Of course you want your little puppy to grow up to be a healthy dog. Although health problems often arise at a later age, you can prevent or postpone some problems by giving your puppy good care. How do you offer your puppy the best basis for a long and happy life?
Power supply
Your puppy needs a lot of energy. Not only to play and learn, but also to grow. Although it is important for every dog to eat healthy food , this counts double for puppies. They need all those important substances to develop healthy bones and joints. Good puppy food contains quality ingredients and a fixed composition. It gives your puppy the energy it needs to grow well and the nutrients are present in the right balance. Brands that offer good quality food for puppies and adult dogs include Hill’s, Eukanuba and Royal Canin.
Movement
Too much exercise can cause joint problems later in life. Of course you want to take your puppy for a nice walk, but those young legs can’t carry him that far yet. A good guideline that you can follow is not to walk more minutes per walk than the age of your puppy in weeks. Is your puppy 15 weeks old? Then don’t walk longer than fifteen minutes. You can walk longer with your puppy, but you will have to build this up very slowly and do it daily. Don’t suddenly walk an hour with a 15-week-old puppy on the weekend because the weather is nice. This is disastrous for the weights. Don’t go running or cycling with your dog until he is at least a year old and minimize strenuous movements such as climbing stairs, retrieving, jumping and the like.
To sleep
Your puppy needs 18 to 20 hours of sleep per day. Give your puppy regularity by giving him enough rest. If necessary, put him in the crate for a while so that he can take a nap. Also place the crate or other sleeping place in a quiet place in the house, so that your dog does not become overstimulated. A crate for a puppy is a better place to sleep than a basket or a cushion. Not only can you temporarily lock up your dog, so that he has to sleep, but it also ensures that your puppy cannot secretly run savagely around your house when you are not looking. Taking out good home contents insurance is still advisable (because you can’t always prevent destructive behavior), but with a crate in the house you will have to rely on it less often.
