Dogs can be a great friend if you train them the proper way. As can be seen, a healthy dog is the result of an informed owner who searches out the information needed to properly care for the pet. This article will provide you with a great start.
Just as you need to keep up with your annual doctor's appointment, your dog needs to see his vet annually too. Even the best dog owner will find it difficult or impossible to detect the first signs of health troubles, like a tooth infection or arthritic joints. A veterinary checkup can speak when your dog cannot, and it might help you to detect health problems before they become severe.
Be sure to have your dog spayed or neutered. It is a known fact that doing this will lessen the probability of your dog getting cancer. Also, dogs that have been neutered or spayed stick closer to home, limiting their exposure to dangerous traffic and other hazards.
It is a great idea to put hand signals in use when you are training your pet; use them in conjunction with words. Signals like these help your dog learn things quickly. Test out both methods to see which works for you.
Talk to your vet about what you feed your dog. Some foods can cause sickness or an upset stomach. Always be cautious when you're thinking of feeding your dog.
Positive reinforcement is very important in training your dog. Make your dog understand you are pleased with the behavior and expect to see it again. It also reinforces the idea that they will receive attention if they behave as you want them to.
Ask your vet the amount of food your dog needs daily. Simply reading the label on your dog food package may not be enough; your dog may have special needs. Speak to the vet about what makes sense for your dog.
Let your dog have rawhide rather than bones from the meat you eat. Pieces can break off of the real bone, which may cause your dog to choke. In contrast, rawhide has health benefits for your pet.
Your dog's nails should be trimmed regularly. If they begin to curl under, you dog could experience quite a bit of pain. Nails can easily be clipped. Your local pet store will have the tool you need. If you are not comfortable doing it yourself, you can take him to the groomers and have them done for very little money.
If you want a dog but don't know if you can handle the responsibility, start out as a short-term foster home. Animals are overcrowded in shelters, and the resources available for them are not abundant. Fostering a dog could help the cause as well as find you a new companion you cannot bring yourself to return.
If you're the owner of a lone, lonely dog, you should consider getting a second pooch. Because dogs typically run in packs, they typically love being around other canines. Match them up carefully by temperament and energy levels and your dog should be in canine heaven!
Remember the saying "The more people that work on something, the less likely they are to succeed" while you train your dog. Everyone does things differently, and too many commanders may confuse your dog. One person should be the master while the others reinforce what the dog is learning.
There is no doubt that dog ownership offers an incredible array of benefits, and can be the foundation of an incredible friendship. The best thing dog owners can do is study dog care information. Keeping the advice from this article in mind will help ensure that your dog grows up happy and healthy.
