Looks like you've elected to help care for Calvin, the Pineapple Dog™️! In this repo you'll find all of the information you need to best take care of him as well as some extra knowldege for knowing when he's being a little shit...zhu.
Calvin is a 9 year old half shih tzu/half terrier (shittier) bundle of joy. He likes smelling everything, sitting on laps, cuddling, being held like a baby, playing with stuffed animals, and doing nightly zoomies. His veterinarian is Dr. Vanessa Reeves at Arguello Pet Hospital.
- He does not have any known allergies
- He does have a slight heart murmur. This has never affected him daily.
- He may cough/sound like he's choking after drinking water too fast. This is normal.
- He may start wheezing. This is normal. Just slowly rub his back and comfort him. He will stop after a minute or two.
- He may start hucking. This is an indication that he is about to vomit. You can pick him up and move him to an area where it will be easier to clean as the hucking is a warning signal.
Caring for Calvin is fairly simple. Walks, food, and snuggles.
Calvin doesn't have a strict schedule. His day tends to look something like this:
- (7am - 9am) Morning walk
- (after 12pm) Afternoon walk (optional)
- (8pm - 10pm) Evening walk before bed
The times aren't specific but more of a range for when he usually is out. There is no definite length of time that you should be out. Generally his morning walk is the longest (around 30min) and any extra walks later is usually just to go around the block a bit to stretch his legs and go to the bathroom.
It's not a requirement that he is out for 30min in the morning. A good rule of thumb for the morning walk is if he poops you're pretty good. Sometimes he may poop 2-3 times if you do take an extended walk, so be sure to pack lots of poop bags!
For the evening walk I recommend that you can be done after he pees twice.
1. You are in charge
Calvin pulls. Don't let him just pull you around to whereever he wants to sniff. You are in control and can pull him away. You will not hurt him. If he tries to stop to go in the opposite direction, just gently pull him in the correct direction.
2. He does not need to sniff everything
Calvin will try to stop and sniff just about everything and anything. Please try to veer him away from any area that looks as if it is wet, has other dog urine, or has any unpleasant looking substance/residue. When he sniffs things he really likes to stick his face in it, so for cleanliness, it's best to keep him in open areas.
3. Wipe after walks
Doggy wipes are to be used on his face, paws, underbelly, and behind after walks. If he has lots of dirt or has stepped into something unpleasant, this requires a bath.
Food can be left out for Calvin to eat.
Calvin is picky and will eat when he is hungry. I have tried for years to get him on a normal feeding schedule but he usually looks at me and then walks away. If you notice he isn't eating, it's because he wants an audience. He can be a bit of a diva and honestly likes to make sure there is a witness to him eating. This isn't always required but if it feels like he isn't eating, stand next to him and encourage him to eat. This generally works. Or pretending to put in a "sauce". My dog is adorable but not the brightest. 😅
Calvin gets a bowl full of dry food in the morning and in the evening. Water whenever the bowl is empty. At bedtime I also typically leave a small cup of water for him to drink during the night.
Treats are always good! In fact, he'll probably eat more of these than his actual food. There are two big bags of treats on my desk (2fl near Aki. Look for pineapple house) that are good to reinforce good behavior or just because you want to. Please don't feed him more than 5 treats per day.
Calvin loves popcorn, apples (remove the skin), chicken (no skin or bone), blueberries, french fries, and potato chips. I do NOT advise feeding him all of these every day, but if you happen to be eating any of these items and want to share, a small bit is ok. If you are curious if he can have any specific human delicacy please refer to Google.
In case of emergency please contact Arguello Pet Hospital.