Oh, Happy Day!

PET CONCERNS

It’s the happiest day of your life! Whether it’s a puppy or a kitten or some other animal, you are at the beginning of a friendship that will probably last for many years.

Here are some do’s and don’ts to ensure that it’s the happiest day of your pet’s life, too!

Do

*Remember your home is a completely strange and scary place for your new pet.
*Be kind and gentle with him at all times.
*Make sure he gets enough sleep and rest in a comfortable place.
*Make sure that he has enough drinking water, space to play in, fresh air and shelter from sun and rain.
*Ask your vet, or your dog-lover uncle or aunty, the right way to pick up and handle him, what and how much to feed him, how to keep him clean and healthy, and how to train him.
*Spend time playing with him.
*Talk to him - the more you talk, the more he understands.  Many dogs have a vocabulary of more than 100 words and phrases. But the prize goes to Chaser, an American Border Collie, who has a vocabulary of 1022 words!
*Find a person who will take good care of him when you go on holiday.

Don't

*Punish or frighten him even in fun, ever. That will make him nervous and mistrustful.
*Give him dangerous toys to play with, or let him get hold of
sharp objects, poisonous things like cleaning fluids, plastics that he could choke on, electric wires, etc.
*Leave him alone in the house, or tied up on the terrace or in the compound for long periods of time.
*Tire him out with too much excitement.
*Let him make a nuisance of himself to your family or neighbours.

If you heed some of this advice, you’ll have the most fun companion in the world; someone who’s always ready to play, makes you laugh, never finds fault with you, and consoles you when you’re sad. Someone who needs you and thinks you’re the best!