Whether you already have a dog or are just looking for one, it is likely that you are aware of the care required by dog ownership. It can be hard to jump right in off the bat. Look to this article for advice on properly caring for your dog.
Make sure your house is free of doggy danger. Make sure any area your dog will be in is safe. Put up all of your cleaning supplies and medications, and be sure you put away any trash cans. Since some plants are very harmful because of their toxicity, it’s best to get rid of them or put them in an area that the dog cannot get to.
Yearly physicals help you and yearly vet checks help your dog. Since your dog does not speak the human language, he simply cannot tell you if his tooth aches or his arthritis is making it difficult for him to walk. A checkup once a year will help diagnose any problems.
Look into the flea treatments. Some treatments contain dangerous ingredients that may put your kids at risk for diseases like cancer. Ask your vet for recommendations instead, and keep children away while you’re applying flea treatments.
No matter how nicely your dog behaves, never take it off your property unless it is on a leash. A wild animal may get his attention and cause him to run off, or he may have a bad situation with others and their dogs. You are solely responsible for the dog’s actions and for the dog’s safety as well.
Try hand signals in conjunction with verbal commands when training your dog. 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.
Give your dog rawhide instead of real meat bones. Pieces can break off of the real bone, which may cause your dog to choke. Rawhide is healthy for their teeth and gums, so don’t share your bones, even if the dog wants it!
Correct bad behavior the first time you see it from your dog. When you ignore this behavior, your dog thinks that it is okay. Also, the dog may end up hurting someone, perhaps even you.
Your dog’s nails need to be trimmed regularly. The nails can cause the dog discomfort if they start to curl under. Find some good clippers you can use to trim your dog’s nails yourself. If your dog does not respond well when you try to trim the nails, a groomer or even your veterinarian can handle the task.
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. The vet is going to check over your dog to see if everything is okay, as well as set it up to get vaccinations it may need. Set up an appointment to have your dog fixed, too.
The more you know about dogs, the easier it is to care for them. You just need to be as loving and patient as possible with your pet. Make sure you continue to keep your knowledge levels up-to-date about how to care for your dog.