Puppy exercise guide

Last updated Jul 20, 2020 | Published on Apr 6, 2018 | Blog, dog health & behaviour, Health & Safety, puppy care, puppy visits, Uncategorized

Getting a puppy!

Getting a puppy for the first time is a wonderful feeling. You are gaining a family member and it’s a very exciting process. Everyone in your household is filled with joy when you first bring that puppy home. Us lot here at Happy Hounds agree that this should be a very special time. All that said puppies are also a lot of work. We feel that you should get as much knowledge as you possibly can so that you be the best dog owner. One topic we would like to talk about is puppy exercise. Getting a puppy is a big responsibility, there are rules and regulations on how they should behave in society. There is also information that you as dog owners should be aware of.

Puppy exercise

So were going to talk about puppy exercise. How much they should be getting and how important it is to not OVER exercise them. Puppies need much less exercise than fully-grown dogs. If you over-exercise a growing puppy you can overtire it and damage its developing joints, causing early arthritis. A good rule of thumb is a ratio of five minutes exercise per month of age (up to twice a day) until the puppy is fully grown, i.e. 15 minutes (up to twice a day). When three months old, 20 minutes when four months old etc. Once they are fully grown, they can go out for much longer.

It’s important that puppies (when they’ve had their injections) go out every day. In a safe environment to be able to socialise and explore. Having a decent sized garden is great but puppies need variety in their lives. They are highly intelligent animals that need stimulation and lots of exercise (depending on breed). Before letting any dog off lead make sure you know that their re-call is good and that they won’t run off. It’s also good to know that you shouldn’t exercise them on a full stomach as this can cause them to bloat.

The government recommends that we get at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. This is something that everybody can achieve, and go beyond, on a daily walk. Dogs’ exercise needs vary according to the breed that you have but every dog should have at least one walk a day, often two.

Get walking

There are many social benefits for you and your dog. People who go walking with their dogs are often believed to be friendly and approachable by others. Your dog also gets time to have a chase and play with other friendly pooches. At Happy Hounds we believe that socialisation is very important and something that your dogs should be doing on a regular basis. This is great to start when their puppies, so they get used to it from an young age. This is why group walking or day care is a fun and great opportunity for your dog. They will learn socialisation skills and what it’s like to be around other dogs.

For your dog, walking is essential for its long term health and fitness – keeping the muscles strong and supple and ensuring that it doesn’t get overweight. With one third of our pets estimated to be overweight as a result of their owners’ sedentary lifestyles. Walking is an essential part of being a responsible dog owner. When out walking remember to always have poo bags and pick up after your dog. This will make all environments nicer for us to all be in.

Whilst walking your dog, it is important that you are aware of the Countryside Code to keep your pet safe. Protect the environment and show that you are a responsible dog owner. You are obliged by law to ensure your dog wears a collar and an identification tag stating your name and address (Control of Dogs Order 1992). In addition, cleaning up after your dog is one of the key areas of responsibilities for dog owners. Especially when in public spaces. You can face a considerable fine if you do not.

Don’t forget play and sleepy time

Play time is another important part of a puppies life, playing games is another way to teach commands. Aggression can be fostered if you play tug of war. So make sure you don’t create a competitive environment between you and your puppy. Always remember dogs around children. They are likely to become aroused or frustrated with intense physical play. So ensure children and dogs are never left alone. Only use suitable dog toys that are safe for your puppy.

Sleepy time is also crucial for your pups development, they need a lot of it! They may whine when you first bring them home but it is important to ignore them and let them settle. If you never leave them you will create future separation issues.

Dog underweight issues

Last updated Jul 20, 2020 | Published on Apr 6, 2018 | Blog, Dog health, Health & Safety

Under weight issues

There are many possibilities for why dogs can be underweight, worms, diabetes, disease, bad teeth, and anxiety. The most likely is not getting enough nutrition from their food or by being under fed. Regardless of the cause take any dog underweight issues very seriously. Every time you have an appointment at the vets your dog should always be weighed. Your vet will tell you whether he’s over or underweight and advise you on what you can do to help. There are lots of varied dog food out there that is high in calories or low to help with gaining and losing weight.

At Happy Hounds we sometimes come across dogs that seem to be looking underweight. Now we understand that every breed is different and that age has a lot to do with it. What we have noticed is that some dogs can look skinny when they are between the ages of six months to just over a year. This is very common something we tend to see in Labrador or high energy breeds. Dogs don’t fully develop till the age of two so when we see this it doesn’t massively concern us. We just like to suggest maybe increasing their food, especially if they are dog that charges around and gets lots of exercise.

We will always let you know of any concerns we may have with your dogs. Whenever we give advice it’s coming from a good place, we NEVER mean to offend. We just like to think of ourselves as doggy experts. We like to make our clients aware of any information or guidance that we can give.

What to do:

If you feel your dog is looking underweight the best thing to do is increase their food intake little by little. Don’t over feed them. Of course any major concerns it is always good to ask your vet (they are the experts after all). It’s also good to remember that dogs are not people. Their digestive system and what they should and shouldn’t eat are COMPLETELY different to ours. If you have a fit and healthy life style that is great but it doesn’t mean that your doggy should be on a strict diet to.

Now it’s important to just be aware of how your dog should look. Ribs shouldn’t be visible and the hip bones should not be poking out. (We understand this is different with greyhound breeds). So your dog’s weight and diet is just something to be aware of. Food is very important and I think we forget how much of an effect it has on our lives and our doggies, after all you are what you eat. If you ever have any questions about food or the amount of exercise your dog should be getting never hesitate to get in touch. We’d love to help you and your pooches in any way we can.

Join the team

Last updated Sep 8, 2020 | Published on Jan 2, 2018 | recruitment

Become a dog walker or boarder

And join a team that supports you

Get in touch

Join our team! We are always looking for responsible people to work with us in and around the London, Essex and Kent. You will need to be dotty about animals, have experience in dealing with them, and have good references. We will show you all the ropes and insure you to carry out the work.

To be able to join our team you will need to be trustworthy, have bags of common sense, ability to follow client’s instructions to the letter, and experience with animals are the key criteria.

Nearly all the dog walking happens during the day, Monday – Friday. This would suit someone working from home with or with flexible hours, or retired and fit.

We are always looking for dog boarders. You’d need to be around during the day so, would suit someone working in schools who could carry out this work during school holidays. A freelancer working from home, or fit retired person. You may have a dog, or this may be the perfect way to have the company of dogs some of the time without the full time commitment.

We do require commitment from those interested, it wouldn’t suit somebody only available a couple of days a week or who was only available for a month or so. So, if you have the time and inclination please apply here or us or give us a quick call on 020 3743 9247 for an informal chat. We look forward to hearing from you.