Looking after your dog  tips

 Children’s tips to understand your Lowchen:

1.    Never run at a lowchen dog ( or any dog) yelling/screaming. This can frighten him. Always be quiet and gentle with all dogs.

2.     Ask the owner if you wish to pat a strange dog. Some dogs can be very shy and are not used to children and may bite.

3.     Ask the owner if you can pat the dog from the side on its neck, under the chin or belly. Not from the front or on the head.

4.     Don’t tease or poke or hit at dog with sticks, or anything else.

Make sure your child never sees you hit a dog or they will mimic you!

5.     Leave the dog alone at mealtime. Never try to take food from them once it has been given.

6.Keep fingers out of ears, eyes and mouth. 7. Never pull its tail or his hair. Remind your child how it feels when you pull there hair!

8.     Don’t try to take toys from your Lowchen especially out of his mouth. 9.     Teach the dog to ‘leave’ toys and ball on ground at your feet.

Market C

Socialising dogs to be safe with children

All Puppies start to learn early how to be sociable towards adults, children and other pets. Between the ages of 3-12 weeks Lowchen are a very forward and intelligent

 breed  they will readily absorb what is correct behaviour, at seven week you need to make you’re your dog has plenty of gentle handling and rest time as this is an

important mail stone in a puppies life, if handled well you will have a good natured puppy grow into a great friend and companion.

 If their contacts with children are supervised and pleasant, then the pup is more likely to interact in a friendly manner when future meetings occur. Children notonly differ from adults in size,

but also in behaviour. they have no conception of the pain they may inflict No dog knows that your child is to young to know not to be cruel to the dog, so you must supervise for the

Childs and the Lowchens sake as well as everyone’s safety.

Just because your dog gets on well with adults, and all your friends does not mean that it will with children. So it is important that young Lowchen be socialised,

if your household does not include children, your dog is bound to meet them at some stage during its life, and it may be a stressful situation for him/her.

I am sure you have heard people say ‘my dog would never bite’ it would be just as irresponsible to assume so as it  for them to assume it..

All dogs have the potential to bite even small dogs can do a lot of damage to a child Lowchens have very strong teeth.

.The larger the dog – the greater the damage. Dogs can become unpredictable – especially around children.

Always supervise young children

It is recommended that all children under the age of 5 even up to 7 with some children be supervised whenever  they are around dogs, whether they are family pets or someone else’s.

Dogs often grow up looking at the children in the house as other ‘puppies’ and will treat accordingly if they are not trained to respect the children,

Learn how to teach your dog not to sink his teeth when he/she touches your skin

A new baby is coming – Get ready ahead of time.

 Take your Lowchen to dog school (reward based training works well with this breed) ask them  if you can get your dog used to being around a pusher, maybe they have an old one at the club for this purpose.

Make sure your dog is used to being given time outside and if possible train him to be happy to play in a dog pen, give him toys and dog training things to chew such as a Kong filled with some of his meal,

so he is used to being by himself for different lengths of time but is not feeling pushed outside by himself,

It is difficult for the Lowchen to understand why he/she is suddenly left outside when a new baby comes into the house.

 They are the house dog and feel abandoned if separated suddenly by being put outside and may get separation anxiety if this is suddenly done when the new baby arrives.

So it is best to start when you first find out you are expecting a new member in your family Constant supervision is always imperative. Your Lowchen is sure to be curious and want to get close

enough to smell the baby. When the dog is relaxed around the new baby, give it lots of praise and maybe some treats and cuddles. Any sign of over-excitement,

jealousy or aggression, the dog should be taken away. And put into his pen for a rest make it his time out place.

Never leave a baby lying on the ground unattended in the company of a dog. Lowchens do like to protect the young so they will try to lie with the baby to protect it,

but if not trained he may just forget what he is doing there, so do not take chances.

Including children in the your Lowchens training, feeding and grooming

Just as it is important to train your dog how to behave towards children, its vital to train children how to behave towards a dog it does not come naturally. Involve the

 children when training your dog. Teach them the basic commands to use on the dog. Sit, stay, down, leave, no etc. Children enjoy teaching dogs tricks and it help the dog and child to bond.

What your dog needs to stay healthy and happy

regular food, sleep, walks and play. Educate the children to be responsible and consistently kind and

to understand your dog – when it needs to go outside, etc. Let them know that

your dog requires its own space for some chill-out time just like they do.

