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How to take care of a dogIt is best if you do a bit of research about how to take care of a dog before deciding to accept a dog as a member of your household. Caring for a dog involves a lot of responsibility, since you will be the sole provider for your dog’s social, dietary and health-related needs. You will also need to be prepared to train your dog, since this is also a very important part of understanding how to take care of a dog. Here is a general guide that will familiarize you with how to take care of a dog, as well as provide tips to help you keep your dog healthy.
Puppy. CareBeing aware of how to take care of a puppy requires a bit of a different approach than knowing how to take care of a dog. Puppies require special attention, since they are still in their “learning” stage. Encourage your puppy to interact with the world around them, and be open to new situations or environments. This is also known as “socialization”, and involves exposing your puppy to as many new things as possible. Socialization is a very important part of how to train a puppy, since it sets the foundation for future dog training. Most well-socialized puppies will be much easier to care for, since they tend to exhibit better behavior. It’s also important that you feed your puppy a special puppy-food diet for at least their first year. Growing puppies have different nutritional needs than adult dogs, and need to be fed accordingly. Just like knowing how to take care of a dog, knowing how to take care of a puppy requires that you do some research beforehand.
Feeding . Knowing how to take care of a dog involves proper attention to your dog’s diet. Though it may be tempting to purchase a low-quality dog food formula that is inexpensive, this can negatively affect your dog’s health. Understanding how to take care of a dog means that you are accepting the responsibilities associated with proper dog care. It’s recommended that you feed your dog a high-quality, nutrient-rich dog food formula that is balanced enough to ensure proper digestion. Checking dog food reviews is an excellent way of picking a high quality dog food.
In general, the first five listed ingredients in a dog food formula will make up the “bulk” of the food. Be sure that at least two of the first five ingredients are derived from high-quality protein sources. It’s also best to avoid dog food that contains artificial preservatives, colors or chemical flavoring.
TrainingPart of knowing how to take care of a dog involves knowing how to train a dog. Dogs that are properly trained are much easier to manage, and can adapt more easily to new training programs. Proper dog training should ideally be started as soon as you bring a dog into your home. Understanding how to take care of a dog means that you will have to be sensitive to how quickly your dog can learn new commands. Different breeds of dogs have different levels of intelligence, and will learn at different speeds. The best way to be aware of how to take care of a dog in relation to training involves a lot of patience. Potty training in particular can be difficult, as some dogs need a bit of time to adapt to going to the bathroom outdoors.
ExerciseKnowing how to take care of a dog also involves an adequate level of exercise. Each year, thousands of dogs experience obesity-related health problems. If you truly care about how to take care of a dog, it’s important that you incorporate exercise into your dog’s daily routine. Exercise can be a brisk 30 minute walk, or an extended session of playtime.
GroomingAnother essential part of knowing how to take care of a dog involves attention to your dog’s grooming. Most dogs will need to be groomed at least twice per week, though some long-haired dogs may require more frequent grooming. Be sure to check your dog’s eyes, ears teeth and nails during the grooming process. In some cases, early identification of a health problem can save your dog from a serious medical condition. Decent grooming equipment can be found at any discount pet supplies store.
