9781422280942

Understanding and Caring for Your Pet

Puppies

Understanding and Caring for Your Pet

Puppies

Written by Julia Barnes

Mason Crest 450 Parkway Drive, Suite D Broomall, PA 19008 www.masoncrest.com Developed and produced by Mason Crest

© 2017 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher.

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Series ISBN: 978-1-4222-3691-8 ISBN: 978-1-4222-3702-1 ebook ISBN: 978-1-4222-8094-2

Every reasonable care has been taken in the compilation of this publication. The Publisher and Author cannot accept liability for any loss, damage, injury, or death resulting from the keeping of puppies by user(s) of this publication, or from the use of anymaterials,equipment,methods,orinformationrecommendedinthispublicationor fromanyerrorsoromissionsthatmaybefoundinthetextofthispublicationorthatmay occurata futuredate,exceptasexpresslyprovidedby law.Noanimalswereharmed in the making of this book. QR CODES AND LINKS TO THIRD PARTY CONTENT You may gain access to certain third party content (“Third Party Sites”) by scanning and using the QR Codes that appear in this publication (the “QR Codes”). We do not operate or control in any respect any information, products or services on such Third Party Sites linked to by us via the QR Codes included in this publication, and we assume no responsibility for any materials you may access using the QR Codes. Your use of the QR Codes may be subject to terms, limitations, or restrictions set forth in the applicable terms of use or otherwise established by the owners of the Third Party Sites. Our linking to such Third Party Sites via the QR Codes does not imply an endorsement or sponsorship of such Third Party Sites, or the information, products or services offered on or through the Third Party Sites, nor does it imply an endorsement or sponsorship of this publication by the owners of such Third Party Sites. Words in bold are explained in the glossary on page 127.

Understanding and Caring for Your Pet

Aquarium Cats Dog Training

Guinea Pigs Hamsters Kittens Parakeets

Ferrets Gerbils Goldfish

Puppies Rabbits

Educational Videos: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional educational content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic moments, and much more!

Words to Understand: These words with their easy-to-understand definitions will increase the reader’s understanding of the text, while building vocabulary skills.

Contents

Introduction.  8 Discovering Dogs. 12 Development of Dog Breeds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 The Main Groups.  18

20 22 24 26 28   30

Hounds Gundogs/ Sporting Herding Working Terriers Utility/ Non-sporting

Toy 32 Understanding Dogs.  34 The Senses. 36 Body Language .  38 Verbal Communication.  40 Making the Decision.  42 Choosing a Breed .  46 Finding a Puppy.  54 Male or Female?.  58 Assessing the Litter .  62 Getting Ready .  66 In the Home.  68  70 In the Yard Buying Equipment 72

Arriving Home.  76 Meeting the Family.  78 Introducing the Cat. 86 Mealtimes . 88 Choosing a Diet. 92 Dangers of Obesity . 96 House Training . 98 When Accidents Happen. 104 Settling In. 108 Socializing your Puppy. 114 First Lessons. 120 Find Out More / Words to Understand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126 Index. 128

Introduction

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Introduction Owning a dog is a hugely rewarding and enriching experience, so there is little wonder that dogs are one of the most popular of all pets, ranking only below cats. T here are good reasons for why cats lead in the popularity stakes. Dogs offer qualities of love, loyalty, and companionship that you are unlikely to find in the independent-minded cat, but a dog does require a lot more time and attention, which means he is not the perfect pet for everyone. If you decide to take on a dog, life will never be the same—which has both positive and negative connotations . You are responsible for his care in terms of providing the correct diet, attending to his grooming requirements, and giving him sufficient exercise. But of equal importance is the need to give your dog time. A dog thrives on human companionship and he will be miserable—and even destructive—if he is kept on his own for long periods.

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Puppies

You will need to organize your day so you spend time with your dog and give him the attention he deserves. If you go out to work, this will involve making special arrangements so your dog is never left home alone for longer than four hours at a stretch. Yes, it is a big commitment. But in return a dog will be your devoted companion, a non-judgemental friend who is always thrilled to see you, and wants nothing more than to be at your side. If you take the big step of bringing a dog into your home, make sure you keep your half of the bargain—and it will be a decision you never regret.

Puppies

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Discovering Dogs

All dogs share a common ancestor, whether they are is tiny Chihuahuas or enormous Great Danes. They are all descended from the wolf, and even though dogs have been domesticated for more than 14,000 years, we can still see wolf-like behavior in our pets. I n the wild, the wolf is a pack animal, which means he lives in a tightly-knit unit and abides by the rules of the pack leaders. The top-ranking male and female—the alpha male and alpha female—are the decision-makers. The other members of the pack, who are all closely related, occupy different places in the hierarchy depending on their age and status.

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Puppies

The lower-ranking members of the pack accept the leaders’ authority because this constitutes their best chance of survival. Instead of being a lone animal hunting on his own, and trying to fend off attacks from enemies, a wolf living in a pack enjoys the protection of high-ranking leaders, and the chances of hunting success are vastly increased when working as a team member. Despite thousands of years of domestication , our pet dogs still retain all the instincts of pack animals. A dog is highly sociable and is willing to cooperate with and accept the leadership that is offered to him in his human pack. You must be prepared to take on this role, providing food, housing and protection, and teaching him the behavior you want so that he becomes a fully integrated member of your family circle.

Historic Relationships Between Dogs and Humans

Puppies

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Development of Dog Breeds There are more than 400 different breeds of dog worldwide, showing such diversity of size, coat, and color that it is hard to believe they can all be traced back to one common ancestor. How and why did the different breeds develop?

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