When it comes to caring for your dog or puppy, do not ignore proper eye care and safety. Some dog owners forget the little things when it comes to their dog’s eye health and this can result in health problems in the future.
Below are a few dog eye-care pointers:
1. Many dog owners overlook the importance of guarding your dog’s eyes from injury. I would advise that you be overly conscious of your dog’s head when you are playing games that could injure their eyes. Some examples of games to beware of: kicking a ball around with your dog, playing fetch with a stick, or simply play-wrestling by using your hands.
2. Every morning, you want to examine your dog’s eyes and wipe away any of that “morning crust” that builds up overnight. If this crust is left unchecked and builds up, your puppy can experience a very irritating and painful reaction. Use warm water and a soft cloth to wipe the eyes clean.
3. If your dog is of a breed that has very long hair, trim his hair carefully around his eyes. While some breeds are supposed to have long hair covering or overlapping the eyes, this can still cause irritation if the hair is constantly rubbing inside of the eyeball. Use your best judgment and try to err on the side of your dog’s health as opposed to his appearance.
4. When bathing your dog, do not squirt shampoo or flea treatments on top of his head. Even if you are extremely careful, some of these liguids or chemicals might spray in his eyes. Gently rub the shampoo into your hand and then apply it carefully over your dog’s scalp and surrounding face areas. This will avoid irritating your dog’s eyes.
5. When driving with your dog, avoid the temptation to let him hang his head out of the window. I realize that it is a joy to watch your pet enjoying himself and having so much fun as you are driving along, but there have been many serious eye injuries, (and even the loss of an eye) due to a small pebble or rock hitting the dog’s face. I’m sure that is not something you’d want to risk at all.
Keeping your dog’s eyes health is important and following the steps above, along with other precautionary measures can ensure that your dog lives a healthy and hearty life as your best friend.
Brandon James is the main writer for http://www.BlindDogInfo.com, an educational resource for owners of blind dogs. When you visit BlindDogInfo.com, you’ll also discover the helpful ebook: Living With A Blind Dog.
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The first sense of a Shih Tzu puppy is “scent.” The newborn Shih Tzu puppy will be able to smell the scent of the breeder immediately after the sac is broken. The Shih Tzu breeder is familiar with litters of Shih Tzu puppies before their eyes open. Up until the Shih Tzu puppy opens its eyes they became familiar with their breeder’s scent through their dam’s coat. Shih Tzu puppies learn where there is and is not a place of milk and nourishment on their mother through scent.
It is advisable that only the Shih Tzu breeder handle puppies during their first two weeks. This does limit the Shih Tzu puppy’s reality of the world around them; however, it is practicing sound early responsible care practices. As Shih Tzu puppies begin to open their eyes they become aware of differences in people. Because of this awareness, a very young Shih Tzu puppy may act violently the first time handled by anyone other than their breeder. The Shih Tzu puppy may begin to struggle or scream to be free. It really is not necessary for other people besides the breeder to handle Shih Tzu puppies during this very early period of their lives. If a Shih Tzu puppy is frightening by early interactions with other people it could set the stage for later mistrust toward all humans. It is therefore extremely important that all early contacts with a Shih Tzu puppy be positive. Once a barrier of distrust is instilled in a newborn Shih Tzu puppy, the puppy can become hard to work with and sometimes even unmanageable as adults. Limiting contact with humans also aids in the spreading of germs to newborn Shih Tzu puppies.
There is a proper way to hold a very young Shih Tzu puppy. You should not “swoop” a Shih Tzu puppy quickly into your arms, or hold it at arm’s length. Do not ever pick up a Shih Tzu puppy by its legs, ears, tail or scruff. Severe and even irreparable damage can result.
Use the following steps to pick up and hold a newborn and very young Shih Tzu puppy:
1. Place your hands firmly around the Shih Tzu puppy’s body making it feel secure before it is lifted from the whelping box.
2. Immediately begin to snuggle the Shih Tzu puppy closely to your neck, chest or face area, letting the Shih Tzu puppy smell your familiar scent. Here is where the Shih Tzu puppy will feel the reassuring rhythm of your breathing and your heartbeat. The Shih Tzu puppy will remain relaxed. The Shih Tzu puppy will have less tendency to struggle against others first holding them if you will practice these steps from the beginning.
In general, you should not place very young Shih Tzu puppies in your lap, at least until after they begin to walk. They do not feel secure in a lap position at a very young age.
When handling newborn Shih Tzu puppies it is helpful to make “kissing” sounds near their ears. The sound is similar to puppies nursing. Therefore, repetitious kissing offers the same sense of security and comfort for the Shih Tzu puppy.
One of the earliest conditionings a Shih Tzu puppy encounters is being nestled in secure comfort by its dam while being fed warm milk. When you emit the same type of sounds with repetitious kissing the Shih Tzu puppy responds immediately to your stimulation and will feel secure. The Shih Tzu puppy will snuggle rather than struggle and learn to trust humans from a very early period of their lives. This type of conditioning is important for proper development as an adult Shih Tzu and instills a “trusting” of humans rather than a “fear” of humans.
Shih Tzu puppy conditioning beyond diet is a highly important part of a professional Shih Tzu breeder’s job, and will often separate the professional breeder from the “backyard” or puppy mill breeders.
Author: Connie Limon. I raise Shih Tzu puppies from top champion bloodlines. Purchase and sign up for our newsletter online at: http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com
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About The Author
Connie Limon. I raise Shih Tzu puppies from champion bloodlines standards and teacup/imperials. Purchase online and sign up for our newsletter at: http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com
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