AY Honors/Dog Care and Training/Answer Key

2. Do at least two of the following:

Prevention

The best course of action is to prevent these parasites from infecting your dog by treating them with a preventative medicine. One such medicine is Fipronil, the active ingredient in Frontline. Another is Imidacloprid Permethrin, the active ingredient in K9 Advantix. These medicines are applied topically every month and are available with a veterinarian's prescription. Your dog's vet may advise other measures as well.

Tick Removal

If you find a tick attached to your dog, find a pair of tweezers and dip them in rubbing alcohol. Grasp the tick as near the dog's skin as possible and then gently pull. Be patient and pull firmly and with consistent force. The tick will eventually tire and release its grip. You can then either place it in a sealable container (such as a freezer bag or a jar) so that it can be analyzed by a vet, or you can destroy it by dropping it in rubbing alcohol. Wash your hands when you are finished.

When removing the tick:

• Do not squeeze the tick's body - pull it out by grasping it near its jaws.
• Do not twist the tick - just pull.
• Do not try to "burn the tick out" by applying a lit match to it. This is dangerous! It is also likely to cause the tick to disgorge bacteria into your dog's bloodstream.
• Don't allow your dog to eat the tick (it will likely try).

Flea and Lice Removal

Fleas and lice can be combed out of your dog's hair. If your dog has an infestation you should give it a bath with flea/lice shampoo, then groom the dog with a fine comb. Finally, dip the dog in a pyrethrin dip. You will also need to treat any area where your dog has spent a lot of time (its bed, dog house, etc) to prevent reinfestation.

b. Mention some of the diseases, pests, and worms that dogs can get.

Rabies

Rabies is a viral disease commonly associated with dogs, although in recent years canine rabies has been practically eliminated in North America and Europe due to extensive and often mandatory vaccination requirements. Rabies in dogs is a fatal disease transmitted by the bite of an infected mammal, such as a cat, raccoon, bat, or another dog. Animals with rabies suffer deterioration of the brain and tend to behave bizarrely and often aggressively, increasing the chances that they will bite another animal or a person and transmit the disease.

Distemper

Canine distemper, caused by a virus similar to the cause of measles, is a highly contagious disease that affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems. It is spread through either direct contact with respiratory excretions, through the air, or on inanimate objects such as clothing. Symptoms and signs include discharge from the eye or nose, coughing, difficulty breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, seizures, and paralysis.

Kennel cough

Kennel cough is a highly contagious canine illness characterized by inflammation of the upper respiratory system. It can be caused by viral infections such as canine distemper. It is so named because the infection can spread quickly among dogs, such as in the close quarters of a kennel.

Fleas and Ticks

Fleas and ticks of various species can be acquired and brought home by a dog, where they can multiply and attack humans (and vice versa). This is particularly important, now that tick-borne Lyme Disease has become endemic throughout a large area, in addition to other similar diseases such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

Hookworms, Tapeworms, and Roundworms

Parasites, particularly intestinal worms such as hookworms, tapeworms and roundworms, can be transmitted in a dog's feces. Some tapeworms have fleas as intermediate hosts: the worm egg must be consumed by a flea to hatch, then the infected flea must be ingested (usually by the dog while grooming itself) for the adult worm to establish itself in the intestines. The worm's eggs then pass through the intestines and adhere to the nether regions of the dog, and the cycle begins again.

Heart worms

As the name suggests, an infected mosquito injects a larva into the dog's skin, where it migrates to the circulatory system and takes up residence in the pulmonary arteries and heart, growing and reproducing to an alarming degree. The effects on the dog are quite predictable, cardiac failure over a year or two, leading to death. Treatment of an infected dog is difficult, involving an attempt to poison the healthy worm with arsenic compounds without killing the weakened dog, and frequently does not succeed. Prevention is much the better course, via heartworm pills which are fed to the dog and contain a compound which kills the larvae immediately upon infection without harming the dog. Often they are available combined with other parasite preventives.

c. Explain what you should do for a dog bite.

This depends on the severity of the bite. If the dog did not puncture the skin, the most important thing for you to do is correct the dog. For innocent chewing on people's hands and feet, an effective correction is to spray some bitter apple into the dog's mouth. This is available at a pet supply store, and quickly teaches the dog that biting and mouthing is not allowed.

If the skin is punctured but the injury is not severe, you will need to wash out the wound with soap and water and apply a disinfectant. The often parroted theory that a dog's mouth is clean and even promotes healing is patently false. Dogs routinely eat feces! It is therefore imperative that the wound be disinfected. The dog will also need to be corrected.

If the injury is severe, the victim may need to seek attention from a qualified medical professional. In serious attacks, the dog may need to be euthanized. If a dog is not trained properly, it may severely injure or even kill a human. If this happens, the dog will almost certainly be put down, and the owner may face legal action.

