A dog is the ideal pet as he is loving, loyal and affectionate. In fact, everyone in your family can benefit from the presence of a pet. The following tips can help you care for your dog more effectively.
Your dog cannot communicate through speech; therefore, you must learn its non-verbal language. Hesitant dogs need to be taken out of fearful situations. This may cause another dog or person to get bit. Watch for these non-verbal hints and let the dog guide your actions.
Try not to give a dog table scraps. Your dog will constantly beg for food when you are eating and will not be hungry when the time to feed it comes. Feeding your dog table scraps can cause obesity and a number of digestive issues. You can keep your dog healthy and avoid any temptation to feed it from the table by teaching it to spend dinnertime well away from your family.
Ask the vet about how much the dog should eat each day. While some people follow the direction on the back of the dog food packaging, they are sometimes incorrect and may make your dog overweight. The vet will know what is best for your pet.
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 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.
If you want to get a pet from a shelter, find a vet who can examine your new dog. Dogs from pounds are exposed to more illnesses than others. That is why it's important to have a full checkup and a course of vaccinations before you bring your puppy home.
Proper leash walking is something that you should teach to your dog. Make him walk at your side, and do not let him pull far in front of you or stay far behind. Use the command "heel" to prompt him. If you walk in this way, you will be sure that your pet is safe so that your walks are more enjoyable. Even if you decide to give him additional slack on the leash from time to time, teaching your dog to heel remains an important task as a pet owner.
You might find a pure breed dog at the pound. People who aren't fully committed to dog ownership often abandon their animals at the pound. Contact the pound in your area to see what kinds of breeds they have at the time. This could help you save the life of a dog.
Taking proper care of your dog is a lot of responsibility. It's not just going for walks and providing food. It's important to understand the right choices for caring for any dog. When you follow through properly, you can enjoy life together for years to come.
