Owning dogs, in particular taking care of the dutch shepherd dog, is nothing new for humans across the globe. Historians speculate that dogs were domesticated sometime between twelve thousand and 25,000 years ago—and that dogs evolved from the wolf. 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 3-ft stature earns them the distinction of tallest canine. But the most preferred canines are the non-pedigree dogs—the one-of-a-kind dogs known as mixed-breeds. The dutch shepherd dog is also a popular pick among canine owners. Many owners are misinformed, however, of some critical dutch shepherd dog care tips.
General cost of care for your dutch shepherd dog
The annual budget for raising your dutch shepherd dog—to include everything from meals and treats, to doctor bills, toys and license—could range between four hundred twenty and seven hundred eighty dollars. This does not even account for capital expenses for spay/neuter operations, collar and leash, dog carrier and a dog crate. Tip: Be positive you have all your items before getting your dutch shepherd dog home for the first time.
Typical dutch shepherd dog Care
Feeding your dutch shepherd dog
- dutch shepherd dog puppies between 8 and 12 weeks need 4 bowls of food every twenty-four hours.
- Feed dutch shepherd dog pups three to 6 months old three meals in a day.
- Feed pups 6 months old to 1 year old two bowls of food daily.
- When the dutch shepherd dog hits her first birthday, 1 feeding in a twenty-four hour period is adequate.
- Some dutch shepherd dogs, however, do better with two lighter meals. It is your job to adapt to your dutch shepherd dog’s eating schedule.
High-quality dry dog food provides balanced nutrition to full-grown dutch shepherd dogs and can mix with canned food, broth, or water. Your dutch shepherd dog may be fond of cooked eggs, fruits and vegetables, and cottage cheese, but these foods should be less than 10 pct of his daily nutrition intake. dutch shepherd dog pups should probably be given premium-quality, brand-name puppy food. You should cut down on “people food”, however, because it can result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies, bone and teeth issues, and may result in very picky eating habits as well as obesity. Give clean, potable water only, and make sure to clean food and water bowls regularly.
dutch shepherd dog Care Tips: Make sure your dutch shepherd dog gets plenty of daily physical activity
dutch shepherd dogs need some exercise to stay healthy, stimulate their brains, and keep healthy. Daily exercise also seems to help dutch shepherd dogs fight boredom, which often leads to difficult behavior. A little fun and games can quell many of your dutch shepherd dog’s instinctual urges to retrieve, dig, chew, chase and herd. Activity needs will depend on your dutch shepherd dog’s age and his level of health—but ten minutes in the backyard and just a walk around the block every day probably won’t do. If your dutch shepherd dog is a 6 to eighteen month adolescent, his requirements will probably be higher.
dutch shepherd dog Grooming Tips
Regular brushing will help keep your dutch shepherd dog clean and reduce shedding. Check for fleas and ticks daily during the summer or other warm weather. Many dutch shepherd dogs don’t need to be bathed more than a few times a year. Prior to giving her a bath, cut out or comb all mats from the dutch shepherd dog’s coat. Carefully rinse all soap out of the coat, or the dirt will stick to soap residue.
dutch shepherd dog Handling
Puppies are obviously the easiest to manage. To carry the dutch shepherd dog pup, place one of your hands beneath your dog’s chest, either with your forearm or your other hand supporting her back legs and rump. Never attempt to grab or lift your puppy by his or her front legs, tail or nape. If you need to pick up a bigger, adult dutch shepherd dog, pick it up from the underside, supporting his chest with one arm and rump with your other.
How to House the dutch shepherd dog
dutch shepherd dogs need a comfortable peaceful location to rest apart from all breezes and away from the ground. You may wish to purchase a doggie bed, or make one out of a wood box. Put a clean blanket or pillow in the bed as cushion. Wash your dutch shepherd dog’s bed covering frequently. If your dutch shepherd dog will be outdoors much, make certain she has access to plenty of cool water and shade in hot weather, and a dry, warm, covered area in winter.
Licensing and Identification for dutch shepherd dogs
Be certain to heed your community’s licensing rules. Make certain to attach the license to your dutch shepherd dog’s collar. This, along with an ID tag, can easily help you recover your dutch shepherd dog should he go missing.
Info on dutch shepherd dog Behavior
Training Your dutch shepherd dog
A well-mannered, companion dutch shepherd dog can be a blessing. However, when left untrained, your dutch shepherd dog may be nothing but trouble. Teaching your dutch shepherd dog the basics—”Come”, “Down”, “Heel”, “Off”, “Sit”, “Stay”, and “Leave it”—will bolster your relationship both with your dog as well as the company. If you’re the owner of a puppy, start teaching him or her the appropriate responses asap! Use a treat as recognition and incentive. Pups can start obedience classes when they have been sufficiently immunized. Call the community humane society or SPCA for information about training class recommendations. Invariably you should keep your dutch shepherd dog leashed in public, even while a pup. Just be sure your doggie will come to you whenever you tell him to. An aggressive or disobedient dutch shepherd dog can’t play with kids.
Knowing Your dutch shepherd dog’s Health
dutch shepherd dogs should see the veterinarian for a full examination, innoculations and a heartworm exam each year, and promptly when she is sick or injured.
dutch shepherd dog Dental Health
While many of us may simply dislike our dutch shepherd dog’s foul breath, we must pay attention to what it might represent. Foul breath is a sign that your dutch shepherd dog needs a dental examination. Plaque brought on by unhealthy bacteria brings a bad stench that can only be eliminated by the help of a professional. Once you have given your dutch shepherd dog a cleaning from a professional, the teeth and gums can be kept healthy by feeding a special diet focused on dental health, eliminating table food, and regular brushing. Your veterinarian can provide you other guidance on mitigating dental problems and bad breath. You should clean your dutch shepherd dog’s teeth with a doggie toothpaste or a simple baking soda and water paste a few times a week. Use a child’s soft toothbrush, a gauze pad or a piece of nylon stocking stretched over your finger. Periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, often affects dutch shepherd dogs. Sometimes, teeth loss happens because of periodontal infection. Infection can possibly also propagate to the rest of your dutch shepherd dog’s body. Veterinarians will brush your dog’s teeth as a regular part of your dutch shepherd dog’s health screening.
