Doggone Etiquette —

Doggie Day At The Spa

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:                           

Let’s face it. You are no longer a puppy. In fact, you’re getting on in dog years. So how do you look? Do your people remember to brush as often as they used to? Are your nails looking good? How’s your smile? Teeth more brown than white? Maybe you got clipped down for the summer – so now you have no coat to protect you from the heat. 

Here’s the clincher: do you go as many places with your people as you used to? Or are you left at home more often? Could be they’re embarrassed about how you look. Let me speak up for you.

A Word to This Dog’s Owner:

Look at Rufus with a very critical eye. How does he shape up today compared to a few years ago? The first thing most dog owners try to overlook is obesity. No, we’re talking about the dog! There are so many great dog foods on the market, and aisles full of tempting treats, plus all those little snacks from your meals, it is no wonder most pet dogs today are overweight. The other side of the overloaded food coin is the lack of proper and adequate exercise.  If this begins to sound like a TV commercial for people, that’s only because the problems are very similar.                              

Begin with a trip to the veterinarian. Rufus needs a check-up to be sure the cause is nothing more than over-indulgence in both food and naps. Your vet will then suggest a diet suited to your dog’s general health, his size (how much he weighs and how much he needs to lose) and an increase in the amount and type of exercise you admit to providing. The vet will also check the dog’s teeth, nails and general coat/skin condition. In three months you should see a big improvement. Stick to the routine and in six to ten months you’ll have your happy, healthy, good-looking dog back.

Be sure to check this with your vet first, but when one of my Welsh Terriers went over the 20-22 pound limit, I would start them off with a diet that was given to me by my vet. The dogs were on two meals a day. Breakfast consisted of torn-up iceberg lettuce leaves and a tablespoon of cottage cheese. They loved the crunchy parts of the lettuce, and thought the cottage cheese was a treat. The second meal of the day was their normal food, with the amount reduced by one-quarter. After a few days, both meals were back to regular dog food, but still in those smaller portions. It was an easy diet, but this is not for every dog, so be sure to check with your vet first. 

The other half of correcting obesity is exercise. A good way to handle it is to increase walks or play by several short sessions. Don’t try to run with an overweight dog. Walks are good, but several short walks a day are better than one or two long ones. The same goes for playtime. Lots of brief periods of play is best for the tubby dog. As the weight gets down to normal, the exercise can go up to normal, but don’t rush it. If you can’t cope with this part of the weight loss program, ask some children in your neighborhood to help. Or hire them.                                     

If your dog lets you brush his teeth, lucky you. Only use special canine toothpaste because they are harmless when swallowed. Human varieties are not. But if your otherwise sweet dog becomes enraged at the dental intrusion, be sure to have his teeth cleaned regularly either at the groomer’s or the vet’s. A decayed tooth can cause additional health problems, which can be very expensive to cure!                      

The best way to think of grooming is to consider it spa treatment. The dog will look better, feel better and be nicer to have around the house – free of fleas and ticks, and smelling clean. If you can do it yourself, congratulations. If you want to learn, there are books in the library to help. If your Rufus is purebred, a breeder will teach you. If you can’t, or don’t want to learn, contact a dog groomer in the area, tell them what kind of dog you have and discuss how much of what they offer you’d like to have done. And the cost. When you go to pick up Rufus, a good groomer will show you how to maintain his good looks until his next appointment.         

Until next time – Be good!

- Bardi

Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh Terriers for 30 years during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me! which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award this year.