Hot weather can cause heat stroke and even death for your dog especially if it is young or old! Animals suffering heat stroke may collapse or appear quite distressed, gums may be bright red and there may be excessive panting.  If your pet has collapsed you must seek veterinary assistance immediately. IF you need to take it in the car to the Vet wet the dog down first, and have some Rescue Remedy or Emergency Essence on hand to administer every half hour during such a crisis.  Do not think the Car air conditioner will cool the dog down in time!

Wet your dog down with cool water and get a fan going to circulate the air if the animal is indoors.  Give them Wet towels to lie on you can keep some in the freezer in a large plastic bag!

 Most Long-haired dogs are bred for cold climates, so make sure that you brush their coats regularly to help thin out their undercoat. DO NOT CLIP YOUR DOG OF SHORT as his coat is his insulation for both hot and cold weather and as a protection from the sun dogs also get skin cancer! You can get your groomer to clip the under belly very short so they can lie on cool floors, they do not lie in the sun with there belly up! In all cases make sure that your animal has plenty of shade and plenty of cold water to drink. Give your dog a chunk of water melon on a hot day to cool them down.

Most commercial dry foods create internal heat.  Add more moisture with cooling foods such as green beans, spinach, broccoli, some peas and other green vegetables.  Also freeze Kongs with cooling foods in them as treats

Cooling foods include:  tofu, green vegetables and fruits especially Water melon.

Don't exercise your dog during the heat of the day either.  Dogs don't sweat, so too much running and too much heat can cause heat overload in the body. Remember the road gets very hot for there paws

  It goes without saying that a dog should never be left in a car as it heats up so quickly.  If for some reason you do have to leave your dog in the car for a short time, make sure the windows are open and you park in the shade, leave your dogs on a Cool mat you can use a wet towel or you can buy them at http://www.coolingvests.com.au/k9_cooling_vest.htm.

 Many dogs die every year because they are left in cars on hot days.  It is better and kinder to leave your companion at home on a hot day and safer too.

Hot Weather Natural Fixes:

 -      Ice cubes in water bowl

-      Wet your dog with cool water, or soak in a cool bath

-      Leave your dog at home on a hot day, with plenty of shade and fresh water to drink

-      Cold peppermint tea, in cold water, is very cooling and draws out heat.  Soak some towels, wring out, and apply compress to pads of feet, abdomen and neck.  Repeat, adding ice to blend to keep it cool.  Continue for 15 minutes, then gently pat your dog dry.

Grooming tips.

You have now got yourself a new puppy and you may be wondering where to start on teaching your dog to like being groomed.

Firstly if it is a smaller dog it is important to teach your pet to stand or lay down on a table that is not in anyway unstable. This table needs to have a non slip mat on it for puppies comfort.

Many people make the mistake of trying to groom there pup on the lap, this makes it hard to keep the pup under gentle control while you are grooming sensitive arias such as the face under the dog and its legs. Never leave your puppy up on a table or a washing machine, as the pup will usually try to jump of and can break a leg or even worse break its neck.

Now using a brush that is suitable for your breed, or x breed, (most long coated dogs do best as pets with a slicker brush. This is not used on show dogs but is the best to keep the mats at bay for a long haired pet.)

Now calmly brush the pup in small amounts of time each day, always brush straight coats with the coat and curly coats (such as a poodle or Bichon) up against the coat.

When you finish always run a comb through the coat to see if you have all the knots out. Never bath a dog till you have all the knots out of his coat.

 Travelling with your dog can be great fun, adding to the pleasure of a trip. Most dogs love the adventure of travelling and your dog comes along, you don't have to worry about who will take care of them while you are gone. On the other hand, taking your dog on a family trip can be a real nightmare if you are not prepared properly.

Without question, a mobile home ( soft create) is the safest way for your dog to travel by car. It not only keeps him out from under foot, but also increases his safety and sense of security. You should secure the Mobile home with seat belts or straps to eliminate movement. With your dog in its Home, he can't unexpectedly dash out of the car and get lost when you stop. Also, your dog will be much safer in the event of an accident. For travelling by car, use soft creates or airline-type travel kennels. They won't scratch your car's interior and are lighter than wire kennels. They make the dog feel more secure because they are more enclosed which helps reduce motion sickness. Dogs should never be allowed to travel loose in the bed of a truck as they can be easily injured or thrown from the truck if you are forced to stop quickly or have an accident. A travel kennel secured to the truck is the safest way for your dog to travel.

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