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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 should be checked and treated with your veterinarian. Kennel cough is a contagious disease of dogs which causes a dry hacking cough. Should your pup 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 pups behaviour or health it is always best to contact your veterinarian.

Vaccination
Your pup should be vaccinated against Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus and Kennel Cough. Annual boosters for your pets 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 pet.

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

Identification
A pup 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 pet 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 pets name and your name, address and phone number; a microchip and an identification tattoo are all forms of useful identification. Here at 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. Be sure to check the flea preparation you choose is suitable for the age of your pup. Your veterinary clinic will help you choose an appropriate product for your pup.

Desexing
It is an excellent idea to get your pet 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 desexing of both male and female dogs is 6 months. See Desexing - (a separate topic) for more information.

Socialisation
It is vital that you allow your pup to be socialised immediately. Pups should be handled by a wide variety off people (all ages and both male and female) and exposed to as many environments and situations as possible without becoming stressed. Try to meet up with other people who have healthy vaccinated pups and dogs. This should help ensure that your pup develops into a well socialised and confident dog. The Lost Dogs´ Home recommends attending dog obedience when your pup is old enough.

Registration and Legal Requirements
All dogs in Victoria 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.

Diet
Proper feeding of a growing pup is essential to avoid growth disorders. The correct amounts of nutritionally balanced food should be fed. Good quality brands of canned and dry food, particularly those designed for puppies are nutritionally balanced and therefore do not require the addition of any vitamin or mineral supplements. Meat (raw or cooked) alone is a poorly balanced food nutritionally and we recommend you add some canned or dry food in an attempt to avoid nutritional deficiencies. Cooked bones should never be fed to a puppy, nor should chicken, chop or steak bones. Only raw marrow bones can be fed to a puppy. It is necessary to fed your pup small meals often, rather than one large meal a day, while it is growing.

As a guide only, the chart below indicates the amount of meals to fed per day. Different breeds will require variations to this.