Raising dogs, in particular providing care for the petit bleu de gascogne, is old hat for humans across the globe. Experts say that dogs were domesticated between twelve thousand and twenty five thousand years ago—and that dogs evolved from wolves. Since then, people have selectively bred more than four hundred breeds, varying 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. However, the most preferred dogs are the non-pedigree dogs—the one-of-a-kind dogs known as mutts. The petit bleu de gascogne is also a favorite pick with dog owners. Some owners are uninformed, however, of some crucial petit bleu de gascogne care tips.
Cost of care for your petit bleu de gascogne
The yearly budget for taking care of your petit bleu de gascogne—which includes everything from food and treats, to vet bills, toys and license—can range between $420 and seven hundred eighty dollars. This figure doesn’t include capital costs for spay/neuter operations, collar and leash, dog carrier and a dog crate. Tip: Make sure you have all of your items before you bring your petit bleu de gascogne home for the first time.
Typical petit bleu de gascogne Care
Feeding the petit bleu de gascogne
- petit bleu de gascogne pups between eight and 12 weeks old need four bowls of food a day.
- petit bleu de gascogne pups 3 to 6 months old should be fed 3 meals daily.
- Feed pups 6 months old to one year old two times daily.
- By the time the petit bleu de gascogne makes her 1st birthday, 1 bowl a day is sufficient.
- Many times adult petit bleu de gascognes, however, do better with two smaller meals. It is your responsibility to learn your petit bleu de gascogne’s eating schedule.
Top-quality dry dogfood provides balanced nutrition for grown petit bleu de gascognes and can mix with canned food, broth, or water. Your petit bleu de gascogne may also dig cottage cheese, cooked egg, fruits and vegetables, but these foods should be less than 10 pct of his daily allowance. petit bleu de gascogne puppies must be given top-quality, name brand puppy food. Please limit “table food”, though, since it can cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies, bone and teeth concerns, and may result in some very finicky eating habits as well as obesity. Clean, potable water should be available only, and be sure to wash water and food bowls frequently.
petit bleu de gascogne Care Tips: Make sure to get your petit bleu de gascogne some daily exercise
petit bleu de gascognes need physical activity so they can stay in shape, stimulate their minds, and maintain their health. Exercise also really helps petit bleu de gascognes fight boredom, which would often lead to naughty behavior. Playing outside can appease most of your petit bleu de gascogne’s instinctual urges to chew, dig, chase, retrieve and herd. Individual exercise needs can depend on your petit bleu de gascogne’s age and his or her level of health—but 10 minutes in back of the house and just a walk down the street every day probably won’t be enough. If your petit bleu de gascogne is a six to 18 month adolescent, his requirements will probably be relatively higher.
petit bleu de gascogne Grooming
Regular brushing will help keep your petit bleu de gascogne clean and reduce shedding. Inspect for ticks and fleas daily during the summer or other warm weather. Sometimes petit bleu de gascognes don’t need to be bathed more than a few times during the year. Before bathing, comb or cut out any and all mats from the petit bleu de gascogne’s hair. Rinse all soap out of the coat, or dirt will stick to soap residue.
Handling Your petit bleu de gascogne
Pups are obviously easier to manage. When carrying your petit bleu de gascogne pup, put 1 of your hands beneath your dog’s chest, with either the forearm or other hand supporting his hind legs and rump. Don’t ever attempt to grab or lift your pup by the forelegs, tail or back of the neck. If you have to lift a larger, adult petit bleu de gascogne, pick it up from the underside, bracing her chest with one of your arms and rump with your other.
Housing your petit bleu de gascogne
Your petit bleu de gascogne needs a comfortable peaceful place to relax away from all drafts and off the ground or floor. You may want to think about purchasing a doggie bed, or try making one from a wood box. Place a clean comforter or pillow inside the bed. Wash your petit bleu de gascogne’s bed covering often. If the petit bleu de gascogne will be spending a lot of time outdoors, be certain he has shade and plenty of cool water in hot weather, and a dry, warm, covered area when it’s cold.
petit bleu de gascogne Identification
Your community has licensing regulations to follow. You should connect the license to the petit bleu de gascogne’s collar. The license, together with an identification tag, will most likely help you recover your petit bleu de gascogne should she become lost.
