education2003

Home of five of the top ten Goldens in the country from the United Kennel club!

New Puppy Materials

Welcome to Gazebo Golden!

Care for Teeth

Care for Ears

Heartworm

Crate Training

Exercise

Nail Care

Veterinarians

Collars

Housetraining

Puppy Teeth

The following is a list of the topics that we will cover:

New Puppy Materials

CRATE - Either a puppy training crate for a full-sized crate that will allow your puppy to grow into. (24x36)

CRATE PAD - Can be purchased, or supply your own blanket, etc. The rubber-backed bathroom rugs are ideal.

WATER & FOOD DISH - Stainless Steel dishes are best. Do not purchase a leaded crystal dish for your puppy, as they can contract lead poisoning.

BRUSH - A pin-top brush is good, or a metal comb will do just as well.

NAIL CLIPPERS - Necessary if you are going to do your own grooming. A dremel tool also works great.

ROUND-TIP SCISSORS - To cut the hair between your puppy's pads.

BITTER APPLE - Available in spray or cream. This protects furniture that your puppy may chew on. This spray is bitter to their taste, and pups shouldn't want to try chewing that piece of furniture again. If he does attempt to go back, you may need to reapply to furniture.

NYLABONE TOYS - Small size for puppies at first. These are the best chew toys available, as it also helps to keep their teeth clean. (Don't wory if you find a baby tooth in the bones once in a while - it is normal for your puppy to lose 'baby teeth'.

OLD SOCKS - Inexpensive toy, simply tie a know in one end, and your pup will love it - but - if you use this as a toy, you must be certain never to leave your good socks out, as your puppy won't know the difference between his 'toy' and your socks.

RUBBER BALLS - 2 1/2" solid rubber balls are great. Never allow pup to play with a vinyl ball, as he can chew it to pieces. A very good brand of rubber ball is Crestite.

TENNIS BALLS - Another great toy.

LEAD AND COLLAR - Will be supplied by your breeder.

PRO PLAN PUPPY FOOD - This is currently fed to your pup. A coupon for the purchase of this food will also be provided. PRO Plan has been carefully chosen for your pup. PRO Plan is preserved with Vitamin E, which is superior to any other preserative. This fod should be fed to your pup until they reach their first birthday. At that time, check with your Vet for advice as to switching.

Care For Your Pet's Teeth

As with humans, dogs and cats benefit from a regular program of routine dental care. Tooth and gum disease is one of the most common disorders seen by Vets. It is not just a problem associated with older animals, and as with people, proper dental hygiene begins with the very young and continues throughtout life. Adult dogs have 42 teeth. The proper care of these teeth is important to prevent gum disease, Keep a healthy breath and extedn the life of the teeth. Here are a few helpful tips:

When possible, feed a dry-type of diet. Dry, hard food is abrasive and helps scrape unwanted plaque and tartar from the teeth. In addition, the art of chewing massages and cleans the gums.

Provide chews, such as milk bones, dental kings, Nylabones and Gumabones. Dental floss toys work great. This is most commonly utilized in canines.

Brush the teeth daily on a regular basis. Just as with people, this is the most important step in dental hygiene. Use a toothbrush and past designed for pets. DO NOT USE HUMAN TOOTHPASTE, as they are not formulated properly for pets.

On a yearly basis, have the teeth examined by your Vet. He or she will look for diseases of the mouth and teeth. Dogs get cavities just as humans.

It is far better to maintain and prevent teeth and gum disease to have a pet with a foul mouth odor and painful gums. Remember pets smile too!

Brushing Your Dog's Teeth

Dental hygiene is often ignored in the dog. The outcome? Consider what your teeth might look and feel like after months or years or even a lifetime of neglect. They would be a wreck, and you would be miserable. Yes, canine teeth also need frequent frushing to prevent gum disease and early tooth loss, as well as just plain foul breath.

Despite the popular conception, dog biscuits and bones do not keep the teeth clean and healthy. Although some Vets feel that gnawing on these hard substances has benefit, it does not prevent the buildup of plaque and tartar which, unless removed, can lead to gum inflamation, tooth root abscesses and other oral problems. That's the simple truth.

The teeth should be brushed at least once or twice a week, more often if possible. As with grooming, acclimation is best started early in the puppy's life.

