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If your dog gets fleas, it is not only your beloved pet that is affected; fleas can infest your home as well, and they are extremely difficult to get rid of! So, as soon as you spot any fleas on your dog, take effective preventative action by following these simple steps:

Call your vet
Your local vet can recommend a type of treatment for your poor itchy dog, such as a flea-killing solution, shampoo or rinse. However, the thing that will really kill those nasty fleas is a good flea medicine, but make sure to ask your vet about side effects.

De-flea your home
Wash everything your dog sleeps on, such as bedding or the sofa. Vacuum your house frequently and the fleas should die off within a couple of weeks.

Buy a flea collar!
To prevent future infestations, invest in an attractive flea collar for your dog. If your dog wears this all the time, it will help to keep fleas away from the neck and collar area.

So, you’re considering getting a new dog, but there are literally thousands to choose from. How do you know which one would be right for you and your family? If you bear the following aspects in mind, you should be able to get a loyal bundle of fun just in time for Christmas.

Breed
There are over 200 recognised dog breeds, and a countless number of mixed and cross-breed varieties to choose from. You can choose a pedigree dog or a unique mixed breed.

The main benefit of getting a pedigree dog is that you can be sure what you’re getting, in terms of size, character, susceptibility to illness, coat colour, length and texture, and energy level. However, with mixed or cross-breed dogs, you never know which genetic personality elements will come out as the strongest, because you can’t be sure of the dog’s parentage. Some owners see this as an advantage, because they get to own a dog which is one of a kind.

Age
You need to decide whether you want a puppy or an adult dog. Getting a very young dog will mean that you can train it to behave exactly the way you would like, but you need to make sure you have a lot of time and energy to spare in order to achieve this.

An older dog will already be trained and socialised, but can often come with bad habits or emotional baggage.

Gender
Do you want a male or a female dog? Males are said to be more confident, whereas some people believe that females are more independent. In both cases, neutering can make your dog easier to cope with.

Where to get your dog from
If you want a pedigree or cross-breed dog, you should definitely go to a reputable breeder to obtain one. For mixed breed dogs however, the best place to go is a re-homing organisation. Getting your new dog from an animal welfare centre or rescue centre can be extremely rewarding, because you know that you are providing an unwanted or abused dog with a new, loving home.

You may be delighted with the energetic antics of your bouncing new puppy, but you also need to consider how much of a handful he/she will become once fully grown. From a very early age, you need to make sure to train your puppy correctly.

For a puppy aged between 8-16 weeks, the first thing you will need to do is start to introduce some socialisation; take him to the park or to places where there are lots of other dogs and people. As long as he has a secure base to come back to, his confidence will grow. However, whilst this is important to your dog’s sense of freedom and essential to his maturity, you need to make sure you have a good recall ready, such as pulling the lead or a strong voice command, to make sure he’s safe and aware of who is in control.

You can then introduce simple training, including commands like ‘sit’, ‘stay’ and ‘come’, using treats and slight punishments to reinforce your message. Remember, start as you mean to go on; don’t let your puppy get away with behaviour you would find unacceptable in an adult dog.

Finally and most importantly, you can concentrate on toilet training. Remember that dogs are creatures of habit, so by using something like a crate for your puppy to claim as his own and go to the toilet in, you can speed up the process of house training. You also need to take your puppy out to places you want him to perform and keep this routine consistent, using reward and reinforcement to cement the training. Most of all, be patient; your puppy will get there.