Dog care glossary

These definitions are general information, not veterinary advice. If something worries you about your dog's health, ask your vet.

Accident

When a dog pees or poos indoors or somewhere it shouldn't. During house training, accidents are normal and usually mean the dog needed to go out sooner; clean with an enzyme cleaner and don't punish, which tends to make dogs hide when they go. → House-training accidents: causes and fixes · → Puppy potty training: a step-by-step guide

Bite inhibition

A dog's learned control over how hard it uses its mouth. Puppies mostly learn it through play with other dogs and people, which is one reason calm, gentle handling of puppy nipping matters.

Bloat (GDV)

Gastric dilatation-volvulus: the stomach fills with gas and can twist on itself, cutting off blood supply. It is a life-threatening emergency, most common in large, deep-chested breeds; signs include a swollen belly, retching without bringing anything up and restlessness, and the dog needs a vet straight away.

Body condition score

A hands-on way to judge whether a dog is underweight, ideal or overweight by looking at and feeling the ribs, waist and belly. A common version is a 9-point scale where 4–5 is ideal; it is often more useful than the number on the scale. → Puppy feeding schedule calculator

Booster

A repeat dose of a vaccine that keeps up or completes protection. Puppies get a series of doses, then a booster later (often around 6–12 months of age), and adult dogs get boosters at intervals that depend on the vaccine. → Puppy vaccination schedule: how it usually works

Brachycephalic

Describes dogs with a short skull and flat face, such as pugs, French bulldogs and bulldogs. Many have narrowed airways, so they can struggle with heat and hard exercise and need walks planned around the weather. → How much exercise does a dog need?

Canine cognitive dysfunction

An age-related decline in brain function in older dogs, often compared to dementia. Typical signs are confusion, changes in the sleep–wake cycle such as restless nights, new house-soiling and changes in how the dog interacts; a vet can rule out other causes and suggest support. → Senior dog sleep changes: what's normal?

Clicker training

A reward-based training method where a short click (or another marker, such as a word) marks the exact moment the dog does the right thing, followed by a reward. The marker helps the dog understand what earned the treat.

Core vaccines

Vaccines every dog should have, wherever it lives. In veterinary guidelines these protect against canine distemper, canine adenovirus (infectious hepatitis) and canine parvovirus, plus rabies in countries where it is present or required by law. → Puppy vaccination schedule: how it usually works

Crate training

Teaching a dog to see a crate as a calm, safe place to rest. Done gradually and never as punishment, it can help with sleep, travel and house training, because most dogs avoid soiling where they sleep. → Puppy's first night home: a calm routine · → Puppy potty training: a step-by-step guide

Deworming

Giving medicine that kills intestinal worms. Puppies are usually treated several times in their first months because worms can pass from the mother; for adult dogs, how often depends on lifestyle and region, so follow your vet's advice. → Puppy vaccination schedule: how it usually works

Enrichment

Activities that let a dog use its senses and brain: sniffing, chewing, foraging, puzzle feeders and short training games. A few minutes of enrichment can tire a dog out in a way a walk alone may not. → How much exercise does a dog need?

Excitement urination

Small dribbles of pee when a dog, usually a puppy, is very excited or greeted, or when it feels uneasy. It isn't a house-training failure; keeping greetings low-key helps, and many puppies grow out of it. → House-training accidents: causes and fixes

Fear period

A stretch of time when a young dog suddenly reacts more strongly to new or scary things. Many trainers describe one around 8–11 weeks and another during adolescence; the timing varies, and gentle, positive experiences help during these phases.

