Owning dogs, especially taking care of the tornjak, is nothing new for people across the world. Zoologists postulate dogs were domesticated sometime between 12,000 and twenty five thousand years ago—and that all canines evolved from wolves. Since those days, we have selectively bred more than 400 breeds, which vary in size from four-pound teacup poodles all the way up to Irish wolfhounds, whose three-ft stature earns them the distinction of the tallest pooch. But the most widespread pooches are the non-pedigree dogs—the one-of-a-kind dogs known as mutts. The tornjak is another favorite choice with canine owners. Many owners are oblivious, however, of some of the most crucial tornjak care tips.
Typical health care cost for your tornjak
The annual budget for rearing the tornjak—including nutrition, veterinary care, toys and license—could vary between $420 and $780. This is not even including capital expenses for spay/neuter operations, dog collar and a leash, a dog carrier and a doggie crate. Tip: Be sure you have obtained all of your items before getting your tornjak home for the 1st time.
Basic tornjak Care
tornjak Feeding Outline
- tornjak puppies between 8 and 12 weeks old need four meals per day.
- Feed tornjak pups three to 6 months old 3 meals in a day.
- Feed puppies six months old to one year two bowls of food in a twenty-four hour period.
- When the tornjak reaches his first birthday, 1 bowl in a day is usually adequate.
- Some tornjaks might eat two lighter servings. It’s your duty to adapt to your tornjak’s eating habits.
High-quality dry food provides a balanced diet to full-grown tornjaks and may be mixed with water, broth, or canned food. Your tornjak may also like cottage cheese, cooked egg, fruits and vegetables, but these shouldn’t result in more than ten pct of his daily food. tornjak puppies must be given excellent-quality, brand-name puppy food. Please try to limit “table food”, though, because it can result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies, tooth and bone issues, and may result in very picky food choices as well as obesity. Give clean, fresh water only, and be sure to clean water and food dishes regularly.
tornjak Care Tips: Make sure to get your tornjak some daily exercise
tornjaks need physical activity to stay healthy, recharge their minds, and stay healthy. Daily physical activity also really helps tornjaks fight boredom, which often has the potential to lead to to difficult behavior. Physical activity will quench many of your tornjak’s instinctual urges to herd, dig, chase, retrieve and chew. Individual exercise needs will depend on your tornjak’s age and his level of health—but ten minutes in the backyard and just a walk down the street every day probably will not suffice. If your tornjak is a 6 to eighteen month adolescent, her requirements will be a little higher.
tornjak Grooming
Regular brushing will help reduce shedding and keep your tornjak clean. Check for ticks and fleas every day during warm weather. Most tornjaks don’t need a bath more than a few times per year. Prior to a bath, comb or cut out any mats from the tornjak’s coat. Rinse all soap out of the coat, or dirt will stick to soap residue.
tornjak Handling
Pups, as opposed to adults, are obviously the easiest to handle. To carry the tornjak pup, take 1 hand and place it under the dog’s chest, either with your forearm or other hand supporting his or her back legs and rump. Don’t ever try to lift or grab your pup by his front legs, tail or nape. If you need to pick up a larger, adult tornjak, lift from the underside, supporting his or her chest with one arm and rump with the other.
Housing your tornjak
tornjaks need a comfy peaceful spot to be able to relax away from all drafts and off the floor. You might want to purchase a doggie bed, or consider making one out of a wood box. Place a clean comforter, sheet, blanket, or pillow in the bed for cushion. Wash your tornjak’s bed covering frequently. If your tornjak will be spending a lot of time outdoors, be sure he has plenty of cool water and shade in hot weather, and a warm, dry, covered area in the cold.
tornjak Identification
Your area has licensing rules to heed. Be sure you connect the license to your tornjak’s collar. This, together with an identification tattoo or tag, will most likely help secure your tornjak’s return should she go missing.
tornjak Behavior Info
tornjak Training
A well-behaved, companion tornjak is truly a blessing to own. However, when left untrained, your tornjak will most likely be trouble. Training your tornjak on the standards—”Sit”, “Stay”, “Come”, “Down”, “Heel”, “Off”, and “Leave it”—will strengthen your relationship both with your pooch as well as the neighbors. If you own a pup, begin training her on the appropriate responses quickly! Use meals as a lure and reward. Puppies should start obedience courses when they have been sufficiently immunized. Call the community humane society or SPCA for information about obedience courses. It is wise to walk your tornjak leashed in public, even as a pup. Be sure your dog will come to you at all times whenever you say the word. A disobedient or aggressive tornjak should not play with people.
Knowing Your tornjak’s Health
tornjaks should visit the veterinarian for a thorough diagnosis, shots and a heartworm screening annualy, and promptly if she is ill or hurt.
