Tips And Tricks For Caring For Your Dog

Men have cared for dogs as pets for many thousands of years. It’s clear that people and dogs are destined to share lives. It is your responsibility to care for your dog. Below is the information you need to make that happen.

Avoid kisses and stick with hugs. In theory, giving a dog a kiss is cute, but realize that the mouth of a dog is generally very dirty. Dogs poke around trash cans, love smelling and licking other dogs’ body parts and enthusiastically drink from toilet bowls. There is an old wives’ tale that says that the mouth of a dog is cleaner than that of a human. This is not in the least bit true.

If you have prescription or over-the-counter medication in the house, make sure that your dog does not have access to it. Your dog could be seriously injured or killed by ingesting a couple of small pills. Be sure to contact your vet if your dog swallows your medication.

⏩

Fight the urge to feed table scraps to your dog. This will make your dog beg all of the time and also will make it not want to eat its regular food as much. A dog fed on table scraps will be prone to unhealthy weight gain, disruptive digestive problems, and other health issues. Train your dog to sit far away from your dining room so that you and your family won’t be tempted to feed it table scraps.

When it’s time for dog training, you’ll want to do it inside your house or in your yard. You do not want to train your dog around a bunch of people. They may get distracted and it will be more difficult to teach them even the most basic commands.

Make use of hand signals when training your dog versus relying only on verbal commands. When you give your dog these kinds of signals, he may learn faster. Always associate the spoken command and the hand gesture at first and choose the system that works best later on.

⏩

Allow your lifestyle to dictate the type of dog you adopt or purchase. If you jog a lot, buy a dog that likes to run, and not something like a toy poodle. On the other hand, if you are the type of person to sit at home, you need a smaller breed that will enjoy lounging around with you. Avoiding a mismatch means both of you will be happier.

Trim your dog’s nails on a regular basis. Your dog will be in pain if the nails begin curling. Nails can easily be clipped. Your local pet store will have the tool you need. If you’d prefer, you can have the groomers trim your pup’s nails.

Teach your dog the right way to walk with a leash. He should stay by your side, not in front of or behind you, and respond to the command “heel”. Following this tip can make walking safer for your pet, and it can also make walks more enjoyable for both of you. Your dog needs to get used to this.

⏩

Make sure the hair located on your dog’s paws is trimmed in order to prevent matting. Prior to trimming it, straighten the fur using a comb. If this scares you, have a professional do it.

If your vet has given you medication or special instructions for your dog, make sure that you follow them. The dog may hate that cone on its head, but it’s there for a very good reason! Any thing that your vet tells you to do should be done to ensure a healthy dog.

Certain health issues plague particular dog breeds, and you need to know what those conditions are for the type of dog you own. Research his ancestry and take steps to prevent problems he might be prone to. Also, seek advice from your vet.

⏩

If you have to leave your dog alone for a whole day, leave a radio or a TV on. The noise make them feel more secure and keeps them company. It could be just what he needs to get over his anxiety while he waits for you to come home.

Let your dog know that you care about him. Like many things in life, many owners pay much more attention to bad behavior than good behavior. This could cause lots of problems for you. Give your dog positive reinforcement every time they do something right. Your dog is much more likely to showcase the proper behavior if you do so.

Your responsibility as the owner of a dog is to provide him with everything he needs. Apply the tips you just read to make sure your dog is happy and in good health. Use these tips to make your dog a lot happier.