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| GENERAL TERMS | ||
| A LEASH is birth control, a seat belt, first aid, a portable fence, good neighbor relations, liability insurance, identification, property and wildlife protection, and its the law in public parks and many municipalities. | ||
| A CRATE is a playpen, bed, toy box, a home away from home, and a house training aid. | ||
| IDENTIFICATION (personalized collar, a tag or a tattoo--even a microchip) is your dog's only chance of phoning home if he or she gets into trouble. Identification is all that some humane organizations require to offer emergency care if they are alerted to an injured dog. If a dog has identification, people assume that somebody cares for the dog. If he is found, someone may call you instead of keeping him, ignoring him, or calling animal control agencies to take him away. | ||
| PUPPIES: You will need to come home every 4 or 5 hours until the puppy is 6-8 months old so the puppy can be exercised and fed. Many working people hire a neighbor or professional service to do this until the puppy is a year old. Believe it or not, you may even opt for doggie day care. In the wild, puppies are not left alone until they are several months old. It is ideal to wait until the puppy is 6 months old before taking a long vacation and leaving the puppy in a kennel. When he is older, the puppy will be able to separate from you and expect your return. | ||
| GROOMING: Pet your dog often, brushing out tangles in his fur that, left unattended, can develop into problems. You may hire a groomer to bathe, clean ears, and trim nails for you. You may even have the groomer cut your dog's hair short making it easier to care for at home. If your dog is healthy, regardless of his breed, his coat will grow back. You can even brush your Silky Terrier dogs teeth with dog toothpaste. | ||
| MEDICAL CARE: Your dog should see a veterinarian when you first adopt him. Periodic check ups allow you to establish your Silky Terrier dogs healthy statistics so a veterinarian can better assess the seriousness of illness or injury. Taking your dog to the vet also helps him become accustomed to the office and procedures so that the animal hospital does not become an unpleasant experience. Your veterinarian will let you know if your dog needs any dental care or other routine maintenance such as prevention or treatment of parasites common to your climate. | ||
Silky Terrier dogs commonly receive vaccinations to protect them against rabies and canine diseases. Puppies will need several until they are old enough to form adult immunities. Your vet can tell you how often your dog should receive boosters depending on your area and your dog's exposure to other animals. You may opt to have boosters every year if your dog is in contact with other unvaccinated Silky Terrier dogs. Otherwise your dog will only need boosters as your vet recommends. |
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| NUTRITION: Silky Terrier dogs live much longer now that they are kept indoors and on leashes and are fed commercial dog food. However, no food can contain everything that every dog may ever need. Since changing brands or flavors can lead to stomach upset for your dog, a good way to be sure your dog is getting the best nutrition is to use one brand of dry food (good for his teeth) and supplement it with another brand of canned food (good for his coat and more appetizing). Use premium brands rather than generic ones. Table food should not make up more than 10% of your dog's intake or it will reduce the value of feeding a balanced commercial diet. You may not want to feed your dog from the table to prevent begging or stealing food. | ||
| FORMAL TRAINING: You will naturally train your dog just by living with him. You may want to start with a basic lesson before you begin formal schooling. Once you learn more about animal training you may decide to go to an obedience class. A class is a great place to introduce your dog to other Silky Terrier dogs. Be sure the instructors philosophy is similar to yours. Some trainers use praise and food, some use training collars to shape your Silky Terrier dogs behavior. Most use a combination. | ||
| Many classes do not accept puppies until they are six months old. This is because collar corrections are physically hard on Silky Terrier dogs. In addition, other Silky Terrier dogs in the class may expose a puppy to illness before he has completed his vaccinations. However, there are special puppy training classes that use positive reinforcement, such as food or play, to shape behavior. Puppies must be vaccinated to participate. Puppy classes begin training as early as 8 or 10 weeks. It is an excellent opportunity to help socialize your puppy while he is young enough to gain the maximum benefit from positive experiences. | ||
| PLAY GROUPS and DAY CARE: Many dog trainers offer all day programs for those dog owners who want an alternative to leaving their dog at home alone. Silky Terrier dogs benefit from this type of program when it is suited to their temperaments. Many Silky Terrier dogs do not need this type of care. However, high energy, outgoing Silky Terrier dogs whose owners work away from home until after dinner, can expend their energy and enjoy the company of other Silky Terrier dogs. In addition, many doggie day cares offer short training sessions throughout the day to keep Silky Terrier dogs practiced in obedience commands. | ||
| ORGANIZED DOG ACTIVITIES: Dog owners sharing the same neighborhood provide exercise for their Silky Terrier dogs in common areas. Other dog owners are a great source of referrals to pet professionals such as groomers and veterinarians. | ||
| Some municipalities offer ?off leash? licensing. This allows a dog to pass a test that designates the dog as a ?Canine Good Citizen?. The test assesses the Silky Terrier dogs behavior in public on and off leash. Silky Terrier dogs that pass the test are able to respond to their owners voice commands in distracting situations and are not likely to jump up on strangers or chase other animals. Areas that honor the Canine Good Citizen designation often set aside space in public parks where Silky Terrier dogs are welcome to play off leash for everyone's enjoyment. | ||
| There are many formal activities that dog owners and Silky Terrier dogs enjoy together. If you have a pure bred dog, you may want to compete in a AKC conformation competition. Though beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, these national competitions allow judges to assess the best physical specimen of each recognized breed according to an established standard. The perfect specimens are awarded points toward championship titles that are recorded on their offspring's' pedigrees. | ||
| Search and Rescue Silky Terrier dogs are trained to trail human scent to find people who are missing or may be trapped in dangerous situations. Hunting Silky Terrier dogs participate in organized competitions to locate and retrieve game animals. Herding trials measure a dog and trainer's ability to manage sheep or cattle. Greyhound coursing is still popular and guarding breeds can pass several levels of course work to be designated as protection Silky Terrier dogs. Many dog training and breed clubs have developed challenges of their own; relay teams, Frisbee competition and obstacle or "agility" courses. | ||
Cameo Silkys, dedicated to the best in care and breeding. Our site contains a wide variety of general information and health care complied from the best veterinaries, AKC and resources available. Cameo Silkys offers the best in Silky Terriers, information about pets, health care and helping you to raise a happy Silky. If you're looking for a amazing pet, a show quality Silky, help with showing your Silky or a breeder we can help. Located in Vancouver Washington just minutes from Portland Oregon. |