Caring

Appearance includes: A clean brushed coat, with no staining on the face. A clean vest. Your vest can go in the washing machine.

A mindDog’s hygiene is important as a mindDog can be refused access to places if they have poor hygiene. This is outlined in the Disability Discrimination Act.

A healthy diet is a fresh diet. Foods that are good for your dog health can include foods like sardines, raw meaty bones, raw chicken (such as chicken carcass, chicken wings, drumsticks, necks), grains and veggies (such as rice, chopped carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato and broccoli). This helps the dogs to maintain a healthy weight. An inexpensive tin of sardines every day will provide the essential fatty acids that dogs need. Bones need meat on them. Ox tails are great for larger dogs. Marrowbones make great chew toys and teeth cleaners but they are not sufficient to form a good diet. Some dogs can develop skin problems when fed a lot of lamb. If this happens, just remove lamb from his diet and replace it with a can of sardines each day.

Make sure that any fresh food you give your dog, including meat, is human grade. Animal grade meat based pet foods often contain unacceptable chemicals and contaminants.

Also some human foods are highly toxic to dogs including but not limited to chocolate, macadamia nuts, avocado, grapes and onions. Use common sense when giving your dog “treats”.

Do NOT put your dog on a vegan diet. While being a vegan can be a healthy choice for a human, dogs are carnivores whose digestive system has developed for raw meat.

Vegan dogs may appear outwardly healthy but they are often undersized and listless. To do the every day work of a mindDog, your dog needs the energy it can only get from a raw meat based diet.

Forcing your dog to be a vegan is grounds for being withdrawn from the program.

Here are a couple of good references on diet:

• The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat, London: Faber & Faber, 1971
  • Juliette de Baïracli Levy
• Raw Meaty Bones Promote Health 2001
  • Tom Londsdale
  • available from Amazon or on Kindle

Brushing is a good way to keep your dog clean, freshen his coat, clear out old hair and dead skin cells and promote good health.

You can purchase a dog brush from any pet supply store or your vet. Please ask a shop assistant or your vet for advice if you are unsure of what brush is appropriate for your dog.

If your dog is healthy and regularly brushed, frequent bathing should be unnecessary. Every now and then your dog may become smelly, especially if they roll in something. If they do it is essential wash your dog as an unclean, smelly mindDog will not be welcome in public places. You can find suitable shampoos at a pet supply store or your vet clinic. Please do not use human shampoo as it can cause irritation to your dogs skin.

It is important to keep your dog’s ears clean, dirty ears are often a cause of infection particularly in dogs with floppy ears.

You can do this by wiping your dog’s ears with a soft tissue or soft damp cloth. You can purchase appropriate products to clean your dog’s ears from a pet supply store or your vet. Don’t ever clean your dog’s ears with a cotton bud as it can damage their ears.

Good oral hygiene is important for your dog and is dependent on their diet.

Good teeth are essential for your dog’s longevity. Raw meaty bones are a good way in ensuring your dog has good teeth. If your dog’s breath is smelly or he refuses to eat please take them to your vet.

It is important to look out for signs of stress in your mindDog. You should ensure that their wellbeing is a priority in everything that you do.

Download the PDF “Body Language”at the bottom of the page to understand more about the ways that your dog may show signs of stress.

It is important to ensure that your mindDog’s nails are not too long. If you are hesitant to cut your dogs nails or are not sure how to do them correctly, please consult your vet or a groomer. You should never use human nail clippers or scissors.

They can give you painful scratches, catch on loose materials and tear out of his paw, or adversely affect the way he walks. You can purchase special nail clippers from your vet or pet supply stores. You should never cut through the quick of the dog’s nail. This is living tissue which can bleed profusely and cause your dog extreme pain.

Download the PDF at the bottom of the page to learn how to clip your dogs nails.