To make a toothbrush, fold a square gauze pad loosely around the tip of your index finger. Or you can use a small, soft child's toothbrush or buy a special toothbrush from the vet. Dip the toothbrush or gauze in the toothpaste designed for dogs (not for humans, since human formulations can upset the dog's stomach) or into a paste made of baking soda and water. Next, vigorously scrub the outside surfaces of the teeth, especially the rear teeth. With the gauze pad, you may also try to gently massage the gums. It is not necessary to brush the interior surfaces of the teeth.

Your Vet should check your dog's mouth for tooth or gum disease furing annual checkups. The most common problem, tarter accumulation, sesembles yellow or brown cement deposits along the gum line or in the crevices of the teeth. Despite your best efforts, a proper dental cleaning under general anestesia may need to be performed periodically in the Vet's office.

Certain breeds commonly retain their baby teeth, especially the canines. Tn that case, duplicate sets of teeth are seen the dog's mouth after approximately six months of age. Retained baby teeth can cause malocclusion, since they prevent adult teeth from growing into their correct positions. Retained baby teeth are often extracted by a Vet.

Why and How to Clean Your Pets Ears

Over the last thousand years, dogs and cats have relied heavily on hearing as a sense. The importance of this hearing sense led to the development of having their eardrums set deep within a protective ear canal. In some cases, the canal is then covered by hair and an external earflap.

With this type of design and covering, the ear canal becomes a long, dar, moist tube with limited airflow. Wax builds up and cannot escape. With little airflow and lots of wax, the canal and droms stay moist. All of this adds up to great homes for bacteria, yeast and fungus.

To help prevent ear canal infections and hearing loss, it becomes very important to routinely clean and sanitize the ear canals. In addition, excess hair should be trimmed or plucked from the canal openings to better allow airflow.

Ears are sensitive and only specially prepared cleaners should be used for routine santization. Oti-Clens and Gent-L-Clens are widely used by Vets and Breeders alike. Both dissolve wax, clean and dry the cannal. In addition, they are slightly acidic (low ph) and yeast and bacteria hate acidic solutions. Easy-to-clean directions re with every bottle. With routine cleansing, the canals become a hostile environment of germs and one will experience less infections, odors, drum dammand and hearing loss.

Exercising Your Dog

The amount of exercise your dog needs depends on age, health, breed and temperament. In general, Sporting, Hound, Working and Herding breeds appreciate and require more exercise than other breeds, especially the larger dogs. In fact, if denied sufficient exercise, they may become frustrated and turn to destructiveness as a way of venting enegry. How much time you have for dog-related activities is obviously something to be considered before you decide on a breed.

Young animals always seem more keen on vigorous exercise than older animals. In the first few months of life, don't be suprised if your puppy has termendous spurts of enegry, followed by extensive rest periods. This is natural for this stage of life.

Maintaining a regular exercise schedule for your dog as it grows will help it stay fit and healthy. Compared to their ancestors, today's dogs are out of contitions: many are considerably overweight by the time they reach early adulthood because of too much rich food and too little exercise. Obesity, in turn, leads to all sorts of problems. Keep tabs on your dog's wieght and muscle tone. You should be able to just feel the dog's ribs as you stand over it and pass your hands down the rib cage.

What kinds of exercise can you do with your dog? Walking is only the start. If your dog is well trained, it can be taken off lead in public areas like parks and fields and work off as much steam as it likes. Always check first with the public authorities to see what the local laws allow. Perhaps you have friends, relatives or acquaintances whose property you can use for the same purpose.

You can also take your dog hiking, jogging or swimming. Dogs enjoy chasing balls and trerieving sticks or Frisbees. For more structured activity, maybe you'd like to get involved with field trial, obedience or agility or tracking work or hunt with your dog. The AKC can help put you in touch with representatives of local clubs devoted to these activities.

Above all, dogs just want to spend time with the people they love. It's up to you to make that time count.

Some animals can't tolerate a lot of exercise because of hip dysplasia, arthruitis or other medical conditions. These problems may occur even in young dogs. If exercise makes your dog sore and lame, or if it collapes or fatigues easily, have your vet examine the animal.

