Pet
Tips
Christmas Pet Tips
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Pets thrive on a routine and consistency. During the Holiday hustle
and bustle your usual routine is off. Even if you are home on vacation,
your ‘normal’ routine has changed and you may be home
more but when you go back to work it may cause problems.
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Young pets sleep hard and play hard. With a lot of company over
for the holidays they may not get enough sleep. This can contribute
to health and behavior problems. With over-handling they can become
sore.
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Well-meaning guests may feed your new ‘baby’ something
that can cause a lot of problems such as diarrhea or worse. That will
certainly spice up the Holidays.
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Be aware that ‘breeders’ who encourage you to adopt
puppies before 7 weeks of age are NOT doing you a favor but getting
rid of the mess and work a litter of pups cause and want their holiday
money as soon as possible. Pups that leave the litter too soon do
not have a chance to learn social behavior and the packing order properly
and are at a higher risk of having behavior problems.
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Holidays or not, look for a puppy seminar or trainer to get some
pointers on new pups. Being prepared is half the solution. Ask your
veterinarian who or where you can get help. Check on obedience classes.
Find out what and how they teach. Attend an early class and return
in a couple of weeks to see the improvements and the attitudes of
the dogs and the owners. Ask questions before you have the problem.
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The best gift to give at Christmas for someone that wants a pet
is to contribute to supplies, health care, fencing, spaying/neutering
or even the cost of a pet. You can also get a book on the care of
or the breed they are interested in. Too many people get certain breeds
without any knowledge of what to look for or even if that breed is
suited for there lifestyle. Problems arise and they end up at the
pound, stuck in the backyard and/or become a huge problem do to bad
planning.