House training

Teaching a dog to pee and poo outside (or in one chosen spot) rather than indoors. It rests on frequent trips out, rewarding the dog right after it goes, supervision indoors and a predictable routine; most puppies need several months. → Puppy potty training: a step-by-step guide · → Puppy potty schedule calculator

Kennel cough

A contagious cough spread where dogs meet, caused by one or more viruses and bacteria such as Bordetella bronchiseptica and parainfluenza virus. It is usually mild, but a vaccine is available and boarding kennels often ask for it. → Puppy vaccination schedule: how it usually works

Loose-lead walking

Walking with the lead slack, without the dog pulling ahead. It is a trained skill rather than something dogs do naturally, and is usually taught by rewarding the dog for staying close. → Dog walk calculator

Nap

A daytime sleep. Puppies sleep a large part of the day in many short naps between play, meals and potty breaks, and adult dogs also nap through the day on top of their night's sleep. → Puppy nap schedule: a sample day that works · → Puppy sleep calculator · → How much should a puppy sleep? Hours by age

Neutering

Surgery that removes the reproductive organs: castration in males and spaying in females. The best age varies with sex, size and breed and is debated, so it is a decision to make with your vet.

Night waking

When a dog wakes during the night, often to pee. Young puppies usually need a quick, quiet trip outside at night at first; in older dogs, new night waking can be a sign of discomfort, illness or cognitive changes worth raising with a vet. → Puppy's first night home: a calm routine · → Senior dog sleep changes: what's normal?

Non-core vaccines

Vaccines recommended only for some dogs, depending on where they live, travel and how much they meet other dogs. Examples include leptospirosis, kennel cough and Lyme disease; your vet can tell you which make sense locally. → Puppy vaccination schedule: how it usually works

Overtired

A state where a puppy has been awake and stimulated too long and finds it hard to settle. It often shows as wilder play, more biting and zoomies rather than sleepiness, and a quiet place to rest usually helps. → Overtired puppy: signs and how to settle it · → Puppy nap schedule: a sample day that works

Positive reinforcement

Adding something the dog likes, such as food, play or praise, right after a behaviour so that the behaviour happens more often. Veterinary behaviour organisations recommend reward-based methods over punishment.

Potty break

A trip outside so the dog can pee or poo. Puppies need them often, especially after waking, eating, drinking and play; a common rule of thumb is that a puppy can hold it for about its age in months plus one hour, though overnight and individual dogs vary. → How often does a puppy need to pee? By age · → Puppy potty schedule calculator

Recall

A dog coming back when called. A reliable recall is built step by step with high-value rewards, starting in quiet places, and is one of the most important safety skills a dog can learn.

Scheduled feeding

Giving measured meals at set times instead of leaving food out all day (free feeding). Regular mealtimes make it easier to see how much a dog eats and to predict when it will need to go out. → Puppy feeding schedule calculator

Senior dog

An older dog in the last stage of life. When that starts depends on size: large and giant breeds tend to count as senior earlier than small breeds. Senior dogs often sleep more and benefit from more frequent vet checks. → Senior dog sleep changes: what's normal?

Separation anxiety

Distress when a dog is left alone, shown for example by barking or howling, destructiveness, pacing or house-soiling only when alone. It is treated with gradual training of short absences and sometimes medication, guided by a vet or qualified behaviourist.

Socialisation window

The sensitive period, roughly from 3 to 12–14 weeks of age, when puppies most easily learn that new people, animals, sounds and places are safe. Veterinary behaviourists advise safe, positive socialisation during this time, even before the vaccine series is finished. → Puppy vaccination schedule: how it usually works

Teething

When a puppy's 28 milk teeth are replaced by 42 adult teeth, usually from about 3–4 months until around 6–7 months of age. Puppies chew a lot during this time, so safe chew toys help protect your things and their gums.

Urine marking

Leaving small amounts of pee on upright objects to leave a scent, rather than to empty the bladder. It is more common in intact males but can happen in any dog, and it is handled differently from ordinary house-training accidents. → House-training accidents: causes and fixes

Wake window

An informal term, borrowed from baby sleep, for how long a puppy stays awake between naps. Young puppies often manage only a short stretch before they need to rest again; it is a planning aid, not a fixed rule. → Puppy nap schedule: a sample day that works · → Puppy sleep calculator · → Overtired puppy: signs and how to settle it