Info on petit bleu de gascogne Temperament
Thoughts on Training Your petit bleu de gascogne
Well-mannered, companion petit bleu de gascognes can be a blessing to raise. However, when untrained, your dog can easily be a lot of trouble. Teaching your petit bleu de gascogne the minimums—”Come”, “Down”, “Heel”, “Off”, “Sit”, “Stay”, and “Leave it”—will improve the relationship both with the pooch and the company. If you’re the owner of a puppy, begin training her on the appropriate responses as fast as you can! Use doggie snacks as recognition and incentive. Pups should commence obedience courses when they are sufficiently vaccinated. Call the local humane society or SPCA for details on obedience courses. It is best to walk your petit bleu de gascogne on a leash in public, even as a pup. Just be sure your petit bleu de gascogne will come back to you every time you say. An aggressive or disobedient petit bleu de gascogne shouldn’t play with people.
Knowing Your petit bleu de gascogne’s Health
Your petit bleu de gascogne should see the vet for a full diagnosis, vaccinations and heartworm examination annualy, and immediately when she is sick or hurt.
Your petit bleu de gascogne’s Dental Health
Although we may simply dislike our petit bleu de gascogne’s bad breath, we should be aware of what it might be telling us. Foul-smelling breath is a symptom that your petit bleu de gascogne is in need of a dental check up. Dental plaque caused by bacteria brings a bad smell that requires the help of a professional. Once your petit bleu de gascogne has had a professional oral cleaning, his gums and teeth can be kept up by feeding a special diet focused on dental health, eliminating table food, and regular brushing. The veterinarian can provide you other advice for minimizing oral disease and bad breath. You can use a baking soda and water paste or a dog toothpaste once or twice per week to brush your petit bleu de gascogne’s teeth. Use a child’s soft toothbrush, a gauze pad or a piece of nylon stocking stretched over your finger. Sometimes, petit bleu de gascognes end up with periodontal disease, which is also known as an infection between the gums and teeth. Often, loss of teeth happens due to periodontal infection. Infections can also propagate to other areas of your petit bleu de gascogne’s body. The vet can sometimes clean your dog’s teeth as a regular part of your petit bleu de gascogne’s health exam.
Bad Breath in petit bleu de gascognes
Even though the foul odors due to periodontal disease may not be very serious if caught early enough, sometimes halitosis may be indicative of serious, long-term issues. Diseases of the liver or intestines sometimes cause stinky breath, whereas a fruity, sweet smell can usually be a sign of diabetes. Kidney disease may be the cause if your petit bleu de gascogne’s breath smells like ammonia or urine. If you find your petit bleu de gascogne has bad breath in conjunction with other indications of ill health, such as diminished appetite, nausea and vomiting, loss of weight, moodiness, including depression, a lot of drinking or urinating, plan an assessment with your dog’s veterinarian.
petit bleu de gascogne Flea and Tick Issues
Daily inspections of your petit bleu de gascogne for fleas and ticks throughout the summer are vital. Find fleas with a flea comb. There are several new procedures of flea and tick reduction. Talk to your vet about his options.
Heartworm problems in petit bleu de gascognes
The heartworm is a parasite that resides in the heart and is passed from an infested dog to your petit bleu de gascogne by way of mosquitoes. Heartworm infections can be potentially fatal. It’s critical that you ensure your petit bleu de gascogne takes a blood test for heartworms every spring. A once-a-month tablet taken during the warm, wet time of the year will protect your petit bleu de gascogne. Your petit bleu de gascogne should be on heartworm medication throughout a winter trip to a warmer climate. There are some locations, usually the areas with milder temperatures, where the doctors recommend worm tablets be taken continually.
