Any Dog-related Quagmire Can Be Settled With This Article

Your dog might scratch his bowl when hungry. When your dog needs to empty his bladder, he might scratch at the door. Dogs who need companionship will give you that loving stare. Sadly, your dog can't speak his needs, but you can learn all about them below.

It is important to puppy-proof your home. Before you bring a new dog home, make sure the whole area is safe. Place any meds or household cleaning supplies out of reach, and place any trash cans in a cabinet. Research the toxicity of plants you own, and move or remove anything that might be an issue.

Be sure your house is dog-proofed. Don't take a dog into your home without being sure that it is safe from top to bottom. Hide cleaning supplies and medicines and hide trashcans 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.

Yearly physicals help you and yearly vet checks help your dog. Dogs can't talk, so how do you know he has arthritis, for example? You need to go to the vet every year to get a check up.

Reward your dog for doing right things, such as sitting while you place it's food down, with lots of praise and attention. This communicates to your dog that he is doing just exactly what you want. Your dog is looking for ways to please you, and giving him your praise lets him know he has done just that.

Don't ever give your dog bones. Real animal bones can chip and pose a danger to your dog's digestive tract and mouth. Rawhide is very healthy and will help your dog develop some strong teeth. Never ever give him a real bone!

Rather than purchasing an actual meat bone for your dog, go with rawhide instead. Bones can fall apart and become lodged between teeth or digestive system. Rawhide has been proven to be healthy for your dog. It is excellent for its teeth too, so do not give in to the temptation to give your dog a real bone no matter how hard it begs.

You might find a pure breed dog at the pound. There are people who drop off pets for many different reasons, such as moving abroad or the death of an owner. Visit your local animal shelter to see the dogs they have on offer and ask about breed-specific rescues. You could possibly be saving a dog's life in the process.

If you're thinking about getting a dog, but aren't sure you want to make the commitment, try serving as a foster home. Shelters are full of abused and homeless dogs and they are hard pressed to give them all proper care. You can give a hand by fostering a dog without a home and try on the role of dog owner too!

If your dog is undergoing a course of treatment with medication or therapy, make sure you follow your veterinarian's instructions precisely. The dog may hate that cone on its head, but it's there for a very good reason! Your vet will recommend things that are good for the health of your dog, so make sure that you follow his advice.

Dogs tend to pickup facial expressions the best. That said, after reading this article, you now have an understanding of dogs which goes deeper than body language. You and your dog will benefit greatly from that fact.