Usually, having a dog is an enjoyable part of life. However, this is not true for all dogs. There is a lot that goes into owning a dog. The following tips will help you be an informed pet owner.
An annual checkup at the vet is a great idea for your dog. Because your dog can’t speak with you, you may have trouble knowing when your dog is feeling pain like if it has arthritis. Check-ups can reveal that and more.
Be sure your dog is neutered or spayed. Research suggests that this small thing can give extended life to your dog by reducing cancer risk. Not only that, but neutered and spayed dogs feel less need to wander away from home, so they are not as likely to be hit by a vehicle or become lost.
If you keep some medication in your home, make sure your dog cannot access it. Your dog could have a heart attack or a seizure if it swallows some pills. If your pet does manage to ingest some medicine, contact the vet right away.
Never allow your dog to leave your yard without a leash even if he seems very trustworthy and calm. Dogs are easily distracted by other animals, cars, and kids, so always make sure to keep your dog on a leash for his own safety. Your dog is your responsibility, so treat him right.
Talk to your vet about appropriate nutrition for your canine. While some individuals give their dogs food by following the package, sometimes these guidelines are inappropriate for your dog. Check with you vet to find out about the feeding guidelines for your particular dog.
Schedule a veterinary checkup for your new dog. This should be one of the first things that you attend to when you’re bringing home a new pet. Your vet can make health recommendations, make sure that vaccinations are up to date and help with maintenance items like flea care and proper diet. You should also have your dog neutered or spayed to cut down on pet overpopulation.
Your dog has to be leash trained. Your pet shouldn’t be ahead of you, behind you, or anywhere that isn’t by your side. They should also answer correctly when you say “heel”. If you walk in this way, you will be sure that your pet is safe so that your walks are more enjoyable. Even if you decide to give him additional slack on the leash from time to time, teaching your dog to heel remains an important task as a pet owner.
If you wish to get a dog, but don’t know if you can commit to it, try getting a foster dog. Many homeless and abused animals are waiting in shelters for someone to adopt them and with over-crowding, resources are slim. Fostering a dog will allow you to do some charity work and see if you really want a dog!
Demonstrate plenty of affection to your dog. Owners tend to focus on the bad times, not the good. This can cause issues later. Dogs need to be praised five times more frequently than scolding. Your dog is going to behave much more if you do that.
Be politically active on behalf of your pooch! Keep your eye on potentially-restrictive legislation regarding dogs. These sort of things typically happen because of a few dogs acting out, or popular opinions about a certain breed. Take action and speak up on behalf of your pet by calling or emailing local officials.
Remember the saying “The more people that work on something, the less likely they are to succeed” while you train your dog. If the other people who help you train your dog are not consistent with what you started teaching, your dog will have a hard time. One person should be the trainer, and everyone else can act to reinforce good behaviors.
If your dog has an accident indoors, be certain you get rid of any sign of it. You want to be using a professional grade cleaner along with an efficient odor remover. If you leave behind any type of a scent from the dog’s accident they may end up using the bathroom again in that spot.
There is a wealth of information available to help you to become a fantastic dog owner. Picking out a new puppy to be your companion is the easy part. It requires responsibility on your own part too. Take the information learned today and use it to make the experience with your dog very rewarding.
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