Learn to examine your dog

Familiarise yourself with examining your dog through observation, touch, and scent

Familiarise yourself with examining your dog through observation, touch, and scent to promptly detect any potential abnormalities.

Check that the eyes are clear
Make sure the nose isn’t runny
Lift the lip to look at the dog's teeth and see that the mucous membranes are pink. If the dog allows it, you can open the mouth gently.
Look and smell the ears so that they are clean and do not smell bad.
Use your fingers and feel the dog for wounds, ticks, swellings and lumps.
Look through paws and pads and claws. Remember to examine all the dog’s 5 toes and 5 claws.
Lift the tail and inspect the anal opening.
Keep track of the dog's weight by weighing the dog from time to time. Keep a weight history.
Take the dog's temperature so you learn your dog's normal temperature.
Feel the bitch's udder line for udder tumours. Examine the male dog's testicles and feel if one is larger than the other.