Basic dog care at home

A dog does not need much: food, exercise, hygiene and company on a predictable schedule. This is the weekly routine that covers the four, with the time each one takes.

Walks: the backbone of the routine

Two short walks to relieve itself and one long one to walk, sniff and meet the neighbourhood. Sniffing is not a waste of time: for a dog, reading a corner for five minutes is what a newspaper is for us. A walk that always follows the same route and lasts ten minutes does not cover its needs, and that is where nuisance barking and chewed furniture usually come from.

Hygiene at home, without drama

• Brushing: two or three sessions a week, more often when the coat is changing. It is also the best moment to check for lumps, wounds or ticks.
• Bath: every six or eight weeks with a dog shampoo; more often strips the coat of its natural protection.
• Ears and eyes: a look once a week; clean the ears only with a product for dogs and never with ear buds.
• Nails: if you hear them click on the floor, they are long. Cut a small amount at a time, avoiding the pink part.
• Teeth: brushing with enzymatic toothpaste, if you can, three times a week; it prevents most tartar.

Rest, company and routine

An adult dog sleeps 12-14 hours a day, and it needs them in a quiet place of its own. It also needs to be alone at times and to learn to be alone: leaving it with a toy that dispenses food for twenty minutes when you go out does more for it than a long walk when you come back.

Fixed times for meals, walks and rest are not a whim: a dog that knows what happens next is calmer and learns faster.

The annual appointment

Once a year, a check-up with the vet: weight, teeth, heart, vaccines due and deworming. In older dogs, every six months. Write down the date: half the problems found in a check-up would have ended in an emergency a few months later.