Adult dog
Everyday feeding, exercise, grooming, and health.
Feeding AmountHow much to feed your dog, in cups of your actual food — from resting energy, life stage, and body condition, not the bag chart.Treat BudgetHow many treats fit in the 10% rule — computed from your dog's daily calories, never a fixed table.Weight ManagementA target weight and a safe pace to get there — from body condition, at ~10% per point over ideal.Daily ExerciseA daily activity range plus mental enrichment and stop-signs — tuned to breed, age, and temperament.Weather Safety GateWhether it's safe to walk right now, and for how long — temperature × size × brachy/age/shade, on the TACC framework.Grooming FrequencyA bathing / nail / dental / ear schedule for your dog's coat — with the honest dental minimum and no shave-down myths.Food SuitabilityWhether an everyday food is okay and how much fits the 10% rule. Toxic or risky foods are handed straight to poison-control guidance — never a 'safe amount'.Alone-Time LimitHow long your dog can reasonably be left alone, by age — with the honest caveat that it's a rule of thumb, and that distress when alone is a behavior issue, not a schedule one.Feeding FrequencyHow many meals a day for your dog's age — twice daily for adults, more for puppies — plus the honest once-vs-twice debate and the bloat-risk exception.Food Transition PlanA day-by-day plan to switch your dog's food without stomach upset — the 25/50/75/100% schedule, with the red flags that mean stop and call a vet.Service CostsRough price ranges for boarding, grooming, and daycare by your dog's size and coat — from cost aggregators, so shown as estimates with the commercial source disclosed.Food FormatDry vs wet vs raw vs home-cooked — what “complete and balanced” means, the real risks of raw and homemade, and why grain-free/DCM is unresolved.Travel & Life-Change PrepGetting a dog ready for the car, a move, or boarding — crash-tested restraint, motion sickness, and the vaccine timing to book before boarding.Pet InsuranceWhether pet insurance is worth it, what it covers and excludes, and why buying before conditions develop matters — grounded in the model regulations.Preventive Care ScheduleThe year-round preventive schedule — heartworm, flea/tick, vaccine boosters, dental, and wellness exams — with the region myth corrected.Matting: Brush or ShaveWhen a matted coat can be brushed out and when it has to be clipped — a neutral severity standard, so you and the groomer aren't guessing.Adding a Second DogWhether — and how — to add a second dog: which sex/age combinations get along, the littermate-syndrome debate, and a safe introduction.Flying With Your DogCabin vs cargo, flat-faced-breed embargoes, temperature limits, and crate rules — so you know if your dog can fly before you book.Crossing the US–Canada BorderWhat your dog needs to cross the US–Canada border in each direction — including the 2024 CDC rule and the day-trip trap that catches puppies.Boarding vs SitterBoarding, a sitter, or daycare — the health risks of group settings, the vaccines to book first, and how to vet a facility.Living With Two DogsFeeding two dogs without theft, introducing a newcomer, and walking the pair — plus an honest line on when fighting needs a behaviorist, not another home fix.