A dog can be a great companion and the best kind of pet to own. They offer unconditional love while bringing joy to the lives of their owners. That being said, if you want a happy, healthy dog, you need to know as much information as possible. To become a truly responsible master to your dog, take a look at the savvy advice presented below.
You must dog-proof your residence. It is important that you try to foresee any problems your dog might run into prior to bringing him home. Make sure anything toxic is put up. Some plants in your house may be toxic to your dog, so they should be kept where your dog cannot reach them.
While hugging your dog will make both of you feel great, refrain from kissing him. Your dog’s mouth is fairly dirty at any given time. Dogs love to dig in garbage, get into the toilet, and then they lick their butts, yuck! Your dog’s mouth is not really any cleaner than a human’s mouth. This is absolutely a myth!
Spay or neuter your dog. Research shows that doing this can make your animal live longer and reduce their cancer risks. Also, dogs that are fixed lose their desire to stray from the home, lessening the chance of them getting lost or hurt.
When you’re thinking of taking a dog with you when you travel, snap a photo of the animal with your phone. If he is ever separated from you, it will be easy to show people what he looks like or print out flyers with a recent picture showing that you are looking for him.
Flea Treatment
Be wary of the flea treatment you’re going to use on your dog. There are ingredients in some of them that can risk cancer in your children. Ask your vet for recommendations. Be sure to keep children away while you’re applying any flea treatment.
When you are training your dog, you should practice in your home or in your yard. Don’t train in a park. It is very difficult to teach a dog that is distracted by people and disturbances.
Set up a vet check for a new dog. When you bring them home, schedule a vet appointment. Your dog will get a vaccination schedule and a checkup. Also talk to your vet about getting the dog spayed or neutered – there are already way too many dogs in shelters, and you really don’t want to add to this problem.
Your dog has to be leash trained. Make him walk at your side, and do not let him pull far in front of you or stay far behind. Use the command “heel” to prompt him. Walking like this can keep them safe and help you enjoy walks too. Not having to hold the leash tightly will make going for walks easier.
You can always choose to foster a dog for a few weeks if you’re not sure about making the full commitment of dog ownership. There are many animals that need love and care. You can give a hand by fostering a dog without a home and try on the role of dog owner too!
Your dog should not be left outside all the time. Yes, people do this too often, but dogs require interactions with people and other dogs for their well-being. If there is only one dog, he may become lonely. Not only that, but during heavy rainstorms and snowstorms, it is imperative that you bring your dog indoors as well, to avoid the inclement weather and temperatures.
If your dog gets anxious and lonely when you leave, put some music on before you head out. The music will calm the dog down, and they’ll feel like someone else is there. Doing this might help your dog get past its anxiety while it awaits your return.
Know that an animal doesn’t need too many people telling it what to do when it’s being trained. Everybody does things differently, and a dog can be confused by having several commanders. You should train your dog for a few minutes several times a day and encourage everyone else in your household to reinforce what you have been doing.
To summarize, a dog provides its owner with a wealth of unconditional love which is really not reciprocated by anyone else in the same way. You will have to do your homework though, if you want to be a great owner. This piece has provided useful tips for dog owners everywhere. Apply the advice and get all you can from owning a dog.
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