The Mountain Dog is a medium-sized dog with a standard shoulder height of less than 50cm and a weight of 25kg~30kg. It usually has a short tail, but some dogs are born without a tail. Its earliest purpose was to help shepherds drive livestock and graze. Nowadays, it is mainly found in rugged mountainous areas and is a faithful and excellent guardian.
The dog was originally popularized by American settlers and was commonly raised as a golden short-haired dog. It is intelligent and brave, with innate hunting skills. It has also appeared on the screen, playing Breed in the Hollywood movie "Old Yeller" adapted from the book of the same name.
Of course, during the era of American territorial expansion, they were also special hunting dogs for their work, and the Mountain Dog was a very important breed at that time.
In the early 1950s, this yellow dog mainly lived in remote mountainous areas and swamps in the southwestern United States. The dog's size and color variations are very large. According to statistics, common colors include beige, yellow, gray-brown, black, and brown with patterns.
The Mountain Dog is used to living indoors. It has a gentle temperament and is friendly towards children. It likes to play with children and even protects its family and children with its life in sudden events. It is the most loyal companion for humans.
The Mountain Dog is not only an excellent companion dog but also a responsible working dog. Every time there are cattle or sheep leaving the group, it will run up and gently bite their tails or heels, urging them to return to the group as soon as possible.
Toessitis
Symptoms: The dog frequently licks between its toes, which become red and moist. In severe cases, lameness may occur.
Preparation: Iodine, erythromycin ointment, Elizabethan collar
Instructions: Place the Elizabethan collar on the dog, trim the fur on the foot, wash with soapy water or wipe with iodine. Once the affected area is dry, apply erythromycin ointment between the toes once a day for a week.
Ear mites
Symptoms: The dog scratches its ears, shakes its head, and the ears have a strong sour odor. Tear stains increase and there may be hair loss, dark brown secretions, and earwax.
Preparation: Ear cleaner, ear wash solution
Instructions: Clean the hair inside the dog's ears, pour ear wash solution or ear cleaner into the ear canal, gently massage the base of the ear for 30 seconds, and allow the dog to shake out the solution. Use a cotton ball to wipe off the secretions and gently clean the ear auricle and ear canal.
Skin disease
Symptoms: The dog experiences itching, red and itchy skin, and scratches itself. The fur becomes dull and rough, with increased dandruff and even patches of hair loss.
Preparation: Saline solution, topical ointment or spray for the skin, vitamin B
Instructions: Put an Elizabethan collar on the dog to prevent scratching and licking. Trim the hair around the affected skin, then rinse with saline solution to kill bacteria. Apply ointment or use spray, along with antibiotics and vitamin B.
The Mountain Dog has excellent working ability. When raising it, attention should be paid to controlling the intake of minerals, because minerals are the main components of functional tissues, bone marrow, and teeth. The necessary minerals for puppies include calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, cobalt, potassium, sodium, chloride, iodine, zinc, magnesium, manganese, sulfur, selenium, etc. These trace elements should be supplemented in a timely manner to promote the growth of the dog's skeleton.
Puppies have certain requirements for the amount and proportion of minerals. When lacking salt, it can cause severe imbalance of the body's physiological functions, but excessive salt intake can also cause toxicity and even death. The calcium-phosphorus ratio should be appropriate, generally around 1.2:1. Since the phosphorus content in the liver is tens of times that of calcium, puppies that are fed liver for a long time may have poor bone development.
1. Can't bathe frequently
When bathing a dog, of course, it cannot be done too frequently. The frequency of bathing a dog depends on the dog's hygiene condition. In hot weather, you can bathe the dog more than once or twice, but in winter, you can reduce it one or two times. But in general, it should not exceed 5 times. Otherwise, it will damage its fur and skin!
2. Brush regularly
Dogs shed hair almost every day, especially in spring and autumn. If you want the fur to grow well, brushing regularly is an important step. Pet owners can use a special brush for pets to help the dog clean the naturally shed hair and avoid tangling. Brush once in the morning and evening for about five minutes each time.
3. Sunbathing
Sunbathing is beneficial for the dog's fur growth. Besides making the fur more shiny, letting the dog sunbathe can also help kill bacteria. At the same time, the pet owner can let the dog exercise a bit while sunbathing, which can improve the dog's physical fitness, promote blood circulation, and help grow healthier fur.
4. Deworming
Poor fur condition is also closely related to parasites. Parasites will absorb a large amount of nutrients from the dog's body, depriving them of nutrition. Therefore, deworming is essential. It is recommended to deworm both internally and externally. Deworming drugs can cause significant harm to the dog's gastrointestinal tract, so it is advisable to feed probiotics along with the deworming medication to alleviate gastrointestinal discomfort.
5. Pay attention to diet
In order for the dog to have beautiful fur, it must have a good nutritional foundation, so pay attention to its daily diet. On the one hand, feed the dog with nutritious and healthy dog food, choose a brand that is suitable and nutritionally adequate for the dog's needs. On the other hand, you can also feed the dog with a moderate amount of lean meat, cooked egg yolk, and vegetable oil, etc.
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