Canine Health and Wellness
Here you will find tips and tricks for caring for your new puppy or dog.
Dog Food
At Funny River Russells we feed our dogs Iams. There are plenty of geat dog foods to choose from as well as natural and "raw" diets. Be sure that the food you choose will be readily available to you, or stock up so you don't run out. This is your decision, but, the transition from one diet to the next should be made slowly over a couple of weeks so that your dogs digestive tract has a chance to get used to it, otherwise he/she will get sick. This is not a sighn that your dog is "allergic" to the dog food.
How much should you feed your dog?
We feed our adult Jacks (5 months and older) 1/2 cup of Iams morning and night. This is softened with hot water to allow for easy digestion and optimum obsorbtion of vitamins and nutrients and less waste! It makes 1 pint. Our Rhodesian Ridgebacks get 2 cups of food, soaked morning and night. It is about 1 quart when soaked. Puppies eat freely unless they have a tendancy to over eat, in which case they are given 2 Tablespoons of soaked puppy food 4-6 times per day for Jacks, and 1/3 cup 4-6 times a day for Ridgebacks. There is always an exception here and there. We have had a Ridgeback that eats almost a gallon of food every day and he is still slender, so don't feed the recommended daily amount and assume that it is enough. If you can see your dogs ribs, feed him/her more! Also be sure that your dog does not have worms, coccidia, or Gardia as these are the most common causes of malnourishment.
Suppliments
Suppliments should be provided no matter what diet your dog is on. We use NuPro which has a liver base and even my pickiest dog loves it! We also provide our dogs with Mega Pet suppliments for the healthiest puppies possible.
Bonding
The most important part of being a dog owner is being it's "pack leader". Whether you have a postage stamp yard or a 100 acre ranch, your dog needs to walk with you. Dogs are pack animals and their primal instinct is to walk, run, eat, and play as a "pack". To start make sure you have calm and confident energy. Dogs feel energy above all else and they will emulate your mood. Pretend like you are your role model (mine is Robert Duval) walk with porpose, head held high, chest out, confident. Continue to remind yourself that you are in control, and calm. Stop and take deep breaths if you feel uneasy about something. You should always be the first to enter or exit a building. Your dog should be walked on a leash that is set at the top of the neck for optimum control when training. Be sure not to over correct your dog as this can be harmful both mentally and physically. Your dog should walk beside you or slightly behind you. If you need to correct, give a slight tug toward you with a firm command such as "heel" or a sound like "Chhh" Dogs don't care much about words so often a quick "tap" to the shoulder or rear, or a noise will snap their attention back to you and your walk. Once your dog knows his status in the pack he/she will be much more willing to learn and will walk with you without you telling him/her.