You may already have a preconceived notion of what you expect from owning a dog. This may not be the reality when you take the pet home, however. That said, you have to train it to be what you want. Read on to learn what else you need to know:
Make your home doggie-proof. Before bringing home your new pup, make sure that it’s safe. All cleaning materials and drugs must be put away, and put your trash receptacle inside a cabinet. Some house plants are poisonous, so keep them away from your dog’s reach or remove them.
Get your dog spayed or neutered. Research has proven that this can help your dog live longer and also specifically help prevent cancer. It also keeps dogs from humping, running away from home or becoming violent at puberty.
Be wary of the flea treatment you’re going to use on your dog. Some medicines can put your children in harms way. Talk to your vet to learn about flea treatments that are safer and more family friendly, and always keep flea medication out of reach of children.
When you are training your dog, it is always best to incorporate the use of hand signals in addition to using verbal commands. When provided with signals of this type, dogs tend to pick things up faster. Give both methods a try, and see for yourself which your dog responds best to.
Find out what is going on that is causing your dog to act out. If you delay too long, the behavior will get harder and harder to correct. It is possible that your dog could injure a person, and that person could be you! So correct unwanted behavior right away.
Should you visit a shelter to adopt a dog, take the animal to the vet as soon as possible. Illness is common in shelters, and your new pet could be at risk or already nursing an ailment. You should also get your dog all of his shots before bringing him into your home.
When it is time to buy dog food, avoid buying the cheapest brand. Later on, it will help that you’ve fed your dog quality and nutritious food. While this may mean paying higher prices for a premium brand, you can be assured your dog is getting the proper nutrients from wholesome sources.
If you want to get yourself a new dog, but aren’t totally sold on the idea, you could try to get a foster pet. Many homeless dogs are waiting for a home in shelters, where overcrowding is a major problem. Fostering an animal will help animals and help you decide whether or not you would like to keep a dog of your own.
Always follow any instructions from the vet carefully, especially if your dog requires medication or other special attention. There’s a reason dogs have to endure uncomfortable situations like a cone-collar! Your vet makes recommendations that will help your dog be happy and healthy, so you should follow your vet’s advice.
If you have a dog that can’t function properly when they aren’t around you and develops separation anxiety, try putting on some soft music when you go out. The music will calm the dog down, and they’ll feel like someone else is there. This is a good way to keep your dog from feeling lonely.
Keep dogs mentally active by giving them many opportunities for physical exercise. You can have him fetch things like the paper, or perform other household tasks. Your dog will feel useful and like a contributing piece of the family, during the process of sharpening his mental capacity.
Carefully choose your dog’s food. There are many kinds of dog food to pick from, but you must locate a type of food that is best for your dog’s size and age. You certainly can save some money by serving your dog leftovers, but it is difficult to achieve a balanced diet and include all of the right nutrients.
Consider your lifestyle before you choose to have a dog. Many people romanticize having a dog, but the reality involves consistency, responsibility and commitment.
Always use positive reinforcement when training your dog. Rewards and praise work better and faster than violence and dominance. Treating your dog humanely provides better results and is better for your dog long term. Therefore, be kind during training; you are going to get better and quicker results.
Table Scraps
Remain firm. Dog owners may feel that they can let their dog destroy toys or that it’s okay for them to eat table scraps. The cuter the dog, the greater the temptation to bend the rules! But, remaining firm makes it less likely that accidents will occur. For instance, you may like to give your dog table scraps when you have finished your meal, but doing so may encourage your dog to abscond with your entire meal if you are not vigilant in the future.
With all of this great advice available to you, you would be a fool to ignore it. Use it all, and soon you may see that your dog is responding in just the way you’ve always dreamed of. Make that dog a happy one that loves you unconditionally.
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