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Care Of The Silky
Your Silky will need several basic necessities during it's life - shelter, food, water, exercise, vet care,
grooming & love.
SHELTER
Your Silky is a housepet, they are not a breed that should ever be left outdoors overnight. Inside the house it is a good idea to provide a crate for your dog to sleep in at night. Your dog will look upon the crate as it's "bedroom" - a refuge when it's tired or just wants to be 
left alone. It should never be used to punish your dog or it will learn to hate the crate. Having your dog properly crate-trained can be a real blessing should your Silky ever become ill or injured and need to a lot of rest to recover. It won't mind at all as the 
"bedroom" is a good place to be. Of course, if you don't mind your Silky sleeping on the pillow in between you and your spouse, your Silky won't mind either! Don't forget that your Silky also needs a securely fenced yard to play in. Be sure to check your fence thoroughly for any gaps or loose boards that your Silky will find (and they will find them!) and use to make a getaway. Keep in mind that a gap of only a few inches is enough for a puppy to wiggle its' way through... and not much bigger than that is needed for a really determined adult!
left alone. It should never be used to punish your dog or it will learn to hate the crate. Having your dog properly crate-trained can be a real blessing should your Silky ever become ill or injured and need to a lot of rest to recover. It won't mind at all as the "bedroom" is a good place to be. Of course, if you don't mind your Silky sleeping on the pillow in between you and your spouse, your Silky won't mind either! Don't forget that your Silky also needs a securely fenced yard to play in. Be sure to check your fence thoroughly for any gaps or loose boards that your Silky will find (and they will find them!) and use to make a getaway. Keep in mind that a gap of only a few inches is enough for a puppy to wiggle its' way through... and not much bigger than that is needed for a really determined adult!
FOOD
Your Silky should be fed a good quality dog food. Talk to your vet about a brand that they recommend if your breeder hasn't already given you their choices. There are so many 'junk' brands readily available in most supermarkets, but you will find that 'junk in, lots of junk out' - a poor quality food will not be properly absorbed by your pets system and not only will it not be getting enough nutrition, it will be giving you lots and lots and lots of extra stools to clean up in your yard! So, feed a quality food - it costs more per bag, but you usually can feed less at a time because the nutrition value is superior and more stays in the dog to benefit him... not your garden.
And don't forget the water. Fresh water should be readily available for your pet throughout the day.
A tip when housetraining: remove any food or water from 7:00pm until the next morning. Your puppy will have a better chance of making it through the night dry if it doesn't have a full bladder or stomach!
EXERCISE
It is as important for your Silky to stay physically fit as it is for you! So, why not exercise together? Join an obedience class and enjoy the achievement of both training and exercising your dog at the same time!
Or, take your dog for a walk every day and you'll both feel the benefit. If you aren't up to that,
most Silky's adore playing fetch with tennis balls.
VET CARE
Your puppy should have had it's 1st set of shots when you bring it home. Most vets recommend 2 or 3 sets of shots while puppies, plus a rabies shot at 5 or 6 months. Thereafter a yearly booster is required. Take the opportunity to have the vet give your Silky a complete check-up on your yearly visit. Your vet can often notice something before it becomes a big problem. Get to know your vet - he's your dogs' best friend! (Even if your dog doesn't always think so!)
GROOMING
Bathe your Silky every couple of weeks and blow the hair dry with your hair-dryer. Then brush the coat out completely, being sure to comb through at the end - just to make sure you didn't miss any tangles. The feet and ears can be easily trimmed with a set of pet clippers (Wal-Mart, Canadian Tire etc.) and the toenails should be clipped every week. Your breeder should give you a lesson in grooming - or you can get instructions elsewhere on this site if you had you puppy shipped to you. Care of the pet Silky is mostly regular brushing and bathing, plus some trimming of the ears, face, feet and tail and cutting the toenails weekly. There is nothing difficult involved and everyone can do it.
LOVE
Your Silky needs a lot of this to keep him or her happy. Give cuddles and pats at every opportunity and spend a lot of your time with him. That's what they need most!
Oh yeah...... and some dog biscuits - don't forget the dog biscuits!
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