PET CARE
Seasonal Advice
The National Society website is packed full of advice and resources for seasonal animal welfare.
Check out these handy links for more:
Plants and toxins to avoid, by animal type:
Common Behavioural Issues
Understanding dog behaviour can be an integral part of keeping a happy, healthy dog, and improving the bond between dog and owner.
A great place to start is to learn a little more about typical dog behaviours and body language. You can learn more from the RSPCA website, here.
And here’s some Top Training Tips
Or, perhaps you’re looking for a specific type of dog training, ro help your dog improve their day-to-day behaviours.
We have collated a useful list of common dog training tips form the National Society, below:
Advice for dealing with mouthing in pups.
From the RSPCA’s guide to adopters, “Make sure you always have a toy in your hand when playing with a puppy or any dog who tends to mouth or play bite. If your puppy or dog makes contact with your hands or any part of your body or clothing keep that part of your body still and distract them at once by offering a toy instead.”
General Health
How to spot signs that your pet may be unwell.
It is essential that you recognise what’s normal for your pet, and what may seem more out of the ordinary for your pet when looking for signs of pain, discomfort or distress.
Your pet’s ‘normal’ may look different to the dog next door. For example, perhaps your pooch has never been interested in chewing toys to pieces, but there’s a little shredder two doors down - each behaviour might be perfectly normal for each dog. However, if your dog has never chewed, and is suddenly chewing everything in sight with little interest in anything else - this could be a sign that something isn’t quite right.
Look out for changes in behaviour.
Has your pet become withdrawn or is sleeping more, when usually they are sociable and active? Perhaps they have started to avoid being petted when they would usually love to snuggle beside you.
Look out for physical signs of discomfort or pain:
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Excessive panting or drooling
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Excessive head-shaking or scratching
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Unusual vocal behaviour
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Inflammation (redness) or unusual smells from the ears, nose or mouth
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Discharge, scabs, lumps or bumps
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Changes in bowel movements or urination
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Vomiting, coughing or excessive sneezing
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Lameness (is your pet limping?)
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Excessive grooming (particularly when focussed on one area)
Children & Pets
Introducing pets to children can be an incredibly rewarding and happy experience.
But it is always important to consider the appropriate ways to do so, and best practice when it comes to the ways in which children interact with pets, to get the most enjoyment from the pet/child relationship.
The key is to encourage children to behave and engage with pets in a kind and considerate way that helps to minimise the chances of negative incidents.
The National Society has created handy go-to posters about how children should interact around dogs, and what to avoid, as well as a plethora of tips and advice around keeping your pets happy in the home.
You can learn more by clicking the below links:
Did you know: “According to a 2021/22 survey, dogs are the most commonly owned pet in UK households. The share of households reporting dog ownership stood at 34 percent. The second most common house pet among UK households were cats, with around 28 percent of respondents stating their ownership.” - Statistica.com