The right accessories
make a healthy dog

READERS who may be contemplating buying a new dog have an excellent opportunity to start the right regimes and feeding plans and give their dogs the best and healthiest possible lifestyles. To assist, I have listed they best type of equipment below with the reasons for it and the right way to use it.

Water bowl - Should be easy to clean and should not slide along the floor. Stainless steel with rubber base is good, or heavy ceramic, though the ceramic ones are always likely to be broken if you drop them while cleaning. A dog needs fresh, clean water available at all times and if you live in an area where water can be contaminated by cane toads (this will kill a dog), mosquitoes or other parasites, make sure it is located inside the house and never leave containers that fill with rain water around the yard because they can be contaminated almost instantly.

Food bowl - Again stainless steel with rubber non-slip base or ceramic. Never leave uneaten food in the bowl and clean it after every meal. An indoor location to feed your dog is best as outdoors it can be forgotten, left uncleaned, and can be infected by birds, ants, cockroaches and any other nasties.

Collar - You may want to choose between a collar and a harness, but in many areas a collar is essential by law and must have a name tag attached. If you are using a collar make sure that it is soft, wide enough to easily cover at least two of the dog's vertebrae and is loose enough to slide two of your fingers underneath without strain. You must check this on a regular basis as dogs grow - an unchecked collar can become embedded in the dog's neck.

Harness - A harness is ideal for dogs that pull while out walking. It does not damage the neck and any pulling strain is distributed evenly across the shoulders, chest and legs. Make sure the harness is the right size. It should be soft or padded, and should not rub or irritate the dog around the tops of its front legs. Some dogs become stressed if a harness is put over their heads and for such dogs the style that clips together over their back and does not have to be put over their head is the best.

Leash - The only consideration here is length, and if you consider the health of your dog, make it a long leash. The time you spend walking your dog is unimportant. It is the quality of the walk that your dog enjoys, the sniffing of a variety of scents and objects, and the scents left by other dogs that he/she can reply to (pee-mail). If you walk your dog on a short leash and he/she is unable to sniff anything or investigate any objects, then you may just as well leave the dog at home!

Nail clippers - These are a really handy tool and cut the nails correctly. Buy a quality pair and they will outlast your dog. But nail clipping is something that dogs need to be conditioned to while they are puppies. If they never have any accidents then they never fear having their nails cut. Dogs with white nails are easy to trim as you can plainly see the blood vessel inside and can avoid cutting the vein, but for dogs with black nails it is best to limit trimming to small tip trims only. If you worry about such things then the best way to handle it is to leave the clipping to the vet or professional groomer.

Grooming brush - Buy a good quality one that will not scratch the dog's skin. The type of brush required will depend on the type of coat your dog has and how often you need to groom. Obviously a dog such as a samoyed will need daily brushing but a short coat variety such as a greyhound or dalmation will only need a weekly brush.

Flea comb - Again the type required will depend on the coat length and whether there is undercoat or not. Make sure the comb does a good job and that you are not squeamish about killing any flea that you comb out. Personally I do not put flea preparations on my dogs or use flea collars or flea shampoo. However, if you live in an area where fleas and ticks are at epidemic proportions then you will probably need more than the comb. But if you can control fleas by a daily comb then please try it - your dog will love the attention and its health will benefit by not having to cope with even more chemicals.

Kong - There is nothing like a kong for settling an over-active dog or giving it something to do if you are going to be out for a while. The black ones last longest against really tough chewers, but any of them will serve the purpose, you just have to renew the coloured ones after a year or two. Stuff them with all sorts of soft foods that your dog enjoys and he will be busy for ages. I have used mixtures containing whole grain bread, yoghurt, tinned fish, fresh fish or meat scraps, cooked vegetables, cottage cheese, rice, grated hard cheese, mince or pasta. You will be able to think of a few more that your own dog enjoys and include them, but always be sure they are healthy foods - no leftover desserts or sweets or your dog's teeth will suffer. And make sure the kongs are cleaned thoroughly after each use.

Large, meaty raw beef bones - I have included this in the list of equipment as they are really good for your dog's teeth. Never give dogs cooked bones of any type as these may splinter and cause internal damage. Keep a large bag full in your freezer and defrost one to amuse your dog while you are away from home for a few hours.

Treat ball - This will keep your dog amused for a while and like the kong he will have to do a bit of brainwork to retrieve the food. Put some small dry biscuits in it or small treats like tiny pieces of dried liver or even a few CANINE chocolate drops (these are not really chocolate, which is poison to dogs, so NEVER use real chocolate drops)!

Bedding - It is best that your dog has his own bed from the beginning and knows that this is his own place where he can rest and be safe and warm. So whether you decide on a basket in your bedroom or in the laundry, or a blanket in his cage, or decide that your dog sleeping on your own bed is okay, just make sure that the sleeping area is warm, comfortable and safe, and a place he can retreat to for some peace and quiet. But you will need at least two sets of bedding that you can alternate to keep the bed clean and fresh. And if your dog sleeps on your bed please don't invest in any ornate or expensive quilts, covers etc. Easy-wash cotton is the order of the day, at least three so that you can alternate and wash them often.

Toys - The best toys for any dog are the ones that either help keep the teeth clean or that your dog has to do some brainwork to play with. Rawhide chew sticks are good, but one must be very careful. Some brands are preserved with formaldehyde and should be avoided at all cost. Others, particularly those made in China and other Asian countries, are largely made of dog and cat skins so should also be avoided. Dogs love to hunt out trails made of hidden treats so hide some food they love around the yard and let them find it. Laying a trail of treats for them to scent out can be the best form of toy.

Equipment to be avoided - Never use the so-called "gentle halti" head halter. It is neither gentle nor safe. By keeping the dog's head in a firm grip while walking you are preventing it from giving or receiving any signals to or from dogs and people it passes (the same with a muzzle). Eventually it will realise that the only form of communication it has left is to growl or attack. As well as that, constant head pulling can damage the neck.

Never use choke chains. These can also damage neck muscles and the oesophagus.

Never use electric collars as you are destroying the relationship you have with your dog. Base your training on trust and companionship rather than fear and pain. Never use prong collars for the same reason.

Never use thin collars as they can slip between the vertebrae and cause damage to the cartilage discs or if the dog pulls on its leash (or the owner jerks the leash) they can cause oesophagus damage.

Never take your dog walking on a short leash (I have seen some that can be no more than about two feet long). If you need to hold a tight leash (if you must walk down a busy footpath for instance) until you get to your walking spot then do so. But as soon as you are able, release the tight grip and allow your dog to sniff all the scents and identify all the objects that you pass.

Never feed your dog any food that lists in its ingredients: byproducts, meatmeal, cornmeal, preservatives, artificial colour, caramel, unidentified cereal, unidentified chemicals, sugar or flavourings. Foods with actual food value left in them do not need any extra flavour, colour, sweetener, enhancement or padding. - EP