There are tons of pets to be picked from. People make pets out of birds, rodents, fish, and reptiles. However, if you want a good companion, a dog is the best. In the following paragraphs, you’ll find advice that will help you be a great dog owner.
Just like people need regular yearly physicals, dogs need the same thing. Your dog can’t talk, it might be difficult to find out what is wrong if there is an issue. Bringing your dog to the vet each year can help stop these health issues from becoming a huge problem.
Go on and hug your dog, but do not kiss him. Kissing a dog might seem cute, but they have dirty mouths. They eat garbage or poop and even sniff other dog’s butts. It’s a folk tale that dogs have cleaner mouths than humans. This is simply false.
If you have over-the-counter medication or prescription medication in your home, keep it in a place the dog can’t access it. Swallowing just a few pills could lead to catastrophic health issues for your dog, including a seizure or heart attack. If you find that your dog has eaten any medication, you should call a vet as soon as possible.
Flea Treatments
Training your dog should be done in your yard or inside your home. It’s a bad idea to train a dog in a busy place. This will make it more difficult for your dog to pay attention.
Make sure you are informed of what flea treatments you are using for your dog. A lot of these medications have ingredients that can be harmful to children and can cause cancer. 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.
Never let the dog go off your land without its leash, regardless of its good behavior. He can be scared away by some wild animal, or an unforeseen provocation with another dog can result in an unpleasant situation. You’re responsible for their actions and safety.
Never take your dog away from home without a leash, even if he is well-behaved. Wild animals can get his attention and cause him to run out into the street, or a provocation could startle him and cause unpleasantness with other dogs or people. It is your job to keep your dog safe, and to keep him from harming anyone else or causing anyone problems.
Try hand signals in conjunction with verbal commands when training your dog. Signals like these help your dog learn things quickly. Try both ways of giving commands to see what works best.
Ask your vet what kinds of foods you should feed to your dog and what to stay away from. Depending on the type and age of dog, if you purchase the wrong kind of food it may upset their stomach. You should be careful when you are feeding your dog.
If you are not sure of how much to feed your dog each day, talk to your vet about it. While there are those that feed their dog whatever it says on the package, this may not be good for your dog and can make it overweight. Ask your vet for some recommendations if you are not sure which brands are best for your dog or need help with quantities.
Brushing your dog daily will do more than keep them from shedding all over your home. Your dog’s coat will be super shiny and beautiful if you brush them every day. This is caused by the motions since brushing distributes oils that keep skin, soft, shiny and healthy.
Give your dog rawhide instead of real meat bones. Real bones can break into pieces that can then become dangerous due to how sharp and small they can be. Rawhide has been proven to be healthy for your dog. It is excellent for its teeth too, so do not give in to the temptation to give your dog a real bone no matter how hard it begs.
Don’t feed your dog the cheap stuff. It is best to invest in quality dog 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.
Avoid trying to force things into your dog. If your dog doesn’t like a particular treat, don’t force him to eat it. It will take you a little while to figure out what your dog likes and what he doesn’t, but you’ll get the hang of it.
If you want a dog but don’t know if you can handle the responsibility, start out as a short-term foster home. Thousands of animals are living in shelters, which is less than ideal for many dogs, while they wait for a chance to be adopted. Lend a hand by fostering a dog, and determine if it is a good fit for you and your family.
Be sure to address your dog’s bad behavior when you first notice it. When you let it go, he thinks it is okay to do. You don’t want to be the owner of a dog who hurts someone, so get a handle on it now.
You should carefully trim the hair near the paws to avoid matted hair. Use a comb first, then start cutting. If you’re uncomfortable doing this, you should get a professional groomer to do it.
Whatever your vet recommends, do it. They might not be fond of having a cone attached to their head, but your vet recommended it. Your veterinarian only has your dog’s best interests at heart, and if you don’t listen, you may inadvertently cause your dog harm.
If your dog is undergoing a course of treatment with medication or therapy, make sure you follow your veterinarian’s instructions precisely. They might not be fond of having a cone attached to their head, but your vet recommended it. Your vet will recommend things that are good for the health of your dog, so make sure that you follow his advice.
Demonstrate plenty of affection to your dog. It’s typical that dog owners will pay much more attention to bad behavior than good behavior. This can cause issues later. You should ensure you give your dog positive reinforcement. Dogs stand a much better chance of displaying good behavior if that is the case.
Give your dog a lot of love. A lot of owners focus on correcting bad behaviors rather than displaying affection for their dog. This could lead to trouble down the line. You should ensure you give your dog positive reinforcement. Your dog will be far more likely to try to behave properly.
Watch if your female dog is in heat if you do not want her pregnant. A female’s scent can travel a very long distance. This causes fights as well as sexual behavior.
Always make sure that your dog is wearing some sort of identification on their collar. Have your dog wear a type of breakaway collar with identification to make sure they’re returned to you. Include all personal information necessary on this tag. You can also have your dog micro-chipped.
When selecting a new dog to come and live with an existing dog, take your current dog to meet him if at all possible. Some dogs get along better with one another than others. If you manage to find two dogs who are instant best friends, it will make your job of training them to get along that much easier.
Having a dog is kind of a big deal, but with the tips you’ve learned, you should be prepared. Continue learning and reading about dogs. You will enjoy your new hobby and gain a wealth of information that will benefit your pet.
If you’re eating a snack, you sometimes will feel like it’s a good idea to share with your dog. Some foods are okay to share, but there are foods that can be hazardous to a dog’s health. Onions, garlic and chocolate are just a few foods which are intolerable to dogs. These kinds of foods may have detrimental effects on the animal’s health.