Breeds with Halitosis (bad breath)
If your dutch shepherd dog has halitosis, periodontal disease may not necessarily be the only issue, as other ailments also have that symptom. A sweet, even pleasant smell can sometimes be a sign of diabetes, while intestinal or liver diseases may cause foul breath. Kidney disease is a possible reason if your dutch shepherd dog’s breath smells like ammonia or urine. Set an appointment with a veterinarian whenever your dutch shepherd dog has halitosis along with other signs of disease like excessive urinating or drinking, depression or lethargy, weight loss, nausea, or decreased appetite.
dutch shepherd dog Tick and Flea Issues
Daily, regular inspections of your dutch shepherd dog for fleas and ticks in the warm seasons are vital. Use a flea comb to remove fleas. There are several new procedures of tick and flea elimination. Ask your vet about his options.
Heartworm problems in dutch shepherd dogs
This parasite lives in the heart and passes from a contaminated dog to your dutch shepherd dog by mosquitoes. Heartworm infections are potentially deadly. It’s extremely critical that you ensure your dutch shepherd dog takes a blood screening for this parasite annually each spring. A once-a-month pill given in the warm, wet time of the year can protect your dutch shepherd dog. When you vacation in warmer climates with your dutch shepherd dog during the winter, he should be on the preventive medicine during the trip. There are some places, usually the locations with more moderate climates, where the vets recommend heartworm tablets be taken throughout the year.
Poisions and Medicines
If you’re contemplating giving your dutch shepherd dog medication that was not prescribed for her by his doctor, don’t do it. One little ibuprofen tablet can possibly create stomach ulcers in dutch shepherd dogs. Keep rat poison and other rodenticides away from your dutch shepherd dog. When you suspect your dog has eaten a toxin, contact the doctor or the ASPCA Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 for twenty-four-hour animal poison information.
dutch shepherd dogs: Neutering and Spaying
It is recommended that female dutch shepherd dogs be spayed—which is the extraction of the uterus and ovaries—and males neutered—extraction of the testicles—by six months of age. Spaying before maturity greatly diminishes the risk of breast cancer, which is a common and usually fatal disorder of older female dutch shepherd dogs. The risk of an infected uterus, which is another serious affliction that affects more mature females, can also be removed by spaying while young. Testicular cancer, prostate diseases, some hernias and certain types of aggressions are all preventable by neutering males.
Shots for your dutch shepherd dog
- The combination vaccine (also known as the “5-in-one shot”) ought to be given to your dutch shepherd dog at 2, three, and 4 months of age and again once each year. This shot immunizes your dutch shepherd dog puppy from distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus, and parainfluenza. The dutch shepherd dog must be immunized for at least the first four months of her life.
- If your dutch shepherd dog has not been vaccinated and is older than four months, he will need 2 immunizations immediately, two to three weeks apart. Then you must immunize every year.
- dutch shepherd dog puppy socialization and innoculation should go hand in hand. Many doctors recommend that new owners bring their dutch shepherd dog pups to socialization courses, beginning at 8 to nine weeks of age. They should have already received their first immunizations by then.
Since rules vary so much around the country, contact your neighborhood doctor to get information on rabies innoculation. In NYC, for instance, the law states that all pets older than 3 months must be vaccinated for rabies. After the initial vaccination, she must have another immunization the following year, and then every 3 years. There are a variety of immunizations, many of which are effective for your dutch shepherd dog. There are others that are not, however. Ask your dutch shepherd dog’s vet for her recommendation. Also, if your dutch shepherd dog gets ill because he is not vaccinated, do not administer the shot until the dog has made a full recovery.
Tapeworms in dutch shepherd dogs
dutch shepherd dogs are commonly exposed to worms and possible infestation—especially in rural areas. Eggs that carry hookworms and roundworms are transmitted through a dog’s stool. Most puppies, even from healthy mothers in good homes, carry roundworms or hookworms. An accurate, early detection is the secret to treatment. This will maximize the possibility that the medication is highly effective against the parasite your dog has. A dewormer that eliminates roundworms, for example, cannot kill tapeworms. Your doctor can best define the culprit—and assign the appropriate treatment.
Miscellaneous dutch shepherd dog Care Tips
Checklist of dutch shepherd dog Supplies
- Premium-quality dog food and treats specifically designed for dutch shepherd dogs and similarly-sized dogs
- Food bowl
- Water dish
- 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 pups)
- Crate for training
- Box or dog bed with sheet or towel
- Doggie or child’s toothbrush
The no-no list
Never feed your dutch shepherd dog the following:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Chocolate, tea, coffee, or any other caffeinated foods
- Raisins & grapes
- Spoiled or moldy food of any kind
- Onions, garlic or chives
- Chicken, turkey, or any other poultry bones
- Salt and salty foods
- Tomato leaves, stems & unripe fruit
- Yeast dough
The “Bottom” Line
Unless you are at home, or in a secured, fenced-in place, always keep your dutch shepherd dog on a leash. And please, when your dutch shepherd dog defecates on your neighbor’s yard, remove it! Don’t forget to check out these other articles about dutch shepherd dogs
Was this post helpful? If so, please take a minute to Tweet and Share below on Facebook. I would also love to know your thoughts so leave me a comment 🙂
Follow