Are you thinking of becoming a dog owner? Are you already the proud owner of a dog? If so, you stand to benefit from the tips that follow. This information will give a better life to you and your dog.

Your home needs to be ‘dog-proofed’. You need to look for hazards around your home that your dog might run into. Make sure chemicals, medications and any garbage is out of reach of the dog. Some very common plants are quite toxic to animals, so always make sure they are out of reach.

Never allow your dog to leave your yard without a leash even if he seems very trustworthy and calm. He could easily get spooked by something and run off into harm’s way. You are the only one responsible for your dog’s safety and his actions.

It is a great idea to put hand signals in use when you are training your pet; use them in conjunction with words. Hand signals can really help your dog. Try using both ways with your dog to see which works best.

If you’re trying to figure out what type of dog you might want to get, take a look at your lifestyle. For example, someone that stays inside a lot would want a calm lap dog and not a hyper breed. If you are a homebody, a small dog that lounges around a lot is a good fit. When you find the perfect match, you’ll both be happier!

If you have a dog that does something right, like sitting when you’re getting out the leash, you should give the animal lots of praise and affection. Make your dog understand you are pleased with the behavior and expect to see it again. This will also give your dog incentive to be good.

Give your dog rawhide instead of real meat bones. Giving them actual bones may cause them to fall apart and become lodged in the digestive tract or oral cavity of your dog. Rawhide is completely healthy and improves the teeth, and therefore is preferable to animal bones.

Bring your shelter dog to the veterinarian as soon as possible after you adopt him. Dogs from pounds are exposed to more illnesses than others. You need to ensure your dog gets their shots.

When you get a new dog, it is best that you schedule a check-up at the vet right away. 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. Consider having your pup spayed or neutered as there is already an overpopulation problem.

Did you take time to learn the information that you read. If you did not, consider rereading a few of the tips. You will be happy when you know how to fix the problem. Use the techniques every day to have the best relationship possible with your dog.

By Laura