Never, never

ACTIVITIES AND BEHAVIOURS TO AVOID WITH DOGS

Here we look at some key behaviours to avoid with your dog to ensure you both stay happy and healthy together!

It is never okay to leave dogs unattended in cars.

NEVER LEAVE DOGS ALONE IN CARS

It doesn't matter if it's cold outside or if it's just for a ‘few minutes’; you must never leave your dog in a car. Even when the weather is mild, but especially on a warm day, the temperature inside a vehicle can climb rapidly, as light/heat enters through the glass windows and cannot escape. Essentially, your car becomes a greenhouse. Dogs usually regulate their temperature by panting, but when they can't escape the heat of the car, panting isn't enough to cool them down. Your dog can rapidly become dehydrated and develop heatstroke, a potentially fatal condition. Even if you park in the shade, leave the windows slightly open or give your dog access to water, heatstroke is still an enormous risk. The symptoms of heatstroke are varied but can include panting, dribbling, an upset stomach, collapsing and fitting. If you think your dog has heatstroke, take them to the vet immediately!

NEVER TREAT YOUR DOG AS A HUMAN

As our best friends, we owe it to our dogs to treat them as they need us to. It is very easy to want to nurture and care for our dogs as we would for our friends and family, but we must never forget that dogs have dog needs, not human needs! One of the biggest differences is that our dogs live in the present, whereas we tend to live in the past or future. This means that praising a dog for good behaviour needs to occur in the moment, not twenty minutes later. Similarly, many dog behaviours tend to occur due to instinct, whereas humans are more likely to reason through their behaviour. Essentially, this means that dogs are never 'planning' to be naughty but just acting on their instinct to satisfy their need in the moment. It is clear, even from these two differences between dogs and humans, that treating dogs as humans could be highly unsettling and confusing for them – dogs are not like human children and should not be treated as such.

NEVER ASSUME THAT ALL FOOD IS FIT FOR DOGS

It's no secret that dogs love food, but their tendency to 'think with their stomach' often gets them into trouble. While plenty of your favourite foods will also be suitable for your dog, always check that what you're sharing isn't dangerous. For example, did you know that grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure? Or that cooked chicken bones can splinter and damage your dog's throat and gastrointestinal tract? Always do your research to make sure that what you're feeding is not just tasty, but safe and healthy!

ALCOHOL AND DOGS

Though you might not need to panic if your pet licks up a spilt drop of wine, it's important to know that dogs can suffer severe side effects from alcohol consumption. Alcohol depresses the nervous system, and this depression can lead to symptoms such as hypothermia, diarrhoea and vomiting. It is also worth noting that many drink mixers contain the artificial sweetener xylitol, which is toxic to dogs, even in tiny amounts.

NEVER HIT YOUR PET

It is never, under any circumstances, okay to hit your dog. Doing so will only cause your dog to fear you, which can make them harder to communicate with and more difficult to train. Instead, use positive reinforcement to show your pet which behaviours are welcome and rewarded.

NEVER FORGET THAT DOGS HAVE FEELINGS

Dogs feel – they have emotions, and they understand emotions. Recent studies have shown that dogs experience love like humans and can read human emotions from facial expressions. Dogs have the capacity to love, feel, become depressed and get excited. We need to remember this and factor their feelings into our decisions for the future.

NEVER LET YOUR DOG PLAY WITH HUMAN TOYS

It is always best for your dog to play with species-specific toys. Playing with children's toys or 'found objects' can be risky and lead to health issues for your dog. Children's toys are often simply not robust enough for a dog's teeth, and swallowing stuffing or parts of these toys can result in expensive trips to the vet.

Similarly, allowing your dog to embark on a high-speed chase with a stick or other 'found object' in their mouth can end badly. Dogs are pretty clumsy creatures at the best of times! They live in the moment, love to have fun and don't necessarily look (or care) where they are going when there's the opportunity to run and play! Sticks often feature as a part of this 'run and play' process, and whilst they can be great fun for your pooch, they can also be very dangerous. Sticks splinter and break, and sharp shards and pieces can pierce the soft tissue in your dog's mouth and throat. In addition, if they're running with a stick in their mouth and they stumble, trip, or collide with another object, sticks can lodge somewhere problematic and require immediate medical attention. To avoid this, discourage your pup from picking up sticks and distract them by bringing safer toys to play with on your walks, such as balls or squeaky toys.

