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It is a great pleasure to own a dog and a happy dog will be a joy to the whole family, but owning a pet is also a responsibility. The Lost Dogs´ Home has some fundamental suggestions to help you enjoy looking after your pet correctly.

Health
Problems to look out for are various forms of gastroenteritis which may cause a variety of symptoms including: vomiting, diarrhoea, listlessness and depression and the causes are numerous. Diarrhoea with an unwell dog, diarrhoea and vomiting or persistent vomiting on its own are cause for concern and your dog should be checked and treated with your veterinarian. Kennel cough is a contagious disease of dogs which causes a dry hacking cough. Should your dog lose its appetite whilst suffering from kennel cough or develop a discharge from the nose, examination and treatment will be required. If you have concerns with your dogs behaviour or health it is always best to contact your veterinarian.

Vaccination
Your dog should be vaccinated against Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus and Kennel Cough. Annual boosters for your dogs life will then be required. Vaccination against kennel cough does not guarantee complete protection against the disease. You should keep a record of the vaccination history of your dog.

Worming
Worms can have a serious effect on the growth and health of your dog. Your dog can be wormed for the common intestinal worms on the same day as it receives its vaccination. We recommend that you worm your dog regularly and with a broad spectrum worming preparation which are best obtained from your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will advise you on the frequency and dose rates of worming preparations.

Identification
A dog from The Lost Dogs´ Home may have been lost, abandoned or simply unwanted. Adequate identification can come in many forms and is necessary to ensure that if your dog strays or is injured while you are not present, you can then be contacted.

Identification tags can be obtained online, free of charge through The Lost Dogs´ Homes National Pet Register.

An identification tag with the dogs name and your name, address and phone number; a microchip and an identification tattoo are all forms of useful identification. Here at the The Lost Dogs´ Home all our animals adopted out receive all three forms of identification mentioned.

Fleas
There are a vast array of flea products designed for flea control ranging from flea collars to shampoos to oral preparations. Your veterinary clinic will help you choose an appropriate product for your dog.

Desexing
It is an excellent idea to get your dog desexed for a number of reasons, including the animals health and to discourage the dog from roaming, fighting, spraying urine and to prevent the stray dog population from getting worse. A suitable age for the desexing of both male and female dogs is 6 months. See ‘Desexing your pet’ for more information.

Training
We strongly recommend taking your dog to an obedience school. Most dogs, regardless of age, respond well to training. Providing training and regular exercise will result in a happier pet.

Diet
Your dogs diet should be nutritionally balanced. This can be achieved by using good quality canned and dry dog food. When using a good quality commercial pet food, vitamin and mineral supplements will not be required. Meat alone is a poorly balanced food nutritionally. Raw or cooked meat, vegetables and table scraps may be fed with the quality pet food. Raw marrow bones are the only bones to be fed, avoiding all cooked bones as well as raw chicken, chop, steak and rib bones.

Registration and Legal Requirements
All dogs in Victoria, Australia 12 weeks of age and over must, by law, be registered with your local council. The maximum penalty for an unregistered dog is $500. A dog must be under effective control at all times. When at home, it must be kept in an adequately fenced area. When on the street, it must be on a lead. Some councils have set aside areas where dogs can be exercised off lead. Check with your local council regarding this matter.