What to expect when you bring home a puppy

By the 9th month, your pup’s growth rate will be slower. Most pups stop growing by 9 months and the remaining will only grow by just a few kilos until they become an adult. However, large and giant dogs will only become adults until they are between 2 – 3 years of age.

Training Schedule

By now your puppy should know some of the basic commands and also know how to walk on the leash without pulling. Always remember the three Ms – Repeat, Reward and Reinforce to establish proper training and keep repeating the training lessons.

Nutrition

You can continue to feed your pup puppy-formulated food twice a day until the time they are an year old. Discuss with your vet if your puppy needs to be on a diet and to maintain an ideal weight.

Puppy Behaviour

Your puppy may decrease his rebellious/adolescent behaviour in between 9 to 12 months. Establishing proper boundaries in the initial months will help a lot to achieve that.

How much should I feed my Dog?

By 9 to 12 months of age, your dog can be fed twice a day. Whether you are giving your dog a home cooked food or a dog food, ensure that there are loads of nutritional ingredients such as chicken, meat, eggs and protein and calcium rich food.

Vaccination

By now, your puppy will have had her initial puppy vaccination. Deworm your puppy every three months. Consult your vet to know if there is any vaccination needed.

Diet

From 9th month, your puppy can easily be fed twice with a high quality puppy food that is formulated to provide a well-balanced nutrition. Make sure not to over feed your dog and consider your pup’s age, weight and activity levels when you decide how much you should feed your dog. Also note to never overfeed your dog with unnecessary supplements unless instructed by a vet. Always keep fresh water available at all times and take it along whenever you visit a park or are outdoors with your pet for a long time.

Puppy Body Language

• A play bow pose is usually an invitation to play.
• When your puppy is shy, he/she will have tail down or tucked and eyes averted.
• When your puppy is aggressive, he/she will stand head up with tail straight out or up and have a stiff stance.
• A wagging tail, head up, relaxed panting or mild barking are all signs of happiness

Grooming

Keep your pup groomed well and maintain the routine you have kept since the initial weeks to ensure he/she is comfortable with being handled and also to maintain proper hygiene.

What to do if my dog eats poop?

 As gross as it sounds, eating poop or coprophagia is a normal canine behaviour. When at times it is health related, your dog might eat poop to counter balance a missing nutrient in his diet. Visit your vet to rule out any diet related issues. If there is nothing wrong medically, you can handle this issue behaviourally. Dogs eat poop because it seems rewarding to them and at times they might also do this to grab your attention. Here are some ways to tackle this issue:

• Clean up poop as soon as your dog defecates.
• If you catch your dog in the act, don’t scold him. Instead, try to distract him from the act.

Why does my dog chase his Tail?

In general, dogs chase tails when they are happy, e
xcited or bored. Until and unless your dog does this over-anxiously, you need not worry about it. Only in rare cases, tail chasing might be a sign of neurological condition.

How do I manage separation anxiety?

It is best to not keep your dog alone for longer than six hours or so. Always start with leaving your dog for a shorter period of time and keep interactive toys when you leave so that he remains entertained while you’re away. Here are five tips to help ease separation anxiety:

• Take your dog out on a walk before you leave the house – Start your day by taking your dog out on a brisk walk and exercise. The idea is to leave your dog in a quiet and resting mode while you are away.
• No touch, no eye contact and no talk before you leave the house – Do not maintain any contact with your dog before you leave the house. Instead, say goodbye to your dog long before you leave the house. And when it is time to leave the house, just act like business as usual and leave home. When you reach back home, do the same thing for a few minutes.
• Start out by leaving your dog alone for a few minutes – Leave your dog alone for a few minutes and then extend the time for twenty minutes and then an hour. Continue to increase the time you spend with your dog slowly and surely.

Is Grain-Free Food For Your Cat A Better Choice?

There is a lot of talk in the pet community about grain free foods, and you might be wondering what’s causing all the hype. Many scientists believe that a grain free diet is more appropriate for cats because they are carnivores, and foods rich in proteins rather than grain-based carbohydrates more closely resemble their natural diet.

Is grain the problem?

Grains like corn, wheat, and rice are the foundations for many cat foods. This is because they are cheap to produce and allow the food manufacturer to meet the carbohydrate requirements for their foods while saving some money.

These types of grains, however, can cause problems for some cats. Some cats are allergic to grains, and others have a hard time digesting them. A wild cat’s natural diet would contain more protein, and they would likely ingest only small amounts of carbohydrates through the proteins (or animals) they consumed.

Here are 6 Reasons why you should opt for Grain- Free Cat Food by Farmina Pet Foods

Here's the only trusted nutritonal grain-free Cat Food range available in India.

1. More premium ingredients than the usual food:  grain free natural and delicious pet food is designed in such a way that satisfies the carnivorous nature of cats. All products in this range are made of  premium Human grade ingredients & are also gluten free .Grain free diets can contain more of the ingredients that your cat would be eating in the wild. Proteins like fish and meat are found in greater amounts in some grain free foods.

2. Grain sensitivity: Some cats develop an allergy to grains, and grain free diets aim to eliminate the ingredients causing the sensitivity. However, natural and delicious . Their high-quality food is made up of 70% animal ingredients and 30% vegetables, fruits, vitamins, and minerals.

3. High in Protein: Being the best nutritional choice for cats & kittens, grain free products are GMO (Genetically modified organisms) & by products free. With 42% of protein level  every N&D cat meal comes with correct amounts of protein & because grain free foods can be higher in protein, they can also be higher in fat. But N&D eliminates that with it ingredients infused with limited carbs & fats.

4. Rich in high Quality Vitamins:  Natural ingredients and antioxidants support the healthy digestion and strong immunity. Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acid blend supports healthy skin and coat

5. Worth the money:  cat Food is Rich in high-quality vitamins that have a long lasting effectiveness because of the advance method Vacuum Coater System. Vacuum coater technology also allows adding vitamin at lower temperatures which prevent thermal stress. Vitamins are now effective for longer periods of time enabling to achieve the concept of Long Life Vitamins. Grain free foods that contain more protein will likely be more expensive. However, you will probably be feeding your cat smaller portions because of the high protein, so this may make up for the price difference.