What is the best way to stop dog from slipping out the back gate? Place particular emphasis on teaching our dog to stay when instructed, and always remain calm and still while calling your dog back to you.   How many meals a day does puppy need? From weaning to about 3 months of age, a puppy should be fed 3 times daily. From 3months, Twice a day feeding is sufficient. At a year of age, most adult dog can be fed once daily, but prefer to receive two meals.   Do dogs become bored eating the same food every day? We have no reason to believe that boredom with food plays any part in dog's appetite. Many dogs that are fed the same dry dog food for years are happy and active. Some food are more palatable than others and naturally they will be preferred.   How should I store my dog's food? Store dry food in a moisture-proof dark container to minimize loss of nutrients and to prevent them from attracting rodents, roaches, and crickets. Keep this container at room temperature, and use the food before the expiration date.   What type of food is the best for my puppy? There is no single best food. The nutritional content and the balance of these nutrients are critically important to your puppy. Prepared dog foods are divided into three basic categories. Canned food, which contains about 80 percent water, looks like meat, but may be formulated with practically no meat content. Dry dog food contains 10 percent water or less, and is more economical than canned food. Semi moist food is the third type and is sold in packets. It also has the appearance of meat element. It often contains sugars and preservatives that are questionable sources of nutrition. Dry food is sometimes mixed with canned food to increase palatability. This practice is fine, as long as both canned and dry foods are balanced nutritionally.   Is dry food better than canned food? Both of these foods will therefore meet your dog's nutrition needs. Dry food is more convenient to use, but some dogs, especially the smaller toy breeds, find it less appealing than can food but one benefit of dry food is that it results in more compact stools for easier clean up.   Can I feed my dog raw meat? Feeding a dog on raw meat, cooked meat, eggs, or other food mixtures that you might formulated in your kitchen is not recommended. Excessive meat protein is not necessarily good for a dog, and will often cause dietary deficiencies. Tiny pieces of cooked meat may be used as bait when training a dog. Any dog food is best fed at room temperature.   What is the best way to weight my dog? This depends partly on the size of your dog. A small breed can stand on a bathroom scale to be weighted. In the case of a larger dog, however, the best solution is to climb on the scale your arm, being sure to keep both of you directly above the scale.   Why does my dog eat grass? Some people believe that dogs eat grass to compensate fore a lack of fiber in their regular food. Dog are choosy about the kind of grass they eat, and prefer tough, woody stems to short lawn grass. A dog may consume grass as an emetic, and such behavior could be an attempt to rid itself of roundworms by vomiting. If you suspect worms, take a sample of dog stool to check microscopically for worm eggs.   Will my dog need any vitamin and mineral supplement? A properly formulated diet will normally provide your dog with all its nutrition requirements. Pregnant bitches and young puppies, especially the larger breeds, may need a calcium supplement. Older dogs whose kidneys are failing can benefit from a vitamins B supplement, because these vitamins are likely to be lost in the urine. Consult your veterinarian before giving your dog any supplements.   Why do dogs eat their own feces? This activity tends to occur in dogs that have been in kennels for long periods of their lives, especially if that environment did not conform to scrupulous standards of hygiene. It is different from the case of a dam with young puppies, for whom it is normal behavior to consume the stools of her offspring as a means of helping to conceal their presence. Another underlying cause of this behavior can be a deficiency of certain important B vitamins. These are manufactured by beneficial bacteria in the dog's large intestine but cannot be absorbed from there. It may therefore be helpful to supplement the dog's diet with brewer's yeast tablets or powder, which are rich in B vitamins.   How should I start house-training our young puppy? Puppies are instinctively clean by nature and will soon adopt a routine if they are clearly shown how to behave at an early stage. The keys to success are anticipation and positive encouragement. Place the young dog outdoors first thing at night, when it is likely to want to relieve itself. Give the puppy an opportunity to go outside after each meal, since eating triggers the digestive process. Use a command that the puppy will come to recognize and associate with this activity, such as " Clean dog!" Always praise the puppy when it responds positively. In the initial stages, it is a good idea to go outside and stay with your puppy, so that it doesn't wander off around the backyard.   Should I scold my puppy when he has an accident indoors? There is no point in scolding your puppy unless you catch it in the act. The puppy will not understand what it has done wrong, and your scolding may confuse the training process. Rubbing the puppy's nose in the puddle is equally ineffective and likely to upset your pet.   Why is it dangerous for dogs to eat our chocolate and yet they can eat dog chocolate? Chocolate contains a chemical, theobromine, which stimulates the dog's central nervous system. An excessive intake of this can be fatal to a dog. Your dog will not appreciate the danger, so it is essential to place chocolates well out of your pet's reach. The chocolate produced for dogs, as drops or in treats such as cookies, does not contain theobromine, and is therefore safe. It does, however, contain calories, and its sugar content means that it cannot be recommended for dogs, except very occasionally.