Dr John Gold Complete Dry Dog Food, Chicken with Vegetables, 15 kg

Product Information

Food and water bowls: These need to be heavy bottomed dishes to ensure they don’t tip over & made of material that cannot be chewed. Puppy sized versions are available which will allow easier access for small puppies. The female heat cycle or season occurs twice per year and starts at between 5-8 months of age. The first time can be quite stressful, as apart from the mess, you will also have to contend with the risk of an unwanted pregnancy if you are not vigilant in keeping male dogs away from her. It is particularly important to avoid the risk of pregnancy in the first season as she will not be fully grown or developed which can run the risk of dystocia (difficulty during whelping, that often necessitates a caesarean) and she is not likely to be an attentive mother. It’s worth considering working dogs separately to pets with regard to dietary requirements. Rather like human athletes, they can have a variety of different additional needs, dependant on the work they carry out or sport they engage in, however, some general principles apply with working dogs. At the other end of the spectrum, the racing Greyhound has been designed for immense speed, sprinting over short distances and extraordinary concentration on the lure but then followed by collapsing on the sofa at the end of the day. Racing Greyhounds need small biscuit based diets to suit their mouth size (like Dr John Grain Free) and the diet must be low bulk, high digestibility and high fat and with a good level of protein (24-25%) as this improves race times and prevents the development of anaemia which they are prone to. The mineral content of the diet is particularly important for greyhounds as they need up to 2-3 times the normal levels of a sedentary dog, to cope with the stress of racing. A supplement during race season may be needed to keep the Greyhound in good health.

Recovering from operations, or long term illnesses should also be taken into account when considering diet, even in the case of standard operations like neutering or dental treatments. Assess how your dog is coping; whether there are problems with chewing after dental work (in which case soak the food for longer in warm water to soften it). If activity has to be restricted, then consider changing diet to a lighter, highly digestible food, as your dog will still want to have normal sized meals but won’t be using the same amount of energy as before. Joint supplements may be useful, for instance, an active ingredient in NZ green lipped mussel has been found to have an anti-inflammatory effect, and other ingredients are present that benefit joint health (We use a joint complex in many of our diets, ( Gilpa Kennel for instance). In some dogs, neutering can have a long term effect on metabolism slowing it so these dogs are prone to weight gain and will need to be fed a lighter or low fat diet. (try Dr. John Silver). Dr John also makes food specifically designed for working dogs and has a great range of different foods for different breeds. There are of-course some objections to this, but these tend to be from owners that use this food irregularly. Any responsible owner knows that dogs need routine, the same goes for their food too. Days 7 -14: If fertilisation was successful, the embryo cells will begin to rapidly divide to 4 and upwards to 64 cells. At this time the embryos enter the uterus.Once you are home, allow the puppy to stretch its legs in the garden and then introduce your puppy to the areas of your home they will be in and any new family members and pets. It’s best to start with an activity routine immediately, although, remember that puppies don’t need walks like an adult dog does and over-walking will excessively tire a puppy and can cause some harm to developing joints. Simply exploring the garden and little games with you will be enough to start with. Days 42- 49: The developing puppies continue to grow. The mother will start shedding her stomach hair. In the first few weeks of bringing your puppy home, try not to feed too many different types of food or treats. This way you can establish a base line for what suits your puppy’s digestion, introduce puppy treats in small quantities and only as rewards for good behaviour. Bones and chews are a good idea but make certain your puppy is chewing them appropriately and they don’t splinter or breakdown in the mouth easily. Dr John has been an established brand for quite some time. Their products are designed with quality in mind and their recipes have been specifically formulated to provide dogs with the maximum nutrition possible. What you feed your puppy is even more important than with an adult dog as this is the key stage for determining their adult health and wellbeing. First of all, they need to be fed a puppy diet and a complete dry food will ensure they get all the nutrients and bone minerals in the right percentages to match their growth.

The cycle lasts between 14 and 28 days and begins from when bleeding is first noticed. If you intend to breed, then find out as much as possible about the subject beforehand, your breeder, vet and the Kennel Club are all good sources of information to ensure the best outcome. Normal symptoms & what to watch out forDecide in advance whether your dog will be allowed upstairs and how to discourage any explorations or the puppy from simply following you up. Baby gates can be a good temporary solution to open stairs. Puppies are not able to manage stairs so will need carrying until you can teach them how to safely crawl up and down.