Age 2-6 Months
When your dog is at approximately eight weeks, he’ll start to socialize more with humans. At around ten weeks of age, it is okay to separate your dog from his siblings and mother.
This is also a great time to train your puppy. Teach him to become housebroken, to socialize well with other dogs and to act appropriately around humans. You can use gourmet dog treats to teach him these important lessons. Giving your dog treats and teaching him new tasks is a fantastic way for him to bond with you and to learn healthy boundaries.
Around 10 weeks, also make sure to bring your dog to the vet for his de-worming and vaccination shots. Because your dog may feel some trauma as a result of being separated from his family (living in a new place), try not to leave your puppy alone too often and make sure to give him lots of love and attention to reinforce his development. Use his name whenever you can and also give him lots of praise and positive feedback when he’s good.
Adulthood
After your dog undergoes puberty (around six months of age), he will enter something called “the phase of hierarchy.” This means that he will need a pack leader, which should be you or another reliable family member. Just like children, dogs need someone to look to for guidance, parenting and love. Without a stable pack leader, your dog will act out and feel abandoned.
One way you can establish healthy routines with your dog at this time is to feed him meals at a certain time of day, every day. You can give him dog breakfast each day just as you have your own morning meal. There are even foods like eggs & smoked bacon entrees that mimic the same tastes that humans love to start the day with, but that are specially formulated for dogs’ nutritional needs. Giving your pet breakfast and gourmet dog food dinners will help him understand which times of day are for eating, which are for exercise, etc.
The Golden Years
Although your dog still may seem like a puppy, you will know he’s becoming a senior when he begins to gain some weight and become less active—at around 8-10 years old. Make sure to feed him a little bit less during each meal, and feed him only three times daily at most. This will help keep his digestion regular and not tax his system. Although he may get some gray in his hair and experience a partial deterioration of hearing and sight, your dog will still want to play. Make sure he gets regular exercise and a lot of loving attention.
Jessica writes about a wide variety of topics. She especially enjoys writing about pets. You can learn more about gourmet dog treats at http://www.cesar.com/
{ 1 trackback }
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Hello and thank you for the informative post. I have recently purchased a Doberman puppy and I’m in love with him already. Now the problem is that a good few hours a day he’s alone at home and being my first dog I don’t know what kind of accessories or dog toys to get him to ‘keep him company’ when I’m not at home. I really am waiting for a reply from you. Thank you