🐾 DogCompanion

Articles

Guides on dog health, training and everyday life — written for DogCompanion.

When to see a vet urgently
Some symptoms cannot wait. Learn the warning signs that mean your dog needs veterinary care right away.
How much exercise does your dog need?
The right amount of daily walks depends on age, breed and health — here is how to find your dog's level.
Safe walks all year round
Heat, ice, darkness and traffic each bring their own risks. Small habits make every walk safer.
Reward-based training that works
Modern dog training builds on rewarding what you want to see more of. The basics are simple — and powerful.
A recall you can trust
A reliable recall gives your dog more freedom and can save its life. Build it step by step.
Socializing your puppy
Between roughly 3 and 14 weeks, puppies form their picture of what is normal. Calm, positive exposure now prevents fear later.
Mental stimulation and nose work
Ten minutes of sniffing can tire a dog as much as a long walk. Mental work is a wellbeing essential, not a luxury.
Reading your dog's body language
Dogs tell us how they feel long before they growl. Learning the early signals prevents problems and deepens your bond.
Teaching your dog to be home alone
Being alone is a skill dogs must learn gradually. Done right, most dogs can rest calmly for a few hours.
Vaccinations — what and when
Core vaccines protect against serious diseases like distemper and parvo. Keep the schedule and the protection stays strong.
Ticks, worms and other parasites
Parasites are part of dog life — but easy to manage with routines for checking, removing and treating.
Food, weight and body condition
Keeping your dog lean is one of the strongest things you can do for its health and lifespan.
Dental care for dogs
Most dogs over three have some dental disease. Daily brushing is the single best prevention.
Common household dangers
Chocolate, grapes, xylitol and more — know the everyday items that poison dogs, and what to do if it happens.
First aid basics
Knowing a few simple techniques buys precious time on the way to the vet.
Caring for your senior dog
Older dogs change slowly — many aches and slowdowns are treatable, not just old age.
Bringing home a new puppy
The first days set the tone — calm routines, safe spaces and patience beat excitement.
How much exercise does your dog need?
Breed, age and health decide the dose — too little frustrates, too much harms growing joints.
Coat and paw care
Regular brushing, nail trims and paw checks keep skin healthy and problems small.
Heat safety and heatstroke
Dogs cool mainly by panting, so heat builds fast — prevention and quick action save lives.
Healthy weight and body condition
You should feel the ribs easily and see a waist — extra weight quietly shortens a dog's life.
Ears, skin and itching
Constant scratching, licking or head-shaking is a medical sign, not a habit — find the cause.
Neutering — the facts
Spaying and castration have real pros and cons — timing and the individual dog matter.
Understanding and reducing barking
Barking is communication — solve the reason behind it rather than just silencing the sound.
Dogs and children living safely together
Supervision, calm spaces and teaching both sides make a lasting, safe friendship.
Traveling safely with your dog
A secured dog, planned breaks and the right documents turn a stressful trip into an easy one.
Winter walks: cold, ice and road salt
Most dogs love snow, but cold, ice and de-icing salt call for a few simple routines.
Summer hazards: algae, snakes, stings and grass seeds
Toxic algae, snake bites, stings and grass awns are classic summer emergencies. Know the signs.
Ticks and tick-borne disease
Ticks can carry Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and other infections. Quick removal and prevention cut the risk.
Fireworks and fear of noises
Fear of bangs is common and usually gets worse without help. Plan ahead, comfort your dog and talk to your vet in good time.
Feeding your puppy
Puppies need food made for growth, several small meals a day and steady rather than rapid growth.
Choosing and changing dog food
Complete or complementary, dry, wet or raw: what the label means and how to switch without an upset stomach.
Walking on a loose lead
Pulling is rewarded every time it gets the dog forward. Change that, and the lead goes slack.
Teaching your dog to settle
Relaxing on a mat or in a crate is a skill, and one of the most useful things a dog can learn.
The teenage dog
Between about six months and two years many dogs seem to forget everything. It is a phase, and patience gets you through it faster.
Reactive on the lead
