Countryside Dogs: Care and Considerations

Rural living offers so much to dogs. Some might say that dogs living in the country are living the dream. There are so many benefits for them that come hand in hand with the extended space. When you live in the inner city, taking on the responsibility of a dog may be a little difficult. Smaller living spaces can be unfair to larger breeds who need a little more space to get around comfortably, and urban homes also tend to have smaller gardens or may completely lack a garden too. While you may be able to walk your dog once a day, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to take them out regularly enough for them to relieve themselves as and when they please. However, with the freedom that comes with country living, there are also precautions and considerations that need to be taken into account to give countryside dogs the best quality of life possible. Here are a few that you might like to bear in mind!

Countryside Dogs: Care and Considerations

Securing Borders

When you have more land, you have more borders that you need to maintain. It’s absolutely essential that you ensure that you have some sort of fencing or walls. These can prevent your dog from straying away from your land and into neighboring land. Generally speaking, dogs who stray into neighboring areas are likely to disturb or shock any animals who may reside there and are not used to their presence. By law, a farmer can shoot your dog if he or she worries or troubles their own animals. Though this would be a rather extreme reaction, it’s not something that you want to risk.

By securing your borders, you will also ensure that you know your countryside dogs are in the vicinity of your own land at all times. It’s best to start out on the right foot by ensuring that your fences are high quality to start with. Ensure that they are too high for your pet to jump over of their own accord. You should also avoid piling items up near to the fence, as they may facilitate your pet to climb over easily. If possible, have them embedded deep into the ground to avoid your dog digging and making a tunnel underneath. If you have fencing, check regularly for breaks and splits in the panels.

Checking for Injury Regularly

When you live in the city, your dog generally walks on a lead, so you have an eye on them at all times. If an injury occurs, you’re going to notice it, because you’ll be close by when it happens and more likely to be able to identify the problem and the cause. If you let your dog run free on your land, they may come into all sorts of trouble when you’re not there. These can range from small issues to larger problems.

What’s more? Your dog can’t necessarily communicate discomfort or pain to you effectively. Remember to give them a good check over each evening. Look for bites, scratches, cuts, or other injuries that could be causing them problems. Some can be treated from home. However, it’s generally best to visit your vet for treatment. Your dog may need some sort of specialist intervention to help them on their way to a fast and thorough recovery. If your pet is giving medicine or tablets to take and you are having difficulty getting them to swallow them, consider pill treats. These are treats that are specially designed to discreetly contain tablets. Your dog will eat them and not think twice about it! For more information, view this page.

Providing Sufficient Nutrition

Countryside dogs are likely to exert themselves a whole lot more than those who spend most of their time indoors. This means that you really have to keep an eye on the food that you are providing them with. They are likely to require a little more to sustain such an active lifestyle. Visit your vet to ensure that their weight is in check and for recommendations of high energy meals. You may also want to give them a few extra supplementary treats when they display good behavior. You should also ensure that your pet has constant access to a supply of clean water. Leave this supply in the same place each day so that they know where to find it. Having a bowl both inside and outside is preferable.

Protecting Against Fleas, Ticks, and Mites

More time spent outside means that your dog is likely to have higher levels of exposure to ticks, fleas, and mites. It’s a matter of nature! Countryside dogs are more likely than city dogs to come into contact with wildlife or wild animals. These animals are carriers of all sorts of parasites. So you need to ensure that your pet is thoroughly protected against them. If not, you could see them picking these things up. Not only is this problematic for your home (as it could become infested), but more importantly, it could pose health and wellbeing problems to your pet themselves. Also be wary of worms. For effective protection, you should worm your dog every three months. And use flea treatments with minimum intervals of four weeks. Remember to read all packaging and instructions that come with the products that you use. And ensure that you purchase them from a trusted and reliable supplier.

These are just a few things that might want to consider when you are taking care of countryside dogs. All dogs require high levels of care. But it’s important to bear in mind the extra risks that pose themselves to your pet if you do live in a rural location. This will help you to protect your pet and provide them with the best quality of life possible. Being aware of the risks will also help you to take proper precautions to prevent problems from arising in the first place. While you can never completely protect a pet from any problem, there are steps that you can take to minimize risks.