Owning a dog is a very serious responsibility. You need to keep your dog happy and healthy. Knowing what it takes to achieve this balance with your dog means learning all you can, so educate yourself fully by reading the information which lies below.
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Your home needs to be 'dog-proofed'. You need to look for hazards around your home that your dog might run into. All cleaning supplies and medications should be moved out of reach of your dog. You should also find a way of securing your trash somewhere that your dog cannot get to, such as in a cabinet. Some plants that are usually kept in the home are poisonous to pets, so move them where your dog cannot get to them, or put them out of your home completely.
Since dogs cannot talk, you'll need to learn about your dog's way of communication. If they seem hesitant upon meeting up with other dogs or people, don't force interaction. This could cause your dog to harm a person or another dog. Keep an eye out for your dog's hints, and do what he needs you to do.
If your dog is coming along on a family vacation, keep a picture of him handy or take one using your phone. Therefore, if your animals get lost, there is a recent photo that can be used for the purpose of locating them.
Use hand signals when training your dog along with verbal commands. Your dog might learn commands more easily using this approach. Try using both ways with your dog to see which works best.
Provide your dog with rawhide to chew on rather than actual meat bones. Rawhide limits the danger when your dog is chewing. Rawhide is proven healthy and great for teeth as well, but don't be tempted to share that T-bone, no matter what kind of eyes your dog gives you.
Buy or build a dog house if he is going to be outside for long periods in the winter. If your dog happens to get his feet wet for a long period of time in cold temperatures, it can cause health complications. Always protect him from wind, sun and rain by making sure he has a dry shelter to go to.
When a dog behaves badly, correct him immediately. Ignoring it for a while can make it harder to correct later and you don't know what may happen if you don't. Your dog might hurt someone else, or you, so take steps to control him early on.
Schedule a veterinary checkup for your new dog. As soon as your dog is brought to your home you should get an appointment scheduled with the vet. 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. Remember that there is a tremendous dog overpopulation problem, so you should have your dog spayed/neutered.
If you want a dog but don't know if you can handle the responsibility, start out as a short-term foster home. Many homeless dogs are waiting for a home in shelters, where overcrowding is a major problem. Fostering a dog could help the cause as well as find you a new companion you cannot bring yourself to return.
Make sure that your dog is not left alone outdoors all day. You may see this on TV or in movies, but that doesn't make it right. If there is only one dog, he may become lonely. Keeping them out for too long also exposes them to the elements, so its best that you bring them inside so they don't get sick being outside in really bad weather.
Your dog needs to have mental stimulation as well as ways to become physically active too. For example, train your dog to retrieve the newspaper or other helpful chores. Your dog will feel like a useful member of the family, and the reinforcement will keep his training sharp.
You should remember the quote about too many cooks spoiling the soup while trying to train your dog. Your dog might become confused by different methods, different vocal commands and different ways of offering praise or punishment. Pick a single person to be responsible for all training, and let others support the decisions made by demanding the same standards of behavior from the dog.
You should check your dog for ticks and fleas every day during the summer months. Use a flea comb on your dog's fur. There are also other products you may want to consider using to get rid of fleas and ticks. Try to get your vet's opinion on these products or what you can do to help your dog.
The information here is for you to put into practice, so get started! Make more of an effort to attend to your dog's health and happiness and you'll see a big improvement very soon. You shouldn't own a dog if you won't put in the work to make it the best that it can be.