Owning dogs, especially providing care for the portuguese water dog, is a specialty of humans across the globe. Some zoologists postulate that dogs were domesticated sometime between 12,000 and twenty five thousand years ago—and that canines evolved from wolves. Since those days, people have selectively bred more than four hundred breeds, which range in size from 4-pound teacup poodles to Irish wolfhounds, who have earned the title of the tallest canine. However, the most popular pooches are the non-pedigree dogs—the one-of-a-kind dogs known as mixed-breeds. The portuguese water dog is another popular pick among dog owners. Some owners are uninformed, however, of some of the most common portuguese water dog care tips.
Cost of care for the portuguese water dog
The annual cost of caring for your portuguese water dog—including everything from meals, veterinary care, toys and license—could range between $420 and $780. This figure doesn’t include capital costs for spay/neuter procedures, collar and leash, a dog carrier and dog crate. Note: Make sure you have obtained all of the required items before you bring your portuguese water dog home for the 1st time.
General portuguese water dog Care
How To Feed your portuguese water dog
- portuguese water dog pups between eight and twelve weeks need four meals every 24 hours.
- portuguese water dog pups 3 to 6 months old should be fed 3 meals every twenty-four hour period.
- Feed pups 6 months old to one year old two times in a 24 hour period.
- When the portuguese water dog hits her 1st birthday, one feeding in a day is usually sufficient.
- Many times adult portuguese water dogs might prefer two smaller helpings. It is your job to learn your portuguese water dog’s eating tendencies.
Premium-quality dry dogfood ensures a balanced diet for grown portuguese water dogs and can mix with canned food, water, or broth. Your portuguese water dog may have a taste for cottage cheese, fruits and vegetables, and cooked eggs, but these foods should be less than ten pct of her daily food allowance. portuguese water dog puppies must be fed top-quality, brand-name puppy food. Please try to limit “table food”, however, because it can cause mineral and vitamin deficiencies, tooth and bone issues, and might cause very finicky eating habits and obesity. Clean, potable water should be available at all times, and make certain to clean water and food dishes frequently.
portuguese water dog Care Tips: Your portuguese water dog needs physical activity daily
portuguese water dogs need exercise to stay healthy, recharge their minds, and stay healthy. Exercise also seems to help portuguese water dogs avoid boredom, which often has the potential to lead to to destructive behavior. Playing outside would quench many of your portuguese water dog’s desires to herd, dig, chase, retrieve and chew. Activity needs depend on your portuguese water dog’s level of health and his age—but a couple of walks down the street every day and ten minutes in the backyard probably won’t suffice. If your portuguese water dog is a six to 18 month adolescent, her requirements will be more.
portuguese water dog Grooming
Frequent brushing will help reduce shedding and keep your portuguese water dog clean. Check for fleas and ticks daily during the summer or other warm weather. Many portuguese water dogs don’t need to be bathed more than a few times during the year. Prior to bathing, comb or cut out any and all mats from the portuguese water dog’s hair. Rinse all soap out of the coat, or the dirt will stick to the soap.
portuguese water dog Handling
Puppies, as opposed to adults, are obviously the easiest to manage. When carrying the portuguese water dog pup, place 1 of your hands under your dog’s chest, either with the forearm or other hand supporting his back legs and rump. Don’t ever try to lift or grab your puppy by her front legs, tail or nape. When you must pick up a bigger, full-grown portuguese water dog, pick it up from underneath, holding his or her chest with 1 arm and rump with the other arm.
portuguese water dog housing
Your portuguese water dog needs a comfortable peaceful spot in order to sleep apart from all the breezes and away from the ground. You may wish to purchase a dog bed, or make one from a wood box. Place a clean sheet, comforter, blanket, or pillow in the bed as cushion. Wash your portuguese water dog’s bed covering frequently. If your portuguese water dog will be outdoors frequently, be sure she has access to plenty of cool water and shade in hot weather, and a warm, covered, dry shelter in the cold.
Licensing and Identification for portuguese water dogs
There are licensing rules to follow in your community. You should attach the license to your portuguese water dog’s collar. The license, along with an ID tattoo or tag, could help you recover your portuguese water dog should she go missing.
portuguese water dog Behavior Information
About Training the portuguese water dog
Well-mannered, companion portuguese water dogs are a blessing. However, left untrained, your dog will most likely be a big headache. Teaching your portuguese water dog the basics—”Sit”, “Stay”, “Come”, “Down”, “Heel”, “Off”, and “Leave it”—improves your relationship with both your portuguese water dog as well as the family. If you’re the owner of a pup, start training her on the right behavior as soon as humanly possible! Food can be used as incentive and recognition. Puppies should start obedience courses when they are sufficiently immunized. Contact the local humane society or SPCA for details about training class recommendations. It is wise to keep your portuguese water dog leashed when, even while a pup. Be sure your portuguese water dog will come to you whenever you call her. A disobedient or aggressive portuguese water dog can’t play with other people.
Your portuguese water dog’s Health
Your portuguese water dog should visit the veterinarian for a thorough screening, innoculations and a heartworm assessment every single year, and immediately if she is hurt or sick.
Your portuguese water dog’s Dental Health
Although we may object to our portuguese water dog’s foul breath, we must be aware of what it might be telling us. Foul breath is a symptom that your portuguese water dog requires a dental screening. Plaque triggered by unhealthy bacteria results in a foul smell that demands the help of a professional. After a cleaning done by a professional, her mouth may be kept up by feeding a special diet focused on dental health, eliminating table food, and regular brushing. Your vet can provide you with more information on eliminating dental ailments and bad breath. You can use a baking soda and water paste or a dog toothpaste once or twice per week to brush your portuguese water dog’s teeth. Use a child’s soft toothbrush, a gauze pad or a piece of nylon stocking stretched over your finger. Some portuguese water dogs get periodontal disease, also called gum disease. Sometimes, teeth loss happens as a result of periodontal infection. Diseases will sometimes also propagate to other areas of your portuguese water dog’s body. The doctor will sometimes clean your portuguese water dog’s teeth while performing his routine health screening.
