Our loyal friend-dog

Dogs

Dogs are good companions to human beings. Dogs can be domesticated. It comes from the family Canidae. Dog is one of the earliest animal to be domesticated by human beings. In early days dogs had been kept for hunting purposes. Nowadays dogs are kept for companionship, helping handicapped persons, , herding and pulling loads, used in police force and in military .
Dogs vary by colour, weight, height ,coat and belong to different breeds. Some dogs look like wolves and foxes. Hounds are types of dogs which are used for hunting. While breeding, the male is referred as a dog and the female is referred as a bitch. A dog's lifespan varies by breed.

Labrador

Pets:

Dogs are used as pets by human beings. The bonding between dogs and human beings have increased. Dogs have been given a permanent place in our houses. Human beings have shaped dogs to adopt their behaviour and personality to the surroundings of human beings . Products like soaps, tablets, vaccines, powders, shampoos, groomers are available for dogs. Trainers and breeders are available to train the dogs.

Measures to be taken before buying a dog:

1. Haste:
Don't buy a dog in a haste. Research before you buy a dog.

2. Proper Breed:
When you plan to buy a dog choose a breed that suits your surroundings , requirements etc.
Eg: If you want your dog to be a watchdog don't go for miniature or toy breeds.

3. Money:
Make sure you have enough money to spend for your dog. After you buy a dog, you need to spend for vaccines, collars, leash, medicines(tablets),soaps, shampoos, food etc.

4. Space:
A dog needs a reasonable amount of space to play and spend time. It is possible that you can bring up a dog even in an apartment. Make sure you provide some space to the dog.

5. Breeder and certificate:
Buy your dog from a good breeder. See whether if he can answer your questions. Ensure that the surroundings in which the puppy was raised is clean. If possible see the parents of the puppy. Make sure you buy a purebred dog. See if the puppy has been vaccinated and dewormed. Register your dog with the club of your country.
For eg: If you are in India you shall register your dog with KCI(Kennel Club of India). This ensures you have a purebred dog and it shall help you during the mating of the dog and in making your dog participate in competitions.

6. Time:
Make sure you can spend enough time with your pet. You need to spend time for exercising and grooming your pet.

7. Allergies:
Some breeds can cause allergies to human beings. So be careful in choosing your breed and groom it in a proper way.

Adopting a dog:

Same requirements apply for adopting a dog. But you need more of mental strength to adopt a dog. Because the dog might have faced some problems . But adopting a dog gives you more pleasure and it ensures that you have helped a life of a dog.

Breeds:

Breeds found in India:
1.Basset Hound
2.Beagle
3.Boxer
4.Bull Dog(rare)
5.Bull Mastiff(rare)
6.Bull Terrier(rare)
7.Cairn terrier(rare)
8. Chihuahua
9.Chinese crested dog(rare)
10.Cocker Spaniel (English & Amercian)
11. Dachshund
12. Dalmatian
13. Dobermann
14. Dogue de Bordeaux (French Mastiff) (rare)
15. Fila Brasileiro (Brazilian Mastiff) (rare)
16.French Bull dog (rare)
17.German Shepherd
18. German Wire-Haired Pointer
19.Golden Retriever
20.Great Dane
21.Spitz
22.Irish Setter (rare)
23.Labrador Retriever
24. Lhasa Apso
25.Mastiff(English)
26.Mastiff (Italian)
27. Miniature Pinscher
28. Miniature Schnauzer
29.New Foundland(rare)
30.Pekingese(rare)
31.Pit Bull Terrier
32.Pointer
33.Pomeranian
34.Poodle
35.Pug
36.Rhodesian Ridgeback
37.Rottweiler
38. Sharpei
39. Shetland Sheep dog
40. Shih Tzu
41. Siberian Husky
42.St.Bernard
43.Tibetan Mastiff
44. Tibetan Spaniel
45. Tibetan Terrier
46. Weimaraner
47. Whippet

Some of the breeds listed are very rare in India and they are imported from other countries. So buying it might be difficult.

Breeds which have their origin in India:

1.Rajapalayam
2.The Mudhol Hound
3.Kombai
4.Pandikona
5.Chippiparai
6.Himalayan sheep dog
7.Rampur greyhound etc .

After you buy a dog:

1. Food for dogs:
Feed your dog according to the advice of the veterinarian. Make sure you give proper water when feed it with dry food items.
2.Don't leave your dog unattended for a long time.
3.Vaccinate and deworm your dog at regular intervals. Visit the veterinarian annually and check the health of the pet.
4.Insure your dog to meet the expenses of illness or any unexpected injuries.
5.Train your dog properly.
6.Give your dog proper exercise.
7.Groom your dog regularly.

Training:

Training is an essential part of a pet dog's life. In order to keep it in our houses, we have to train it personally or we can take the help of the trainers. We should train the dogs properly to domesticate them.
Process of training should start within the age of six months of the dog. Incase of improper training dogs may face behaviour problems such as leash pulling, uncontrollable barking, biting, jumping up on people, chasing other animals, destructive chewing ,ignoring commands and begging for food.

Proper training:

It is recommended that you start training your dog as soon as you bring it to your home. A dog should be properly trained by teaching the basic commands like sit, stay ,fetch ,come, standing up etc. When it performs a command correctly reward it. One should never punish pets because dogs cannot understand our language easily. Patience is very important to train a dog. The intelligence of the dog varies by breed. The time required to learn a command depends upon the breed of the dog. Incase of training by trainers it is important that the owners practice and inculcate the commands regularly which is taught by the trainers. Never get frustrated or agitated during the training. Train your dog properly and happily. Police dogs are trained accordingly. You can also use choke collars, pinch collars, prong collars with the proper advice of trainers.

Dangerous foods:

1.Alcoholic beverages
2.Salt
3.Sugary foods.
4.Tobacco
5.Chocolates contains theobromine which can cause heart attacks.
6.Coffee and caffeine products.
7.Citrus foods
8.Fish
9.Grapes and raisins
10.Marijuana
11.Nuts
12.Mushrooms
13.Onion
14.Garlic
15.Raw eggs
16.Raw meat
17.Yeast dough
18.Rhubarb leaves
19.Spoiled food etc
Never feed your dog with these items. They can cause problems or even prove fatal.
I hope you enjoy this article and be happy with your dog.