Before you own a dog, you might think they’re all fluffy fun and adorable tail wags. Unfortunately, even the cutest of pooches can be a whole lot of trouble. This article is designed to help you with all aspects of dog care. If you take this advice, life with dogs should be a lot easier.
Just as you need to keep up with your annual doctor’s appointment, your dog needs to see his vet annually too. Your dog can’t talk, it might be difficult to find out what is wrong if there is an issue. Getting your dog checked up on annually will allow you to know if there are any problems.
Refrain from making the training sessions with your dogs too long. Extended sessions can make a dog tire out and become bored easily when you are trying to teach them new things. Limit your training sessions to 20-30 minutes, as this will help to keep the full attention of your dog.
Your dog needs to be secured when in a car. Not only will it make the journey safer, as it will lead to fewer distractions for the person driving the car, but in the event of an accident, it could also save your dog’s life. Look for a seat belt harness, often sold at pet stores, that you can put in your car for your pet.
When training your puppy or dog, keep the sessions short! Experts say that a dog has the attention span of a small child, sometimes less, and that longer sessions will actually cause him to forget everything you’ve learned together. Use positive reinforcement and limit your training sessions to no more than 15 minutes.
If your dog has fleas, and they fall off his coat onto your floor, vacuum them up. However, remember that fleas are pretty good escape artists, so you need to throw out the bag immediately after you are finished. To be on the safe side, tape the bag completely shut before you take it out to your trash can.
Do not feed your dog from the table. This causes regular begging and will cause him to dislike his food. Scraps can be terrible for his diet and lead to obesity and other health problems. While you and your family dine, keep your dog in another room so that table-feeding isn’t an option.
If you want a dog that behaves well you must take the time to properly train it. If you do not do this then you will almost surely be dealing with behavioral problems for the length of the dog’s life. Training is the only way that you can prevent this from happening.
Remember that dogs are creatures of habit and anything you start with him will be expected in the future. If you’re not keen on him sleeping with you, don’t let him do it only on occasion. Likewise, if you don’t want him begging at the table, never offer him a bite of people food. He will learn and accept things if you are consistent.
Anyone who owns a dogs knows how amazing they can be. However, anyone who owns a dog also knows that they can be a ton of trouble. If you use the suggestions in this article, you’ll be able to cut down on the bad and enjoy more of the good.
Beatrice Cox is a writer and stylist with a passion for the intersection between biology, technology and design. High in Swedish Bali and Heritage, it travels around the world encouraged and informed a global perspective on the future of fashion and its relations with planetary health. She is currently working for a sustainable fashion label in Bali, Indonesia.