What Any Dog Lover Needs To Know
Perhaps you visit the pound and pet shops and longingly dream of having the perfect pet. The end result might be different. No matter what the situation, you need to be a good pet owner, and the following paragraphs will help you do just that.
It takes quite a bit of money to take good care of a dog. The costs associated with general and medical care along with high-quality food can be upwards of a thousand per year. Emergency vet care is very expensive, in some cases thousands of dollars, so you might want to consider purchasing pet health insurance.
Neuter or spay the dog. Research shows that doing this can make your animal live longer and reduce their cancer risks. Also, dogs that are fixed do not want to run away as much.
If you have medications at home, ensure that it is safely hidden away and out of the reach of your dog. Many medicines that benefit you can be harmful or fatal to your dog. Call your vet as soon as possible if your dog swallows any pills.
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. Try both ways and see which is best for your dog.
Dog Needs
Ask your vet the amount of food your dog needs daily. While some people feed their dogs according to the dog food package guidelines, these guidelines can be incorrect and lead to an overweight dog. Therefore, ask your vet the acceptable amount of dog food your dog needs to ensure its health and well-being.
Don’t buy your dog cheap dog food. Cheap brands usually contain preservatives such as sodium and other additives that can be dangerous for your dog’s health. Check with animal advocacy groups or consumer reviews to find the best dog foods that are recommended by professionals. Your dog can really benefit from better food.
Rawhide bones are the best options for your dog. Real bones can break into pieces that can then become dangerous due to how sharp and small they can be. Rawhide is healthy for their teeth and gums, so don’t share your bones, even if the dog wants it!
Brushing your dog daily will do more than keep them from shedding all over your home. Brushing keeps the coat shiny and healthy. When you brush the coat, oils from the skin are distributed throughout, and this is makes the coat soft and silky.
If your dog is undergoing a course of treatment with medication or therapy, make sure you follow your veterinarian’s instructions precisely. He may want out of that cone immediately, but he needs to keep wearing it! Your vet will recommend things that are good for the health of your dog, so make sure that you follow his advice.
If you have your heart set on a purebred dog, realize that the city pound may be somewhere to look. A lot of people give their dogs to the pound because they can no longer keep their pet for whatever reason. Simply call your pound and see what they have. You may even save a poor dog’s life.
You need to make sure if your female dog is not fixed and is in heat that she doesn’t come into contact with a male dog so she does not get pregnant. A male canine might sense her from a distance of five miles. She could also cause fighting among other dogs, along with becoming pregnant with an unwanted litter of unknown origin.
It is very important that you put a lot of thought into whether or not you’re ready to add a dog to your family. Sometimes, it is hard to resist the adorable face of a puppy or dog, but remember how much is involved in the proper care of a pet. Make sure that you understand all of the care dogs need so that you will know if you’ll be able to do it all.
With all of this great advice available to you, you would be a fool to ignore it. Apply this advice to ensure your dog is more pleasant and fun to be around. Happy dogs love their owners unconditionally, and you can make that happen.