Environment

Dogs need a safe area outside where they can play and exercise every day – how much will depend on the age, breed and health of your dog.

Just like people, dogs need places where they are sheltered from wind, rain and hot sun. If a dog’s shelter is also its bed, it must be as comfortable as possible. Bedding should be soft, warm, dry and cleaned regularly.

Puppies should not sleep outside as they get cold easily. Puppies are unable to regulate their own body temperature. They are used to sleeping with their litter-mates and their mother which keeps them warm. Puppies will easily get lonely and upset if left to sleep alone outside.

Dogs should have their own clean, comfy bed where they can rest undisturbed. When a dog is on his or her bed, make sure children leave the dog alone.

Dogs can sleep inside or outside, so long as their resting place is in a clean, warm, dry and cosy shelter with access to fresh, clean water all of the time.

A comfortable environment needs to be provided at all times, this means even when you are travelling in the car! Just like you must always wear your seat belt, dogs too should be kept safe when traveling in the car. 

Making sure your dog is safely secured when travelling in the car keeps both you and your dog safe. 

Dogs should be safely secured with a dog seatbelt, in a secured carrier or behind a dog guard. 

You never know what your dog may see or hear while you are travelling so it’s important they are safely secured in the car, so they can’t injure themselves or you.  If they get a fright, are scared or they see something that gets them super excited, they might start jumping around! If an accident happened, the dog could be fatally injured and the force of the dog being thrown forward could seriously injure the driver or any passengers in the car.