About your tornjak’s Dental Health
Although we might simply dislike our tornjak’s foul breath, it’s important to be aware of what it might represent. Bad breath is a sign that your tornjak should get a dental exam. Dental plaque brought on by bacteria brings a bad odor that can only be eliminated by the help of a professional. Once your tornjak has had a cleaning from a professional, her mouth can be be preserved in a healthy state by eliminating table food, feeding a special diet focused on maintaining dental health, and brushing regularly. Your vet can supply you with more guidance on eradicating periodontal ailments as well as halitosis. You should brush the tornjak’s teeth using a dog toothpaste or a homemade baking soda and water paste twice weekly. Use a child’s soft toothbrush, a gauze pad or a piece of nylon pantyhose stretched over your finger. Periodontal disease,which is an infection between the tooth and the gum, often affects tornjaks. This troublesome condition will sometimes cause tooth loss and propagate infections throughout the body. The doctor will sometimes clean your tornjak’s teeth while performing her regular health checkup.
tornjak Bad Breath
While the foul odors due to dental disease might not be serious if caught early enough, some halitosis may be indicative of more serious, chronic causes for concern. Diseases of the intestines or liver also cause halitosis, and a pleasant, even fruity smell can usually be a sign of diabetes. Kidney disease is a possibility when your tornjak’s breath smells of ammonia or urine. Set an appointment with a veterinarian whenever your tornjak has halitosis along with other signs of disease like excessive urinating or drinking, depression or lethargy, weight loss, nausea, or decreased appetite.
Tick and Fleas in tornjaks
During the summer, it’s vital for you to perform daily checks of your tornjak for ticks and fleas. Use a flea comb to remove fleas. There are numerous new procedures of tick control. Consult your vet about her or his recommendations.
tornjaks With Heartworm Issues
This parasite lives in the heart and passes from an infested dog to your tornjak by way of mosquitoes. Heartworm infestations can be potentially deadly. It is critical that you make sure your tornjak submits to a blood screening for heartworms every spring. A monthly tablet given during the warm, wet time of the year will protect your tornjak. Your tornjak should be on heartworm medication throughout a winter trip to a warmer climate. In some warmer locations, vets advise preventive heartworm medication be taken continuously.
Poisons and Medications
Please don’t give your tornjak medication that has not been prescribed by his veterinarian. Just one ibuprofen tablet can initiate stomach ulcers in tornjaks. Keep rat poison and other rodenticides away from your tornjak. Make sure you call your dog’s vet if you have cause to suspect your tornjak has been exposed to a poisonous substance. You can also call the ASPCA Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 for twenty-four hour help.
tornjaks: Spaying and Neutering
It is recommended that female tornjaks be spayed—the removal of the uterus and ovaries—and males neutered—removal of the testes—by 6 months of age. You can greatly reduce your female tornjak’s breast cancer risk by spaying before maturity. Spaying also eradicates the possibility of a sick uterus, a traumatic issue in older females that necessitates intensive medical care and surgery. Testicular cancer, prostate diseases, some hernias and certain aggressive behavior are all preventable by neutering males.
tornjak Immunizing
- The combination vaccine (also called the “5-in-one shot”) ought to be given to your tornjak at two, three, and 4 months of age and then once yearly. This shot immunizes your pup from parainfluenza, parvovirus, leptospirosis, hepatitis, and distemper. Your tornjak must be vaccinated for at least the first four months of her life.
- If your tornjak has not been innoculated and is older than 4 months, she will need 2 vaccinations immediately, 2 or 3 weeks apart. Then you must innoculate annualy.
- Your tornjak puppy’s immunizations should coincide with her socialization program. You should bring your tornjak pup to socialization courses by 8 to nine weeks of age, as recommended by many veterinarians. At this age, they should have already received at least their first series of vaccines.
Regulations are so different between different areas, that it’s best to contact your neighborhood veterinarian about rabies vaccination information. For instance, NYC codes declare that pets older than three months be vaccinated for rabies. The initial rabies innoculation must be followed up by another immunization the following year, and then every 3 years after that. There are a variety of innoculations, many of which are right for your tornjak. Others, however, are not. Your veterinarian can give you his recommendation. Also, if your tornjak gets sick because she is not vaccinated, do not administer the innoculation until the dog has made a full recovery.
Worms in tornjaks
tornjaks are commonly exposed to worms and possible infestation—in all areas, both urban and rural. Tiny eggs made by intestinal worms are transmitted through an infected tornjak’s stool. Most pups, from all environments, even those with healthy mothers, carry hookworms or roundworms. The secret to effective treatment is early detection. This will make certain that the medicine is effective against the worms your dog has. A dewormer that eradicates hookworms, for example, will not kill tapeworms. Your veterinarian can best figure out the culprit—and prescribe the effective medication.
Additional tornjak Care Tips
tornjak Supply Checklist
- Top-quality dog food and treats specifically for tornjaks and similarly-sized dogs
- Food bowl
- Water bowl
- As many safe toys as you can provide, especially chewable
- Comb and brush for grooming, including a flea comb
- Collar with ID tag and license
- Leash
- Carrier (for puppies)
- Crate for training
- Dog box or bed with comforter or towel
- Child’s toothbrush
The no-no list
The following items should never be fed to tornjaks:
- Alcohol, beer, wine or liquor
- Coffee, tea, or chocolate
- Grapes or raisins
- Moldy or spoiled food of any kind
- Onions, chives & garlic
- Chicken, turkey, or any other poultry bones
- Salt and salty foods
- Tomato leaves, unripe fruit & stems
- Dough
Final Thoughts
Unless you are at home, or in a secured, fenced-in spot, always keep your tornjak on a leash. And please, when your tornjak defecates on your neighbor’s grass, dispose of it! Don’t forget to check out these other articles about tornjaks
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