Medicines and Toxins
Please don’t give your petit bleu de gascogne medication that has not been prescribed by his vet. Are you aware that just one ibuprofen capsule can sometimes cause stomach ulcers in petit bleu de gascognes? Make sure your petit bleu de gascogne is never exposed to rat poison and other rodenticides. If you have reason to believe your pooch has been exposed to a poisonous substance, contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 twenty-four hrs. per day for information.
petit bleu de gascogne Reproductive Operations
It is recommended that male petit bleu de gascognes should be neutered – the extraction of the testes – and females spayed – the removal of the uterus and ovaries – by 6 months of age. Spaying before maturity significantly reduces the breast cancer risk, a common and often fatal disease of more mature females. Spaying also eradicates the risk of an infected uterus, a very serious condition in older females that demands surgery. Prostate diseases, testicular cancer, certain types of aggressions and some hernias are all preventable by neutering males.
Shots for your petit bleu de gascogne
- petit bleu de gascogne pups should be innoculated with a combo shot (called a “five-in-one”) at 2, three and four months of age, and then once every year. This shot immunizes your puppy from hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus, parainfluenza, and distemper. Your petit bleu de gascogne puppy’s innoculation program cannot be finished prior to 4 months of age.
- If your petit bleu de gascogne has not been vaccinated and is older than 4 months, he will need to be given 2 innoculations promptly, 2 or three weeks apart. After that you must vaccinate annualy.
- Your petit bleu de gascogne puppy’s socialization should coincide with her vaccination program. Many vets recommend that new owners take their petit bleu de gascogne pups to socialization classes, beginning at eight to 9 weeks of age. They should have received their first immunizations by then.
Since rules vary so much between different areas, call your community vet for instructions on rabies vaccination. For example, in New York City, the regulation states that all pets older than 3 months of age to be vaccinated for rabies. After the initial vaccination, he must get a second innoculation the following year, and then every three years after that. There are several immunizations that may or may not be effective for your petit bleu de gascogne. Ask your petit bleu de gascogne’s vet for her recommendation. By the way, if your petit bleu de gascogne gets ill because she is not properly vaccinated, do not administer the vaccination until the dog has made a full recovery.
Tapeworms in petit bleu de gascognes
petit bleu de gascognes are often exposed to worms—in all areas, both rural and urban. Tiny eggs created by hookworms and roundworms are passed in an infected dog’s feces. Most puppies, even from healthy mothers in good homes, carry roundworms or hookworms. The secret to effective treatment is correct diagnosis. This will ensure that the medication is successful against the parasite your petit bleu de gascogne has. A dewormer that eliminates roundworms, for example, can’t kill tapeworms. Your vet can best identify the culprit—and decide the best treatment.
Additional petit bleu de gascogne Care Tips
petit bleu de gascogne Supply Checklist
- High-quality dog food and treats specifically designed for petit bleu de gascognes and similarly-sized dogs
- Food dish
- Water bowl
- Toys, toys and more toys, including safe chew toys
- Brush and comb for grooming, including a flea comb
- Collar with license and identification tag
- Quality leash
- Dog carrier (for pups)
- Crate for training
- Dog box or bed with comforter or towel
- Dog toothbrush
Warnings to be Heeded
Do not feed your petit bleu de gascogne the following:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Chocoloate or any food with caffeine
- Grapes and raisins
- Spoiled or moldy food
- Onions, chives and garlic
- Bones of chicken, turkey, or any other animal (choking hazard)
- Salt or salty foods
- Tomato leaves, stems and unripe fruit
- Dough
The “Bottom” Line
Unless you are at home, or in a fenced-in, secured place, keep your petit bleu de gascogne on a leash at all times. And please, when your petit bleu de gascogne defecates on your neighbor’s grass, remove it! Don’t forget to check out these other articles about petit bleu de gascognes
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