Animal Antics for Students - Dogs

Food

Dogs like crunchy, dry food with a sprinkling of fresh meat or cooked vegetables. It is important to give dogs uncooked bones every few days. Never give dogs chocolate; it makes them very sick.

Water

Make sure your dog has fresh water all the time. Keep the water in the shade and clean the bowl every day.

Shelter

Dogs need comfortable, dry places to protect them from the sun, wind and rain. Their beds should be soft and warm and cleaned every week.

Friends

Dogs need the company of people and other dogs. They should never be left alone for long.

Exercise

Walking, fetching balls and playing frisbee are great ways to exercise dogs. If dogs are being taken outside their homes they need to be on leads. Exercise your dog regularly.

Vet care

Dogs must visit the vet once a year for a check-up. Vets give dogs vaccinations to stop them catching diseases. You should also take dogs to the vet if they are vomiting a lot, coughing, sleeping all the time or not eating.

Identification

Dogs should wear collars with name tags. You can also have a microchip put under your dog's coat to make sure it has identification if its collar falls off. Then it can be identified and returned to you.

Lifespan

Most dogs live between 12 and 14 years.