The condition and performance of a service dog depends on proper feeding and caring. The dog should be kept without collars or muzzles. The room intended for this purpose should be light, dry and clean. It is especially important that there is a lot of oxygen in the room. The dog must not be allowed to be in the same room with horses, cows and other domestic animals.
Owners usually keep their dogs in homes or apartments. But keeping a dog in an apartment has a number of negative aspects. The dog kept in the apartment is rarely outdoors and the body is less resistant to various diseases. When keeping a dog in an apartment, it should be given a special, permanent place (not a draught). A mat can be used as a bedding.
The space allocated for the dog must be cleaned daily.
If the dog is kept outside, a separate kennel for the dog must be made. The size of the kennel depends on the height of the dog. For service dogs the following sizes are recommended: width 40 inches, depth 39 inches, height 38 inches. It is not recommended to make a hay bed (it is quickly rubbed and gives a lot of dust, which can cause skin diseases).
It is advisable that the kennel is located on a hill, in a dry, quiet place, protected from the wind.
The kennel should be cleaned daily. First of all the excrement should be removed with an iron scoop together with the top layer of ground. If there is bedding in the booth, shake the straw. Bad and fine straw is removed, replacing it with fresh straw (all bedding is changed every five to seven days, and also after disinfection).
After changing the bedding, sweep the area, remove dirt and dust from the walls of the booth. In summer time, wash the whole booth once every three months with hot water and soap. In addition, disinfection is carried out at least once a month. The dog should only be allowed into the booth after it has been well ventilated and dried.
How to Clean a Dog
The dog must be washed daily (this also applies to dogs kept in apartments).
Cleansing skin massage improves blood circulation and promotes intensive release of metabolic products. Also removes dandruff, dirt, dust and dead hair from the skin.
Before cleaning, make sure there are no damage to your dog's skin and do not touch any damaged areas with the necessary therapeutic measures.
Cleaning begins with brushing the wool. For long-haired dogs, tangled hairs need to be thoroughly dismantled and soaked in water; if this doesn't help, these areas need to be cut. Then start brushing. Start with your dog's head, neck and then move on to his body, tail and paws. The brush is pressed slightly back and forth.
When the brush is finished, the dog's coat is smoothed out and places without hair (stomach and groin) are cleaned. Afterwards, wash his eyes with cotton wool or gauze soaked in a 2-3% solution of boric acid; wipe his ears with almost dry cotton wool or gauze (each eye or ear with a new piece of cotton wool or gauze).
During moulting (spring and autumn), your dog should be cleaned very carefully; careless and premature removal of the hair or undercoat can cause skin irritation and pain.
In addition to daily cleaning, you should wash your dog with warm water and soap and bathe in clean water in summer (preferably running water).
However, dogs should not be washed frequently; when they are washed, skin fat is washed away, which prevents moisture from penetrating the skin; therefore, frequent washing will make dogs more prone to colds.
In winter and in the cold season, service dogs, especially those that are not kept in apartments, should only be washed if necessary (contamination, parasites, doctor's orders, etc.). Dogs should be washed in a warm room; after washing, they should be wiped dry and left indoors until they are completely dry.
In summer it is advisable to wash your dog at least once a month; in hot weather it can be combined with bathing in a pond.
Different soaps can be used for washing; foam should be washed well, otherwise the remaining soap will cause irritation and skin disease.
How to bathe a dog
Dogs should bathe in the hot summertime. Bathing refreshes and hardens your dog's body; it should last no longer than 15-20 minutes. When your dog swims in a pond, he gets good physical development.
Your dog should not be bathed immediately after work or after feeding. The best time for bathing is morning and evening. If you let your dog in the water in high heat, he should first wet his head.
After bathing, it's best to take your dog on a short leash or make him walk next to you without letting him lie on the ground; it's best to walk with your dog for a while until he's dry.
You need to walk the dog regularly, allowing it to run and frolic freely. Regardless of the weather, the dog should walk at least twice a day for at least 30–40 minutes.
Your dog must not be left unattended during walking. Care must be taken that the dog does not pick up anything edible on the ground, does not come into contact with other dogs or other pets and cannot bite people.
It is possible to allow him to play with other dogs while walking, provided that the animals are familiar and all are healthy. To avoid fighting, it is best to allow dogs of different sexes to play.
