Caring for Alaskan Dogs

Care for an Alaskain dog includes grooming and maingining health and nutrition for the dog.

Grooming

Brushing the Alaskan’s hair once every week will help with making them look their best and keeping their hair at bay. Alaskan dogs have a double coat of hair that sheds twice a year. Keeping up with their grooming requires a couple of tools such as a rake brush, slicker brush, pin brush, and de-shedding brush. Brush in the correct direction to avoid discomfort and possible tangling of the hair. Since there are multiple different brushes, make sure to use each brush for its purpose that way the job can be done correctly, plus your dog will thank you. Over time your brushes will start to wear so it’s a good idea to clean the ones you can and replace the ones with wires such as pin brushes if you notice the protecting ball missing as this may scratch your dog. Giving baths should also be frequent to help keep their coats clean and healthy.

Health

All dogs need the basic health care such as having their ears cleaned, dental care, and managing nail length. Cleaning of the ears of Alaskan dogs luckily isn’t going to be a frequent chore, checking it once a month should be plenty enough to make sure that there isn’t a dirt buildup. Dental care is super important and a step you don’t want to forget about when it comes to taking care of your dog. Sadly, Alaskan dogs are more likely to have dental problems compared to other dogs so make sure to get their teeth cleaned at the vet. A major problem known as hip dysplasia is a common health problem many Alaskan dogs face. It’s a disease that’s inherited and can cause arthritis which makes it hard for your dog to lay down and get up. It’s important to get your dog checked routinely so that it can be treated as soon as possible to make sure that discomfort can be minimal. It’s recommended to have x-rays taken to catch the disease, but you can do your part by making sure your dog is active and has a healthy weight since overweight Alaskan dogs can have arthritis earlier in their life.

Training and Nutrients

To keep your four-legged friend energized for training, feeding them a high substance diet should help by keeping your pet healthy and strong. It’s important to train your dog in socialization and obedience training. Being consistent in your training should allow you to build on rules, which means no mixed messages, and properly showing what is allowed and what’s not allowed. Boundaries should remain consistent and anything else could lead to the behavior you don’t want to see.