Veterinary CareProper veterinary care is extremely important when understanding how to take care of a dog. It’s best if you bring your dog in for veterinary checkups at least once per month. If you’re worried about costs, you may want to invest in pet insurance for your dog. Pet insurance can cover some or all of your veterinary bills, and will usually also cover emergency procedures. Many dog owners often underestimate how important veterinary care is for knowing how to take care of a dog. Training your puppy dog
Owning a puppy can be a wonderful experience, though it also involves a fairly significant amount of responsibility. Training a puppy is crucial, especially in the first few weeks that you bring your puppy into your home. Puppies are very impressionable, though can become stubborn and independent if not trained properly. Engaging in a training program with your puppy is a very important part of pet care, and will set the foundation for the rest of your puppy’s life with you. Here is some advice you can refer to when training your puppy. Though many people may not realize this, a puppy’s first week in its new home is one of the most important parts of the training process. In this first week, a puppy will establish a general set of rules, boundaries and observations about their new home. As a dog owner worried about proper pet dog care, this is your first chance to ensure that your puppy understands your general house rules. In addition to this, the first week is your chance to establish your puppy’s place in your “pack”. During your puppy’s first week in your home, try to familiarize your puppy with all of the items in your home that are related to daily routines. If you plan to crate-train your puppy, be sure to have the crate placed and ready as soon as your puppy gets home. Try to have your puppy’s food and water bowl placed in a designated area, and a specific sleeping area (such as a dog bed) set up. Having all of these things in place before you bring your puppy home will help your puppy to be much more comfortable in your home. When engaging in training with your puppy, the first thing you may want to do is to teach your puppy their name. It’s best to also do this in the first week that you have your puppy, since it may become significantly more difficult as time goes on. After your puppy learns their name, the next step is to teach the command “Come” or “Here”. This can be done by repeating the phrase “(Puppy’s Name), Come!”. Associating your puppy’s name first with the “Come” command will help your puppy understand that their name is separate from the command, but hearing their name should still mean that they give you their complete attention. The “Come” command can be taught by positive reinforcement, and by giving your puppy a treat when they obey this verbal command. Positive reinforcement can be used to teach your puppy most of the basic training commands, such as “Sit”, “Lie Down” and even “Heel”. Treats are a very important part of positive reinforcement training, since they teach your puppy that they will receive a reward when they obey your commands. However, the most important aspect of training a puppy is patience. Even though your puppy may take a bit of time to understand basic commands, you need to continue to portray a loving, patient attitude towards your puppy.
Caring for a pet dog with allergies
Just like humans, dogs are also prone to developing allergies. A dog may become allergic to a certain substance because of prolonged exposure. However, the most common allergies seen in dogs are related to food. The growing number of dogs that are becoming allergic to ingredients in their food has inspired many companies to start producing “hypoallergenic” dog food. These specialized formulas are designed to meet the nutritional needs of dogs with allergies, while excluding the most common food-based allergens. However, it is possible for dogs to become allergic to substances that are not food-related. The reason for an allergic reaction in a dog is through exposure to a certain allergen or antigen. A dog’s immune system responds to certain substances as foreign invaders, which causes an allergic reaction. There are three different methods by which a dog will display an allergic reaction – itching of the skin, coughing or sneezing, and gastrointestinal symptoms (such as vomiting and diarrhea). Caring for a dog with allergies can be extremely difficult, since it requires you to modify your habits in order to meet your dog’s needs. If you are caring for a dog that has an allergy to a food-based item, you may need to begin researching appropriate hypoallergenic dog food formulas to purchase. This can be relatively expensive, and makes choosing the proper food all the more important. Many dogs become allergic to carbohydrate-based ingredients, such as corn, soy or wheat. If you are unsure of the specific ingredient that your dog is allergic to, it’s highly recommended to try using a grain-free dog food formula. If your dog has a grain-based allergy, their symptoms will eventually disappear when they are fed the grain-free food. When caring for a dog with allergies, it is entirely possible that your dog may be allergic to substances that are not food-related. Some dogs show allergic reactions to certain shampoos, air fresheners, wool bedding or other topical substances. These types of allergies require that you first identify the substance that is causing your dog’s allergic reaction. Usually, these allergies are either based on inhalation of a product, or direct contact with an allergen. Depending on your dog’s symptoms, you will usually be able to tell the difference between these two types of allergic reactions. In some cases, your dog may develop a flea allergy. Although initially difficult to deal with, caring for a dog with a flea allergy requires that you completely eradicate all fleas from your household. This can be accomplished by using a variety of flea treatment products. Flea “bombs” are small devices that envelop a room in flea-killing smoke, though require that you remove yourself (and any pets) from your household for several hours. Topical flea treatments are also effective, and can be applied directly to your dog’s skin. There are also anti-flea spray products, which can be used to treat curtains, furniture and any bedding that can not be reached with a flea bomb. Caring for a pet dogs with allergies may seem difficult, but it is much easier when you identify the source of your dog’s allergic reaction. Treatment for allergies may also be obtained from your veterinarian, though obtaining a prescription for allergy medication usually requires that you schedule a veterinary visit. |
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