3. Describe how to housebreak a puppy.

There are two common approaches to housebreaking a puppy: crate training, and paper training. Both have their proponents and detractors. Both techniques are known to be effective, but it is best to choose one and stick with it. Switching from one technique to the other will confuse your dog and lengthen the amount of time required for housebreaking.

Crate Training

By instinct, most dogs do not want to defecate or urinate in their den. The crate is intended to be a substitute for a den.

A puppy may be kept in a crate except during feeding time or during supervised play time. When allowed to exit the crate, the puppy is taken to a soiling area to defecate or urinate.

A crate should be large enough for a puppy to be able to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably. If there is too much space, the puppy might use the unoccupied end for wastes. If an owner doesn't want to buy multiple crates as the puppy grows, it's possible to block off one end of a larger crate, or to buy a crate with removable dividers.

The puppy's potty breaks must be frequent enough to avoid “accidents” since puppies have a difficult time controlling urination and defecation. Control gets better as the puppy gets older. Even an adult dog, when ill or affected by certain medications, can end up soiling the crate, making the dog uncomfortable both physically and mentally, if the owner isn't vigilant and aware of the dog's needs.

Toys and soft bedding material in the crate make it more comfortable for a dog or puppy.

A crate should not be used as a prison. Trainers advise that the crate only be closed when the owner is home. Crate training is not the same as confinement for extended periods. No dog should ever be confined to a crate beyond its ability to control its bodily functions.

4. Explain in detail how you would wash a dog and care for its general hygiene.

Bathing

Bathing is an important part of the overall grooming process.

Brushing is often recommended before bathing, to remove dead skin and loose hair. Human shampoos are generally not recommended, due to pH differences between humans and dogs.

Here are some general steps:

• Rinse the dog completely.
• Apply the shampoo on dog's back. Lather well. Repeat for belly, legs and tail.
  • Short-haired dogs can be scrubbed in a circular pattern. It may be easier to wash medium-length haired with a back-and-forth motion; longer-haired dogs in the direction of hair growth.
  • A washcloth can be used to wash the dog's sensitive head and face.
• Rinse again, holding the water with one hand as you work out the soap with another.
• Run your hand all along the dog to remove excess water. Squeeze longer hair to remove excess water.
• Towel-dry. Use a hair dryer on longer haired dogs, but use a very low heat setting because of the sensitivity of the dog's skin to heat.

Many use an indoor tub for dog bathing. For many home owners this can be burdensome, especially with large dogs. If you have an outside dog, chances are they may be particularly more dirty than an inside dog. Getting your large, dirty dog inside can be difficult and messy. You can always wash your dog outside with a water hose. It is important to be conscious of the outside temperature and the temperature of your outside faucet water.

It may be useful to purchase an elevated dog bath tub that brings the dog up to the level of the human, not vice versa. The ability to wash your dog without bending down or getting on your knees is not only convenient, but less stressfull on your body. Many tubs also have straps to hold your dog inside the tub and prevent them from slipping and hurting themselves. A simple search for dog bath tub will reveal many providers of quality tubs especially for bathing your dog. They can also substitute for a grooming table.

Hygiene

Other areas of dog hygiene include brushing, cleaning its ears, and trimming its nails.

Brushing

This is especially important for long-haired dogs. Brushing will pick up loose hair from the dog and reduce shedding problems. Have your dog sit or lie down, and use a dog brush to gently sweep through its fur. Do not tug at tangles (it hurts!) If you find a heavily matted area of fur that cannot be brushed out, carefully cut it out with scissors, but be very careful. You do not want to injure your dog, and you do not want to give it a bad haircut either!

Cleaning the ears

This can be done with a damp paper towel. Again, you get your dog into a sitting position and begin petting it. Scratch it around the ears, and then gently work the paper towel into the inner ear, rubbing and massaging the dog as you clean. Do not insert the paper towel into the ear canal where you will be unable to retrieve it. Throw the soiled paper towel away and use a new one for the other ear.

Trimming the claws

For this you will need a special nail trimmer made just for trimming the nails of dogs. You should be able to find one at a pet supply store. Do not use nail trimmers made for human nails. Carefully examine your dog's nail, looking for the quick. If you trim it too short, you will cut into the quick, causing much pain for your dog, and causing it to bleed (sometimes profusely). Trim the front paws first, and then if desired, trim the rear ones as well. Dogs that spend a lot of time running on pavement or rocks will not need their nails trimmed.

5. Take full responsibility for feeding and watering a dog for two or three months.

Decide how often you will feed your dog - typically it is done once or twice per day. Be careful not to overfeed the dog, and do not give it snacks (i.e., human food) between meals. It is best to fill the dog's bowl at the same time every day - dogs love routines.

Water, on the other hand, should always be available to your dog. Keep an eye on the water dish and refill it if it is not full (even if it's only half full). You should also keep an "ear" on the water dish. When you hear your dog drinking, you should refill the dish as soon as it is convenient to do so - sooner if the dog has just been exercising.