Everyday care

Caring for your dog, day by day and year by year

Most of good dog care is simple routine: the right food, enough exercise, regular grooming and a trusted vet. Here’s what that looks like in practice.

Food and water

Feeding well

Choose a complete, balanced food made for your dog’s life stage (puppy, adult or senior). Use the pack’s guide as a starting point, then adjust: you should be able to feel your dog’s ribs easily without seeing them. Most adult dogs do well on two meals a day, and fresh water should always be available. Treats count too; keep them to a small share of daily food.

Foods that are dangerous for dogs

  • Chocolate, coffee and caffeine
  • Grapes, raisins and currants
  • Xylitol (a sweetener in some gum, sweets and peanut butters)
  • Onions, garlic, leeks and chives
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Alcohol
  • Cooked bones, which can splinter
If you think your dog has eaten something toxic, call your vet or an animal poison helpline straight away.

Exercise and enrichment

Movement for body and mind

How much exercise a dog needs depends on breed, age and health. Mental work, like sniffing, puzzle feeders and training games, tires dogs out just as much as running.

Puppies

Short and frequent

Several short play sessions and gentle walks a day, with plenty of naps. Avoid long runs and lots of jumping while joints are still growing.

Adults

Daily walks plus play

At least one good walk a day, often more for working and sporting breeds, plus play, sniffing and training. A bored dog often finds its own (destructive) entertainment.

Seniors

Gentle and steady

Shorter, slower walks keep muscles and joints working. Watch for stiffness or tiring quickly, and mention any changes to your vet.

Grooming

Coat, nails and teeth

Coat and skin

Brush regularly: a few times a week for most coats, daily for long or double coats. It removes loose hair and lets you spot lumps, ticks or sore patches early. Bathe only when needed, with a dog shampoo.

Nails and paws

If you can hear nails clicking on the floor, they’re probably too long. Trim a little at a time, or ask a groomer or vet nurse. Check paw pads after walks on hot pavement, ice or rough ground.

Teeth

Dental disease is very common in adult dogs. Brushing with a dog toothpaste, daily if possible, is the most effective habit. Never use human toothpaste.

Health

Working with your vet

  • Check-ups at least once a year; many vets recommend twice a year for senior dogs
  • Vaccinations on the schedule your vet recommends for where you live
  • Parasite prevention for fleas, ticks, worms and, in many areas, heartworm
  • Weight checks: extra weight shortens lives and strains joints

Call your vet straight away if your dog:

  • Has trouble breathing or collapses
  • Has a swollen, hard belly or retches without bringing anything up
  • Has repeated vomiting or diarrhoea, or any blood in it
  • Has eaten something toxic
  • Has a seizure
  • Can’t pass urine, or strains without result
  • Has been hit by a car or badly injured

Next: training with kindness

A well-cared-for dog is ready to learn. Start with reward-based basics that build trust.

Start training