NEVER SKIP VET VISITS IN FAVOUR OF 'DR GOOGLE'

Unfortunately, some people believe that they can self-diagnose their dog's health problems online and not seek veterinary care. There is undoubtedly a time and a place for online research to look up additional information, but if a dog acts out of the ordinary or there are symptoms of poor health, seeing veterinary care is of utmost importance.

NEVER YANK ON YOUR DOG'S LEAD OR USE A CHOKE COLLAR

Pulling on your dog's lead may occasionally be necessary to keep them from getting into a dangerous situation, but regularly pulling on the lead can result in a fracture. Dogs have a hyoid bone near the base of their tongue that can be fractured in this process, and the neck vertebrae are also vulnerable to damage. These fractures can cause many short and long-term problems. Using a choke collar, which constricts when the dog pulls away, is also dangerous. These collars can cause 'incomplete hanging' where the dog dies from the constriction of the neck while they are still on the ground.

NEVER PUT HUMAN SUNSCREEN ON YOUR DOG

Your dog has a coat of fur to protect his skin from the sun. Keep sunscreen out of your dog's reach and off their bodies as it can be toxic to them. Most sunscreens contain zinc oxide, which can be particularly damaging to a dog's intestines if they ingest it by licking it off their skin. Zinc oxide can cause your dog to have bloody diarrhoea and bloody vomit, which is indicative of intestinal damage.

NEVER LET YOUR DOG DRINK OUT OF THE TOILET BOWL OR FREELY EXPLORE THE BATHROOM

In addition to housing dirty water that can make your dog sick, many bathrooms contain cleaning chemicals and personal-care items that are toxic to dogs. If you have a curious pup, it may be best to keep the bathroom door closed.

NEVER NEGLECT YOUR DOG'S TEETH

Neglecting your dog's teeth is a big no-no. Many dogs suffer from untreated infections and diseases in their mouths because of this kind of neglect. Experts recommend brushing your dog's teeth daily, but at the very least, you need to brush them a couple of times a week. Contact your vet promptly if you have any concerns about your pet's oral health.

Chemicals found in toilet bowls can be toxic to your dog.

Never use human toothpaste on a dog. There are many ingredients in human toothpaste that can make dogs very sick.

DON'T LET YOUR DOG RIDE IN THE CAR WITH HIS HEAD OUT OF THE WINDOW

This is important as when a dog is riding with his head out of a car window, he could see something that excites him and encourages him to jump out. You also need to be cautious of wind and dirt and the damage these can cause to your dog's eyes. Your dog can also hurt his neck if the windows don't lock or if the window begins to close for some reason.

A crate should be a safe haven for your dog.

NEVER LEAVE YOUR DOG ALONE IN A PUBLIC PLACE

Never leave your dog alone where you can't see them. Pets are stolen every single day in South Africa, and keeping them in sight when out in public is one of the best ways to protect against this. Never leave them alone, whether outside a shop or just outside your house, while you run in to fetch something. Even if your dog is super patient and happy to wait for you, leaving them alone makes them vulnerable to being taken.

NEVER USE A CRATE FOR THE WRONG REASONS

Time-outs don't work for dogs. If a dog misbehaves, putting him in his kennel or crate is the wrong response. When you use a kennel or crate as a form of punishment, you are teaching your dog that the crate is a bad place instead of a safe haven. You want being crated to be a positive experience for your dog, so never use it to punish him.

NEVER GIVE YOUR DOG ICE TO PLAY WITH OR EAT

In hot weather, it can be tempting to fill your dog's water bowl with ice cubes or give them an ice cube to play with. However, it isn't a good idea for dogs to chomp on ice. Ice is a common cause of broken teeth towards the back of the mouth in dogs, and these broken teeth are painful and can easily become infected. This usually results in a root canal operation or tooth removal being required.

NEVER USE HUMAN ANTIBIOTIC OINTMENTS ON DOGS

Medications formulated for people, even topical ones, are not necessarily safe for use on pets, so you must always check with your vet before applying antibiotic cream. For example, one of the popular ingredients in human antibiotic ointments is neomycin which has been linked to hearing loss in dogs.