Barking and lunging at other dogs or people is usually about fear or frustration. Distance and rewards help more than corrections.
Resource guarding
A dog that stiffens, growls or snaps over food, toys or its bed is guarding. Trade, don't take.
Vomiting and diarrhoea: wait or call?
A single episode in an otherwise lively dog can often be watched, but some signs mean you should call the vet straight away.
Signs your dog is in pain
Dogs often hide pain. Small changes in movement, habits and mood are the clues.
Seasons, false pregnancy and pyometra
Living with an unspayed female means knowing her cycle, and recognising pyometra, a womb infection that is an emergency.
The ageing brain
Confusion, restless nights and changed habits in an old dog can be cognitive decline, and there is help.
Quality of life and saying goodbye
Deciding when to let an old or ill dog go is one of the hardest choices. A few questions can help you see clearly.
Holidays abroad with your dog
The paperwork must be in place weeks before departure, and warmer countries bring diseases your dog has never met.
Adopting an adult or rescue dog
A rescue dog needs time to land. Think days, weeks and months rather than an instant fit.
Buying a puppy: finding a responsible breeder
A good breeder health-tests the parents, asks you lots of questions and stays available for the dog's whole life.
Dog allergy in people
What people actually react to, why no breed is truly hypoallergenic, what helps at home and how to plan honestly before a puppy moves in.
Health testing before breeding
HD, ED, patella, eyes and DNA tests — the foundation of responsible breeding decisions.
Heat cycles and timing the mating
Understanding the heat cycle is the difference between a planned litter and a missed season.
Pregnancy week by week
Around 63 days from ovulation to whelping — here is what happens and what the bitch needs along the way.
Whelping — preparation and warning signs
Most births go smoothly on their own. Your job is calm support — and knowing exactly when to call the vet.
The puppies' first weeks
Weight, warmth and quiet observation — the neonatal period rewards routine and early action.
Weaning done right
From milk to solid food between weeks three and eight — gradually, and on the puppies' terms.
Socialization in the whelping box
What puppies meet before delivery at week eight shapes them for life. The breeder owns the most important weeks.
Selling puppies responsibly
A written contract, a vet check and honest matching protect the puppy, the buyer and you.
Progesterone testing explained
Timing a mating by the calendar is guesswork — progesterone tells you when ovulation actually happens.
Choosing the right stud dog
A good match improves on the bitch — health results and temperament matter more than titles.
Feeding the nursing bitch
A lactating bitch may need several times her normal food — underfeeding costs her condition and the puppies.
Whelping complications and dystocia
Most births are uneventful, but recognizing dystocia early is what saves puppies and the bitch.
Coefficient of inbreeding and genetics
Understanding recessive genes and inbreeding helps you breed healthier, longer-lived dogs.
The puppy health check before delivery
A thorough check at around eight weeks sends each puppy to its new home healthy and documented.
Inbreeding coefficient and genetic diversity
The COI tells you how closely related a puppy's parents are, and why that matters for health.
Contracts and paperwork for puppy sales
A clear written contract protects the buyer, the breeder and above all the puppy.
Choosing the right homes for your puppies
Matching each puppy with the right family is one of a breeder's most important jobs.
Fading puppies: early warning signs
A newborn puppy can go downhill within hours. Daily weighing and quick action make the difference.
Artificial insemination: fresh, chilled and frozen
Insemination opens up stud dogs far away, but timing and paperwork matter even more than with a natural mating.
Caring for the brood bitch
Her health is the foundation of every litter: before, between and after.
Owning a stud dog
A good stud dog is healthy, health-tested and used responsibly, not as often as possible.
Ringworm in the kennel
Ringworm is a fungus, not a worm. How it spreads between dogs and people, how it is diagnosed, and how treatment and cleaning together clear a kennel.
Diarrhoea in puppies
Common causes of loose stools in puppies, from a change of food to worms, giardia and coccidia, which signs are urgent, and how to work with your vet.

The full article library — and much more — lives in the DogCompanion app.

Download on the App Store