Do we have to shave our dog in summer time?
Humans and dogs have a different way to control the body temperature. We use perspiration, they use respiration.
Dogs don’t have sweat glands like us, except for some on their fingertips.
When is really hot they intensifie their respiration in order to cool down the blood heat, breathing with mouth and nose.
The fur is useful to protect them from cold but also from hot weather in summer times.
Is absolutely useless and not recommended shave our dogs.
Doing it we stress the animal and there is the risk to expose the skin excessively to sunlight.
There are only two possible reasons why we should shave our dog. To protect him from extraneous matters such as spikes. Or for a better treatment of cutaneous diseases.
Is at least one litter suggested for Female dogs?
To experiece our female dog’s pregnancy might be nice for owners. But contrary to our beliefs is absolutley not necessary.
First of all the desire of maternity is essentially a human matter. Dogs come to maternal instinct after theire puppie’s birth.
A female dog can’t get depressed without a birth experience.
Furthermore pregnancy is not useful to protect them from uterine cancer.
It has been showed that more than one pregnancy (not just one) might reduce neoplasm to the reproductive system. But could be stressful or, worse, not be successful. Often they have to do a caesarean section wich can be dangerous for the mather and puppies.
We have to consider that what makes us happy might not be good for our dogs.
So just one pregnancy or none doesn’t make any difference for the dog’s health.
There is also an important ethical reason to avoid a pregnancy for the dog.
There are too many dogs in kennels some times waiting an entire life to be adopted. It is surely better to free them and give them a real family.
Appropriate food for dogs
Is not easy to talk about nutrition in a word, it would be more appropriate to read an entire essay about it.
Anyway when we decide to adopt a dog we should be aware of its differences with our gastrointestinal trac.
Its nutritional requirement is also different.
In nature dogs eat preys (which include also fur), bones, blood. But also fruit and grass.
Is really important to consult a vet and to consider the age and possible dog’s diseases.
If we can’t make fresch food we can buy some really good industrial products both dry and wet.
But if we feel like cooking and the dog has no health problems we can cook for it, preferably raw food, considering its nutritional requirements.
It is very important to take the necessary information in order not to damage its health.
Time will help us to know what kind of food might cause intollerances or upset our dog.
Do we have to wash our dog monthly?
Dog have sebaceous glands which secrete sebum, a greacy product that give softness to its fur. But unfortunately typify the classic dog’s smell.
Some dog owners discover that the more they wash their dog the more they smell.
That is because this action stimulates sebaceous glands to produce more sebum and consequently intensifies the smell.
So, how many times do we have to bath our dog in order not to upset his natural protection?
The less is better. Maximum once a month.
Obviously we can make some exception. For example if the dog loves to play in the mud or dirt.
It might happen that the dog needs therapeutic baths (even every five or seven days) in case of cutaneous pathologies.
As always even considering this matter is not possible to generalize. As human beings, as well every dog has its needs and personal history.
It is important to consult the vet.