Bad Breath in portuguese water dogs
Even though oral disease in and of itself is not that serious when found early enough, the foul odors may be indicative of serious, long-term issues. A sweet, fruity smell may usually be a sign of diabetes, while diseases of the liver or intestines may cause foul breath. Kidney disease may be the reason if your portuguese water dog’s breath smells like ammonia or urine. Whenever you determine your portuguese water dog has bad breath accompanied by other indications of disease, such as diminished appetite, vomiting and nausea, loss of weight, depression, too much urination and drinking, plan a checkup with his or her veterinarian.
portuguese water dog Flea and Tick Issues
Regular, daily inspections of your portuguese water dog for ticks and fleas during the summer are important. Use a flea comb to remove fleas. There are several new procedures of tick and flea management. Visit your portuguese water dog’s doctor about his or her recommendations.
Heartworms in portuguese water dogs
The heartworm is a parasite that lives in the heart and is passed from an infested dog to your portuguese water dog by way of mosquitoes. Several portuguese water dogs die each year as a result of heartworm infections. It’s very critical to make sure your portuguese water dog has a blood test for heartworms each year in the spring. A once-a-month tablet given in the warm, wet time of the year can protect your portuguese water dog. Should you ever vacation in a warmer-than-usual climate with your portuguese water dog in the winter, your dog ought to be on the preventive medicine during the trip. There are some locations, usually the places with warmer climates, where doctors advise parasite pills be used year round.
Medicines and Toxins
If you’re considering giving your portuguese water dog pills that was not prescribed for him by his doctor, don’t. One little ibuprofen tablet can possibly cause stomach ulcers in portuguese water dogs. Make sure your portuguese water dog is never exposed to rat poison and other rodenticides. When you have reason to think that your doggie has ingested a poison, notify your veterinarian or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 for 24-hour animal poison instructions.
portuguese water dogs: Spaying and Neutering
Male portuguese water dogs should be neutered – the extraction of the testicles – and females spayed – the removal of the ovaries and uterus – by 6 months old. You usually will greatly diminish your female portuguese water dog’s risk of breast cancer by spaying before adulthood. Spaying also eradicates the possibility of a sick uterus, a traumatic condition in more mature females that necessitates surgery. Neutering males prevents testicular diseases, some hernias and certain types of aggression.
portuguese water dog Shots
- The combo vaccine (also called the “five-in-1 shot”) needs to be given to your portuguese water dog at 2, 3, and four months of age and again once yearly. This shot immunizes your pup from distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus, and parainfluenza. The portuguese water dog puppy’s immunization regimen cannot be completed prior to 4 months old.
- If your portuguese water dog has not been vaccinated and is older than 4 months, he will need to be given 2 innoculations promptly, 2 to 3 weeks apart. Then you must immunize every year.
- portuguese water dog puppy vaccination and socialization should coincide. Many vets recommend that new owners take their portuguese water dog pups to socialization classes, beginning at 8 or 9 weeks of age. At this age, they should have already received their first vaccinations.
Regulations are so different around the country, the best thing is to contact your local doctor about rabies immunization info. In NYC, for example, the rule requires any pets older than three months of age to be vaccinated for rabies. After the initial innoculation, you must have a second shot the next year, and then every 3 years. There are many immunizations, many of which are appropriate for your portuguese water dog. There are others that are not, however. Your veterinarian can give you his recommendation. By the way, if your portuguese water dog gets ill because she is not vaccinated, do not administer the innoculation until the dog has made a full recovery.
Hookworms in portuguese water dogs
portuguese water dogs are often exposed to worms—in all areas, both urban and rural. Tiny eggs produced by roundworms are passed in an infected portuguese water dog’s stool. Most pups, from all environments, even those with healthy mothers, carry hookworms or roundworms. The key to treatment is early diagnosis. Early, accurate diagnosis maximizes the possibility that prescribed medication will be effective against your portuguese water dog’s worms. A dewormer that eliminates hookworms, for example, won’t kill tapeworms. Your veterinarian can best figure out the culprit—and prescribe the best treatment.
portuguese water dog Care Tips: Additional Info
Checklist of portuguese water dog Supplies
- Excellent-quality dog food and snacks specifically designed for portuguese water dogs and similarly-sized dogs
- Food dish
- Water bowl
- As many safe toys as you can provide, especially chewable
- Brush and comb for grooming, including flea comb
- Collar with license and ID tag
- Leash
- Carrier (for puppies)
- Crate for training
- Dog box or bed with quilt or towel
- Doggie or child’s toothbrush
The no-no list
The following items should never be fed to portuguese water dogs:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Chocolate, coffee, or tea
- Raisins or grapes
- Spoiled or moldy food
- Onions, chives or garlic
- Bones of chicken, turkey, or any other animal (choking hazard)
- Salt and salty foods
- Tomato leaves, unripe fruit or stems
- Yeast dough
Final Thoughts
Unless you are at home, or in a fenced-in, secured area, keep your portuguese water dog on a leash at all times. Whenever your portuguese water dog does number two on a neighbor’s lawn, his sidewalk or any other public place, please dispose of it! Don’t forget to check out these other articles about portuguese water dogs
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