{"topic_id":"companion_dog_husbandry","category":"companion-husbandry","context":"---\ntopic_id: companion_dog_husbandry\ncategory: companion-husbandry\ntitle: \"Dog husbandry — housing, exercise, preventive care, and home safety (Merck Vet Manual)\"\nlang: en\nsource: \"Merck Veterinary Manual — Dog husbandry — housing, exercise, preventive care, and home safety (Merck Vet Manual)\"\nsource_file: pdf-raw/companion-care/companion_dog_husbandry_src.txt\ndate_parsed: 2026-07-31\ntokens_estimated: 430\nverified: true\nverification:\n  method: paraphrase\n  claims: 20\n  passed: 20\n  date: 2026-08-04\nsource_document: \"Merck Veterinary Manual (professional veterinary reference)\"\ncitation:\n  authority: \"Merck Veterinary Manual\"\n  title: \"Dog husbandry — housing, exercise, preventive care, and home safety (Merck Vet Manual)\"\n  url: \"https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/selecting-and-providing-a-home-for-a-dog/providing-a-home-for-a-dog\"\n  retrieved: \"2026-07-31\"\n  ref: \"\"\n  doc_type: \"professional veterinary reference\"\n  needs_review: false\nlicense: paraphrase\ncopyright_note: \"Source Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com) is copyrighted and not openly licensed; per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3 all claims are paraphrased derived fact summaries (numbers and proper nouns preserved, sentences rewritten), not verbatim quotations.\"\nauthority_tier: T3\nauthority_tier_basis: \"T3:vet-ref\"\nauthority_tier_date: 2026-08-04\n---\n# Dog husbandry\nSource: Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com), a copyrighted veterinary reference. Per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3, the points below are paraphrased derived fact summaries: numerical values and proper nouns are preserved from the source, but sentences are rewritten and not quoted verbatim.\n\n## Claims\n\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Puppies benefit from a dedicated rest or sleep space, usually a crate, which aids house-training and other training.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Many adult dogs also feel secure in a crate because it is their own space.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Remember that dogs are social and dislike being alone.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* A shelter should let the dog stand up and turn around.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* A shelter needs a solid roof and should sit off the ground to keep the dog dry.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Dogs need regular exercise to stay healthy and avoid behaviour problems.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Owners should avoid over-exercising, particularly in hot or humid weather.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Brachycephalic breeds such as French Bulldogs or Pugs may struggle with long exercise sessions but still benefit from shorter walks.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Bored or lonely dogs can develop behaviour problems, including destruction or self-injury.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Adult dogs: a full checkup at least once a year.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Senior dogs (over 7–8 years): twice a year or more.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Core vaccines recommended by nearly all vets prevent diseases such as distemper, parvovirus and rabies.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Dogs should be tested for heartworm yearly and given prevention medicine year-round.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Good dental care helps prevent plaque and tartar that lead to gum disease, just as in people.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* All dogs should be spayed or neutered unless they are being bred.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Keep harmful chemicals such as cleaning supplies, antifreeze and certain plants away from pets.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Puppies can leave their mother at about 7–8 weeks of age.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Most dogs reach adulthood at 9–12 months, but large and giant breeds can take almost 2 years.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Socialisation matters most between 2 and 4 months of age.\n---\n## License & attribution\n\nSource: Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com) — copyrighted, non-Open-Access. Per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3 all claims are paraphrased derived fact summaries (numbers and proper nouns preserved, sentences rewritten), not verbatim quotations.\n\n*[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]*","sources":["companion-husbandry — Dog husbandry — housing, exercise, preventive care, and home safety (Merck Vet Manual) (retrieved 2026-07-31)"],"source":{"authority":"companion-husbandry","title":"Dog husbandry — housing, exercise, preventive care, and home safety (Merck Vet Manual)","url":"https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/selecting-and-providing-a-home-for-a-dog/providing-a-home-for-a-dog","retrieved":"2026-07-31","ref":"","doc_type":"official PDF","source_document":"Merck Veterinary Manual (professional veterinary reference)","verification_file":"pdf-raw/companion-care/companion_dog_husbandry_src.txt"},"source_document":"Merck Veterinary Manual (professional veterinary reference)","source_file":"pdf-raw/companion-care/companion_dog_husbandry_src.txt","trust":{"authority_tier":"T3","fidelity":"paraphrase","license":"paraphrase","display_grade":"B"},"tokens_estimated":430,"generated_at":null,"tip":"Use /api/v1/topics to discover more topics. /api/v1/nutrient for precise single-point queries. /api/v1/cross_compare for 2-3 standard comparisons."}