family.

Before you sign up your dog for a holiday of his own go and have a good look at the dog boarding facilities available at several different places in your town.  You will find that they can vary quite a lot in what is offered and how much is charged.  When you arrive for your visit ensure that each dog kennel is scrupulously clean with fresh water easily available.  Find out whether they provide bedding and how often your dog will be exercised.  If every dog pen that you look into has a miserable looking dog in it then keep well away.

A quality dog boarding kennels will be happy to answer any questions that you have and will demand that your pet is up to date with all his vaccinations.  This way you can ensure that he is not likely to catch anything from another dog.  If you own cats as well as dogs then be sure to look for somewhere that also does cat boarding as this will stop you from having to drive all over town on the day before you leave for your holiday when you have a huge list of other things to do.

Some boarding kennels for dogs are more like luxury hotels with hydrotherapy pools, treat times and the whole range of dog grooming services from a simple wash and brush to nail and coat clipping.  These places will give you a choice of group playtimes, where your dog gets to play with others who are staying, or individual attention, which is often better for more aggressive breeds or un-neutered males.  They will often also give your dog a bath on the night before he is due to come home so that you get him back smelling lovely and fresh!

Once you have decided which of the dog boarding kennels is for you ask a few people who you see out walking their dogs if they know anything about these kennels as word of mouth is often the best way to find out about the quality of provision.

Owning a dog is becoming more and more popular and dogs make fantastic pets.  However, the disadvantage over owning a cat is that they need more care and attention and can pine and get anxious when they aren’t with their owner.  While many dogs are happy to wait in their dog kennel for their owner’s return from work others bark and cause damage to the house or garden.

The answer to this is to put your pet into doggie day care while you are at work, or even if you are just going for a daytrip out where dogs can’t be taken.  This way they will be getting both company and exercise, two of the things closest to a dog’s heart!

Many doggie day care centres will collect your pet before you leave for work and take him to the centre.  Here the dog will be fed according to your wishes, regularly exercised by people employed especially for dog walking and washed if they get muddy when out walking.  If you are lucky they will even perform some of your weekly dog grooming chores such as brushing or clipping nails.

Your dog will be in safe hands as most centres have rules about not admitting violent dogs, though they may run obedience classes so that your dog can learn to behave well and then be admitted for day care.

One of the big advantages of doggy day care is that your pet will become very socialised after spending his days with dogs of every different size and breed.  They will also learn to respond to people, other than yourself, in an appropriate and trusting way.

When looking into the best centre for your dog, ensure that they have access to a vet at any time for emergencies and that they have facilities such a dog kennel and run for those that might want to spend a bit of time alone to chill out or sleep.  Some centres will even attend veterinary appointments with your pet if you can’t manage it due to work commitments.

If you are away on holiday then you may want to use a doggie day care centre which allows overnight stays or you may decide that dog sitting would be a better, where someone comes and stays in your house to look after your pet while you are away.  This way your pet can remain in the comfort of his own dog kennel while you are enjoying your break without worrying about him.