Your Pointer is probably not overweight – in fact, there’s a great chance that your Pointer is just the right weight. If your dog is like a lot of Pointers, he’s a high-energy, active dog that pesters you for walks and other types of exercise. But, canine obesity is becoming very common, just like the “epidemic” of childhood obesity we’ve been hearing about. So, I thought I might write something quick about how you can tell whether your Pointer is overweight.
Panting helps keep your Pointer cool in two different ways. For one thing, the saliva evaporating from his tongue and inside his mouth cools your dog off the same way sweating cools you. Panting also helps exchange the warm air inside your dog’s lungs with the cooler air outside his body.
I’m a veteran show dog handler. People have been paying me to exhibit their dogs in breed conformation shows for more than 30 years now. I think in all those years, I’ve probably come close to showing just about every dog breed the AKC recognizes, or at least it seems that way. Some breeds seem to have a better chance of winning the big prizes than others. I guess that’s because they’re so popular with the public and the judges.
I’ve been around dogs – including Pointers – for so many years now I feel like I’ve seen just about everything. That’s what happens when you’ve owned and shown dogs for as long as I have. Unfortunately, I’ve seen a lot of dogs get sick over the years. I guess a certain amount of that is inevitable, but sometimes it could have been prevented. Take my friend whose dog almost died because of heartworms as a good example. He didn’t think giving his dog a heartworm preventive was necessary.
Despite wanting the best for your dog, you’ll probably run into at least a few health issues. Most will probably be minor, but there’s always the chance of a more serious condition. Fortunately, many potential Pointer health issues can be prevented with some regular care and attention.
I’ve had lots of dogs during my life, and I’m here to tell you, there’s not many things you can do for your dog that are more important than feeding him healthy, wholesome, nutritious food. Balanced, complete nutrition is an essential requirement for your Pointer to enjoy an active, healthy life.
Feeding your Pointer a nutritious diet is essential for his long-term health and happiness. It can be as easy – or as complicated – as you want.
I’ve been showing Pointers for years, so I have to make sure my dogs are always perfectly groomed, including their ears. But, any dog’s ears should be cleaned on a regular basis, whether he’s a show dog or not. And that’s especially true for floppy-eared breeds like Pointers.
I’ve been showing Pointers in dog shows for 30-odd years, and I can honestly say that this breed definitely has some advantages over a lot of other breeds. Grooming is incredibly easy and these dogs really listen to my instructions. I don’t even need to worry about a Pointer getting into a squabble with one of the other dogs at a show – normally, Pointers just aren’t aggressive or territorial.