Being a good dog owner requires a great deal of responsibility. It’s like a baby, only they never really grow up. With lots of patience and knowledge, owning a dog isn’t as overwhelming as you might think. To pick up some handy suggestions on dog ownership, just keep reading.
Dog-proof your home. You need to look for hazards around your home that your dog might run into. Place any meds or household cleaning supplies out of reach, and place any trash cans in a cabinet. Make sure no toxic plants are in the vicinity of your dogs.
If you take your dog with you on vacation, keep a photo of him on your phone. If he gets lost, you have a recent picture you can immediately access in order to print “lost” flyers.
If you’re on any kind of medication, even if it’s over-the-counter, you need to keep it away from your dog. Many medicines that benefit you can be harmful or fatal to your dog. If you find that your dog has eaten any medication, you should call a vet as soon as possible.
If a dog does something correctly like sitting before you leash them, give them lots of praise and affection. Let a dog know that their behavior is what you wish to see. In this way, your dog will learn that desired behavior brings praise.
Avoid buying your dog bargain-based food. Cheaper brands have tons of additives, preservatives, and ingredients that can harm a dog’s health. Use a consumer awareness or animal advocacy group to obtain a list of the best foods that come with the highest recommendations by professionals. Your dog will thank you for feeding him a better food.
A dog that spends a lot of time outside should have a warm and safe shelter in case it is needed. Adverse weather conditions can be detrimental to your pooch, causing illnesses, anxiety and poor behaviors. Make sure that your dog has a spacious home that they can go into to get out of the weather.
When you get a new dog, set up an appointment for him at the vet. Once the dog arrive home, place a call to the vet and schedule that appointment. Your vet will administer the necessary shots and make sure your dog is in good health. In addition, consult your vet about spaying or neutering your dog. The shelters are already overcrowded, so you do not want to make that problem worse.
Don’t leave your dog outside all day long. Lots of folks do this, but it’s bad because dogs need constant attention. Your dog may be lonely if it is just him. It’s especially important that your dog be inside if the weather outside is nasty.
If you have a dog with extreme separation anxiety, you can help reduce it by playing music or leaving the television on whenever you leave your home. The music will calm the dog down, and they’ll feel like someone else is there. This can significantly help reduce its anxiety.
Let your dog know that you care about him. Make sure you don’t only focus on the negative things that your dog does. This may spell trouble in the future. Rather, stroke, praise and pet your dog at least three to four times more than you scold or speak sternly to him. This will reinforce that positive behavior brings due rewards, and thus lead to a better behaved pet.
It is important that your dog is equipped with some kind of ID. Purchase a dog tag so your dog has identification. This tag needs to contain all of your relevant contact details and the name of your dog. Having your vet equip your dog with a micro-chip is a good idea.
When you start training your dog, experiment with different rewards systems. Determine what motivates your dog to obey. Many dogs are motivated by food, so make sure to have their favorite treats on hand while training. If your dog prefers toys, have a quick game of tug of war once your pup does what you want. Quality time spent giving them a good petting can even do the trick.
Be careful about what you feed your dog. When they are small, puppies can eat a lot of calories, as it helps their growth. However, eating that food when they’re an adult can cause major weight gain that can harm their health.
Do not expect your dog to do too much. His attention span might be limited, meaning you cannot fit everything in to one training session. Keep training sessions short and sweet (just a few minutes, if that’s all that works) so that your dog won’t get frustrated and form negative associations with the training process.
Socialize a new puppy as soon as you can. A good way for your dog to hang out with other dogs is to take them to the dog park or even to a play date.
You need to make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise, no matter if you are busy or not. Your dog needs some fresh air, some exercise and going for a walk is a great opportunity to discover new smells and perhaps meet other dogs. This is something that has to be done for a dog to properly grow, so be sure you walk your dog.
Dog care is something you have to be careful with. Just like having a baby, a puppy requires constant care. It may be daunting, but with the right information, you can do it. This article should have helped you with caring for your dog, so use it well.
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