Thanks for taking care of my boy. Here’s everything you need to know while you have him:
↳ Schedule
Shima needs to be walked three times a day. They don’t have to be long walks, 15 mins is plenty. His schedule can be flex, I just try not to keep him inside for more than 8 hours at a time. I usually walk him during these hours:
Morning: 8–10am
Afternoon: 2–4pm
Evening: 8pm or later
His harness can be a bit tricky, it takes a bit of getting used to. The key is to only unclip two of the buckles when you take it off. Don't worry, I'll walk you through how to work it in-person.
↳ Habits
He likes to mark so he will pee on almost everything. He will keep going even if he doesn’t need to go so as long as he gets a few in, he’s fine. Keep an eye out on any food scraps on the street especially near restaurants. He will try to eat them. If he does get to anything, yell no and take it out of his mouth immediately.
He'll usually poop once or twice a day.
He's not super barky but he may bark when he hears someone walking past the apartment. When around strange dogs, keep an eye on his tail. If it stops wagging, that's usually a good sign of him not liking them. Yell no and pull him away.
↳ Clothes
If it’s cold, put his green onesie on. And if it’s raining, use his yellow rain jacket. Both are in his drawer in the kitchen. If it rains, he might be a little reluctant to walk but try to force a short one out of him. If it’s snowing or icy, put his rubber booties on. This is to protect his paws from the salt outside.
↳ Hygiene
Make sure you wipe his paws and butt off when you come back into the house. There are doggy wipes in the shoe cabinet (top right) by the front door.
Try to wash his bowls every other day or so, just to keep them bacteria-free.
If Shima starts shaking his head a bunch, it might be because his ears are annoying him. His flappy ears can sometimes cause irritation and even infection. If you notice that they're red in color, please apply some of his ear solution. All you have to do is apply some to a cotton ball/tissue and rub it in his ears. I try to do this twice a week but don't feel the need to, only if you notice anything.
↳ Meals
He eats twice a day, first thing in the morning and around 5-6pm at night. There is an orange lunch box in the fridge where we store his food. Feed him half a packet each meal (keep this in mind when handing him over to Rose & Brandon so you know how much food to bring to them).
Use the scoop in the lunch box and transfer to his food bowl in the kitchen. Do this on the counter so he can't reach for the packet.
After eating in the kitchen, Shima may start crying. This is usually because Midge is around the dining table hanging/eating her own food and he is scared. Stand between them and guide him back into the living room.
↳ Prep
His frozen food needs to be defrosted, which is why you’ll see two packs of food in his lunch box. Always replace the finished one with a fresh pack from the freezer so it can be ready by the time the first one is finished.
↳ Water
Make sure there's enough water in his water bowl. I try to refill his bowl with fresh water every two days. You can use the filtered Brita in the fridge. Tbh, he doesn't drink much.
↳ Treats
Feel free to give him a few treats throughout the day. I usually put them into his ball or kong toy to make him work for it. Don't feed him too too many. You can find the treats in his drawer. I'll make sure there's a nice mix of different treats.
↳ Meds
Shima sprained his front left leg a few days ago and is currently on some pain medication (Gabapentin). Feed him one dose (one pill) with every meal. Just put it into his mouth and hold his mouth shut until he swallows it. Or you can trick him with some treats and put it in his mouth at the same time. There's enough pills for another couple days. Once it's finished, it's done. Keep me posted on how he is acting once the meds are done. Sorry about this, it's a bit annoying.
↳ Things not to eat
This is obvious but please don’t let him eat any human food (no matter how much he begs), especially raisins/grapes/chocolate.
↳ Park
If you have time, you can take him to the dog parks at Transmitter or Newton Barge Playground. They're not official dog parks but there's usually a bunch of dogs off-leash there throughout the day. You can take him off-leash but be ready to have some treats or a squeaky ball so you can call him back to you. Make sure the area is fenced off.
↳ Travel
If you want to take Shima on the subway/car, use his carrier tote. He loves his bag so if you just open it up, he'll jump right in.
↳ NapsShima is a lazy fuck and likes to nap during the day. He might sleep on the couch or in his bed but he does like to be around people. You can pull his bed up by the desk if you're posted up there.
↳ At nightHe always sleeps in the bed. If you don't like that, you can place his doggy bed in the bedroom close to the bed. He still may whine to come up and snuggle with you (sorry).
↳ EmergencyIf he is acting strange (limping/puking/etc), text/call me immediately. And if something feels seriously wrong, please take him to any of these emergency vets immediately. I will obviously reimburse you for any charges.
Veterinary Emergency Group
87 Kent Ave
(917)-423-6444BluePearl Pet Hospital
1 W 15th Street
(212)-924-3311