You can really enjoy bringing a dog into your family as long as you care for it properly. You need to know what your dog wants to make sure they are happy. If you’d like to learn how to care for your dog in a way that will enrich both of your lives, simply read on.
Your dog needs to have an annual checkup, the same as you do. Because your dog is unable to speak, you may not know for sure when your dog feels sick or has an injury. A veterinary checkup can speak when your dog cannot, and it might help you to detect health problems before they become severe.
If you keep some medication in your home, make sure your dog cannot access it. If your dog has access to these pills, there can be fatal consequences. If the dog does consume some medication, contact your veterinarian immediately.
Anti-flea products are dangerous. Many contain ingredients that are dangerous to children. Talk to your vet about safer options, especially when there are kids around.
When training your dog, use hand gestures along with the verbal commands. Signals like these help your dog learn things quickly. Give both methods a shot, and see what your pet prefers.
Speak to your vet about your dog’s eating habits. 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 what the right meal plan is for your dog.
Genuine meat bones may be tempting, but it’s best to stick to rawhide. Giving them actual bones may cause them to fall apart and become lodged in the digestive tract or oral cavity of your dog. It has been shown that rawhide bones are safe and great for their teeth, so be sure to not give your dog that ham bone next time.
Some dog breeds are more likely than others to develop certain health issues. Take the time to read up on your breed so that you don’t get any surprises down the road. Talk to the vet to find out what you are able to do to assist your dog in beating the prognoses of his breed.
Leaving a radio playing while you are gone will help your dog stay calm and may alleviate separation anxiety. The noise can help him feel more secure. It can help his anxiety as he waits for your return.
Your dog needs to have mental stimulation as well as ways to become physically active too. Make sure he can get the paper and help you around the house. He can feel useful and like a family member, and continuing to train him will keep his mind sharp.
If your dog is in heat, be careful if you want her to not end up pregnant. A female’s scent can travel a very long distance. Your dog could cause some fights and you will be responsible for finding new homes for the puppies if your dog gets pregnant.
Bring your dog to a veterinarian regularly. It’s important that the dog sees a vet every so often to make sure there aren’t any shots that they might need. You will need to see a vet more often if the dog is a puppy. You need to go to the vet as soon as your dog seems sick or hurt.
If you’re eating a snack, you sometimes will feel like it’s a good idea to share with your dog. While some foods are fine for sharing with your dog, there are some that must be avoided. Dogs are not able to tolerate grapes, chocolate and anything with caffeine, for instance. Foods like these can cause huge medical problems.
Vitamins can be harmful to dogs. If your dog’s already getting the nutrients that it needs, you won’t need to add vitamins to its diet. An overabundance of vitamins may harm their joints, bones, and blood vessels. You should ask your veterinarian if you are not sure what to do.
Just because your dog’s nose is wet and cold doesn’t mean he’s healthy. Your dog’s nose can be wet and cold for numerous reasons, even when it’s sick. You can get a feeling about a dog’s overall health by watching its demeanor, appetite, and energy levels. These are better signs of how your dog is feeling. You can also check your dog’s temperature rectally.
Teaching your dog to stay in a crate while you’re away is great for people that cannot be home all the time. By doing this, your dog will use the bathroom outside and cause less damage to your home.
Your dog, like you, must be kept clean. While it is not necessary to bathe your dog daily, washing him once a week might be beneficial. You can avoid skin trouble in this way, and also make sure your house also stays clean.
Stay current on pet food news, especially recalled items. There have been instances of lethal pet products being sold in stores. One of the best ways to get timely notices about recalled products is from online communities. These resources often provide notice of problems well before the issues reach the national media. Another step you can take to protect your friend from poor quality food is using big online pet stores. Their products are much more likely to be fresh because they sell big volumes. As for you, you could save time from taking a trip to a regular store. Visit stores like petsmart.com petco.com or onlynaturalpet.com and see if you find it helpful.
Create rules for your dog and make sure you enforce them. Your partner may be away on business so you may think it’s okay for the canine to sleep in the bed one night. This is hard for your pet to understand, since they won’t be able to figure out why something is okay one time, but not another. Stick to your rules.
You need to stop yourself from comforting your dog when it whines. While it is tempting to stroke your dog and soothe it, by doing these things you are communicating to your dog that it does actually have cause for concern. Play a game instead such as fetch.
The unconditional love that a dog brings to your life is incomparable. It is important to know what it takes to keep a dog happy and full of energy. This article has told you what you need to know, so start using the advice you’ve read today.