Puppies and Dogs

There are many breeds of dog and larger dogs have different needs to those of smaller dogs.

But, whatever their size, all dogs have five welfare needs to be healthy and happy.

Do you know what they are?

PDSA pet care tips for dogs
Watch a video of PDSA vets caring for a dog
Downloads for you

PDSA pet care tips for dogs

Here’s a quick check list of things I need:

Clean bowls for food and water
A warm dry bed
A collar and name tag in case I get lost
A lead for walking near traffic
Poop scooper for cleaning up after me!
Lots of dog toys, large enough for me not to swallow. Remember, sticks can splinter and hurt my throat
A brush to keep my coat groomed

Lots of exercise – at least two walks a day!
Company – I don’t like to be left on my own for more than 4 hours at a time
A vet to give me vaccinations and regular treatment for fleas and worms, and care if I am sick or injured
A special toothbrush and doggie toothpaste to keep my teeth healthy
I need to be taught how to behave properly. Read tips on dog training (PDF - 4.78 MB)
Don’t forget, human chocolate is poisonous for me, so please keep it out of my reach as it looks really tasty.

Watch a video of PDSA vets caring for a dog

PDSA vet, Alice, demonstrates how vets give dogs a health-check. Examining a friendly black cross-breed called Louis, Alice checks that Louis is bright and alert, and that his eyes, nose, teeth, ears, paws, coat, tummy, heart and lungs all look and sound healthy.

We have lots more video's you can watch of our vets caring for pets. Why don't you visit our Watch page to see them all.

Downloads for you

We have two great posters you can download and print out to keep at home, just click on the links below to get your copies today.

Download our Pet files page (PDF - 2.55 MB) on dogs!

Download a cute puppy poster (PDF - 372 KB) for your wall!

There are 3 links on this page which are in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. In order to view them you will need the free Acrobat Reader software installed on your computer.