Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 9/26/2005

Question
On the 21st of this month I adopted an abandoned female dog that was living in the streets. According to the Veterinarian, the dog is in good conditions, although a little bit under the proper weight for its estimated age (1½ years old).  Since this is the first time that I have a dog of my own, the Vet gave me instructions to feed it 2½ cups of concentrate per day, and she seems to be improving its condition already.  

My first question has to do with the meals and the amount of exercise, because I didn't mention to the Vet that I am taking 1½ hours walks with the dog every day.  She gets tired of course, but she seems to enjoy them very much, and she gets to sleep a good part of the rest of the day (She doesn't seem to be very playful).  However, I would like to know the proper amount of daily exercise for the dog, or if in this case, I should give her some kind of extra treats between meals, for example cookies after the walks.

My second question is regarding animal psychology, because the dog seems a bit nervous and maybe a little shy around the following situations: when we walk near the hydrants on the walkways; when other dogs approach to her, specially if they are larger than her; when she hears loud noises from vehicles on the streets, actually I haven't been able to make her step into my own car because she seems very unconfident towards it, and I don't know whether I should try that with her leach on or not.  I want to help her to overcome these fears, and as a matter of fact I try to calm her down whenever she shows them, but I really would like to know if she has a chance to improve her self confidence in such situations, and how can I help her?

Thanks,

Carlos


Answer
As far as the exercise, if she is willing to go on long walks without your coaxing, then she is OK.  The feeding will depend on how much activity she has.  If you look on the bag of food, it should give you a range of food required for a particular weight.  Some will even give you a feeding amount based on activity.

As far as her behavior, the more confidence she gains in you, the easier it will be for her to feel that she is not in danger when walking.