Heartworm

Please protect your pets from heartworm! Any pet going outdoors should be given proper medication to prevent heartworm. Make an appointment with your Vet to protect your dog. Remember to take a stool sample with you. This sample, along with the blood test and your dog's weight, will determine the proper dosage of heartworm medication for your pet.

There are a number of new Heartworm meds available now! Talk to your Vet and heed his/her recommendation for the proper med for your puppy. Remember this is necessary to prevent heartworm from attacking your pet's health.

Nail Trimming

The following is an excerpt from the American Kennel Club Dog Care and Training Book. Dog Care & Training has over 200 pages of expert advice, full-color photos and illustrations, answers to the most commonly asked questions and a complete glossary of terms. The cost of the book is $11.95 and can be ordered through AKC Customer Service at (919) 223-9767.

Nail trimmers come in a variety of types. The most common nail trimmer is the guillotine trimmer. The top of the dog's nail is inserted into the opening of this metal tool above the cutting blade. When the handle is squeezed together, the cutting mechanism is activated. Other nail trimmer types are the scissors type and the safety nail trimmer, which is equipped with a safety stop near the cutting blade to limit the amount of anil trimmed. There are nail files and electric nail trimmers.

Nails seem to grow at different rates in different dogs. In any case, one rule holds true: the nails must be kept short for the feet to remain healthy. Long nails interfere with the dog's gait, making walking awkward or painful. They can also break easily. This usually happens at the base of the nail, where blood vessels and nerves are located, and precipitates a trip to the Vet.

Another problem affects dogs whose overgrown nails curl toward the foot, eventually piercing the sensitive pads and causing deep pad infections. Dewclaws mot frequently become overgrown, presumably because owners commonly overlook them. Many breeders routinely have dewclaws removed when puppies are a few days old. Check your puppy when you get it. If its dewclaws are intact, you must be sure to keep the nails short at all times. These problems can be easily prevented with regular nail care.

To begin with, regularly stroke the puppy's feet, gently touching each toe in turn. Allow it to become accustomed to having this delicate part of the body handled so it won't be apt to panic when you get down to business later.

Unfortunately, some dogs never adjust to having their nails trimmed. They need only see the clippers and they're squalling, long before you're anywhere near the nail. In that case, trimming nails becomes a two-person job: one person to hold the dog, the other to do the work. It can still be a test of wills. That's why you should accustome your young puppy to nail care. It increases the likelihood of maintaining peace when the animal is fully grown.

Un-pigmented nails are simple to trim. If your dog has at least one un-pigmented nail, examine it closely. You should see a small pint triangle extending from the base of the nail narrowing toward the tip. This triangle houses the blood supply and nerves, which you want to avoid when trimming the nail. Position the nail trimmer so that it clearly bypasses the pink area, and proceed to clip. That's all there is to nail trimming.

Of course, trimming nails is infintely more challenging in dogs with black or pigmented nails. Because you can't see the pink part, you must estimate how much nail to clip. To be on the safe side, trim only the part of each anil whick hooks downward. The trimmed nail should just clear the floor.

If you're absolutely unnerved of the thought of nail trimming, find a Vet or groomer to do it for you. This service costs very little and goes a long way in keeping your dog comfortable.

Choosing a Veterinarian

A modern veterinary hospital staffed with knowledgeable veterinarians is a valuable asset to every pet owner. Fortunately, America is blessed with some of the most highly skilled Animal Doctors in the world. As with any profession, there are hospitals and doctors that excel within their field. Here are some hints that may help the pet owner and pet develope a long and meaningful relationship with their Veterinarian.

Always set up an initial interview with several reputable Veterianarians in our area. Do this before you take your pet to the animal hospital. This initial meeting with a new Vet should last no longer than a 1/2 hour. This is the time for you to ask questions that may help you to determine which Vet is correct for you and your pet. The following is a list of questions frequently asked:

How many Vets are participating in the practice: Sometimes more can be better as each patient will receive several options, oftentimes for the office call fee. It can be a problem if you never see the same Vet twice. Now is the time to ask which days each is available.

Is the hospital clean and sanitary? Is the staff, including the receptionist, professional and courteous? Remember at least 75% of your hospital contact will be with the receptionist. If he or she is rude, avoid this hospital.

