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Therapy Dog Devon Bale's Buddies

Do's and Dont's

We often get asked questions by our families about what they should and shouldn't do with their puppies and dogs, so we thought the below may be useful resource. Please do contact us if there is something you are unsure about.

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Owning a dog brings a great deal of enjoyment but also carries many responsibilities. In addition to knowing the laws linked to dog ownership, it's also important that you also know how to be a responsible dog owner.

Do's

  • Do make sure your dog is microchipped

  • Do start training basic obedience ASAP – especially recall

  • Do clean up after your dog

  • Do keep your dog healthy

  • Make sure your dog always has plenty of fresh clean water available; if you are feeding your dog dry food make sure you give them extra water.

  • Do keep your dog fed and groomed

  • Do reward good behaviour with praise, a toy or a small treat

  • Do ensure you are giving them age appropriate food

  • Do wash & dry your dog (especially paws) after a muddy walk

  • Replace mouthing with a toy/frozen carrot or if they continue to mouth simply walk away

  • In summer months, check for ticks

  • Do make sure your dog has identification tags 

Dont's

  • Don't ever finish a training session on a bad note. Remain positive and provide praise for any progress made.

  • Don't punish him while you're angry. Training should be a pleasurable and nourishing experience for both of you.

  • Don't take your puppy into public places until about at least 7-10 days after your puppy has had its second vaccination, at around 15 weeks

  • Don't walk your puppy for too long – five minutes exercise per month of age (up to twice a day) until the puppy is fully grown

  • Don't allow your puppy to go up or down stairs until they are 6 months

  • Don't feed your dog bones that may splinter – i.e. animal bones, certain brands of toy bones

  • Don't feed your dog foods that are dangerous to them, such as chocolate, avocado, onions, garlic, chives, grapes, raisins, corn on the cob, macadamia nuts and alcohol

  • Don't let your dog “beg” for food

  • Don't shout at the puppy/dog if they do something wrong, there are more productive ways to discipline them.

  • Don't turn bad habits into a game

  • Dont leave your dog unattended in a car

  • Don't overfill your dog's bowl if you think it looks like a small portion- follow the feeding guide, dog food is nutrionally dense so dog's don't need very large portions.

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