Does the hospital provide a phone number for emergency care? We prefer hospitals that provide their own emergency service, but there is nothing wrong with a group of practices utilizing one central emergency facility.

Inspect the surgery room. Does this hospital utilize an up-to-date anesthesia, usually a gas anesthetic?

Does the hospital have X-Ray facilities? These can be an important aid to future diagnosis.

Compare the fees for office exams, vaccines, etc. Are they comparable with the fees other area Vets charge?

Does this clinic offer price reductions for owners with multiple pets?

Selecting a Veterinarian is both fun and important. Do not be afraid to ask too many questions.

Measuring Your Pet for a Collar

The collar should fit high on your pet's neck without fitting too loosely. Use a tape measure to measure the circumfrence of your pet's neck. Add an additional 2" to your measurement to determine the collar size you should purchase. All collars are sold to fit the even increments (10", 12", 14" etc.).

Choosing a Crate for Your Puppy

When it comes to housebreaking a new pup, there is nothing that makes it go faster than a dog crate. Puppies don't like to soil their bed and even at eight weeks of age, may be able to hold their stool and urine up to six hours. Placed in a crate, housebreaking is usually completed in a month or shorter time period. Crates are also useful during the puppy period to protect your home from the mad dashes that knock over plants and furniture, chewing teeth, and poor behavior in general.

The crate can keep the puppy from forming bad habits when they are not under your watchful eye. It is actually a comfort to your puppy or adult dog to have a place all their own that appeals to their natural "den" instinct. Finally, traveling with pets, whether adult or puppy, is safer and easier when you use a crate.

Remember - Keep the crate in an area where the family usually resides - let him know that he is part of your family.

Housetraining Tips

Develop a feeding routine. Your puppy has been fed at 7 am and 6 pm every day. Feed your pup the same food at the same time in the same place every day.

Take the pup outside immediately after feeding or waking up. Do not feed after 8:00 pm.

Choose an area for the pup to defecate and take him to the same place very time. Praise him when they use the area correctly. (Happy voices and praise do wonders for Goldens).

Do NOT scold puppy for soiling in the house unless you catch them in the act. They will not remember it later or connect it with punishment.. If they finishe soiling outdoors, again they need praise - "Good Puppy! Good Puppy!"

Avoid indoor paper training if possible. It can be a difficult habit to break when you want the pup to start going outdoors.

Place pup in a crate or cage at night, and whenever you leave your home and when the pup is left alone. Turn on the radio, as teh noise will comfort your pet.

Be consistend and patient. Total housebreaking can take up to two months - just like children, pups are individuals that learn at their own pace.

Puppies and Their Teeth

Over the period of their lives, dogs go through two complete sets of teeth. They rarely have any teeth exosed when they are born. Lying just beneath the surface, they will begin to erupt within days. This first set of puppy teeth has six incisors, two canines and six pre-molars on each jaw for a total of 28 teeth. Before the pet is eight months old, these should all be replaced by adult teeth. The puppy teeth come out one at a time and are either swallowed or caught in something that the puppy chews. This loss is natural and happens with every dog. Let me reassure you by saying we have never had a problem with swallowed teeth.

The rapid turnover of one set of teeth to the next accounts for much of the puppy's desire to chew on anything available in their environment. It is their way of removing the first set of teeth and seting the second. DON'T TRY TO DISCOURAGE CHEWING - DIRECT IT INSTEAD TOWARD SOMETHING THAT PREVENTS THE RUIN OF YOUR HOME OR WARDROBE.

By eight to ten months of age, the 42 adult teeth are usually present. The upper jaw generally has six incisors, two canines, eight pre-molars, and six molars. Just because they are visible does not mean that they are fully developed, so you should expect chewing to go on throughtout this period. Give them something to exercise their jaws and vent their urge to chew until they are at least 12-14 months of age. They will be chewing at least that long. We strongly recommend that you provide similar chew toys and dental devices for your pet during it's entire lifetime. They massage the gums and help keep the teeth clean. Healthy gums and teeth mean fewer Vet dental bills.

Give puppies plenty to chew on that is different from household items. We typically recommend rawhide bones, chips, or the Nylabone and Gumabone products. Either will do a good job of keeping a puppy's interest. Cotton bone tugs are also wonderful for their teeth/teething. It helps with their chewing while also cleans their teeth.