These days, there are all kinds of pets available. Have you been considering adding a new member to your family? However, if you want unconditional love, get a dog. This article provides you with information about caring for your dog.
Owning a dog is quite a large financial commitment. Good quality dog food and medical care can cost between $700-1000 a year. Also, emergency care is a lot if your dog was to ever get sick; you may want to think about pet insurance.
While you can hug your dog, you should avoid kissing your dog. While those sloppy kisses may be cute, be aware that your dog’s mouth is apt to be crawling with germs and bacteria. Dogs really get into everything, from toilet water to the neighbor’s trash. It is not true that a dog has a cleaner mouth than a person. It simply is not the case.
If you bring your pet on vacation with you, keep a picture of him with you, particularly on your phone. This allows you to have a photo of him if he gets lost.
Be careful of the ingredients in many flea treatments. Many of them contain ingredients that can put children at risk for cancer at a rate that is 1000 times more than what the EPA considers safe! Bring up the subject of alternative and family-friendly treatments the next time you see your vet, and always be sure to apply these treatments when no children are present.
Fight the urge to feed table scraps to your dog. That encourages him to beg and makes him not want his own food. Feeding your dog table scraps can cause obesity and a number of digestive issues. Keep your dog away from the family dinner table for training purposes and to avoid any temptation.
When training a dog, practice in the yard or your home. It is unwise to do it where there are many strangers around. They can get distracted, which can make it harder to train them even basic commands.
Don’t buy cheap dog food. Cheap dog food usually includes fillers (such as corn or soybeans) which are not appropriate for dogs. It may also contain poor quality ingredients which may hurt your dog’s health over time. Use an animal advocacy group or some kind of consumer awareness group to see if you can get a list of good foods that are professionally recommended. This will be very helpful to your dog’s health.
Genuine meat bones may be tempting, but it’s best to stick to rawhide. Real bones chip apart and can become dangerously lodged in the oral cavity or digestive track. Rawhide is a great treat you can use in lieu of real bones.
It’s important to make sure that your pup’s nails stay trimmed. Once they get to a length where they are curling under, this is likely to cause your dog some pain. You can do this yourself using a pair of dog clippers from the pet store. If you lack the confidence to do this job on your own, a pet groomer will usually do it at a low cost.
Don’t feed your dog the cheap stuff. Long-term, the dog will do much better with nutritious, good quality food. You’ll have to pay more, but you can be certain your dog gets the right vitamins and minerals from good sources.
When you get a new dog, set up an appointment for him at the vet. Do this as soon as your dog arrives at your doorstep. Your vet can make health recommendations, make sure that vaccinations are up to date and help with maintenance items like flea care and proper diet. In addition, consult your vet about spaying or neutering your dog. The shelters are already overcrowded, so you do not want to make that problem worse.
If your dog gets anxious and lonely when you leave, put some music on before you head out. The noise from the music will comfort the dog and that can help the animal to feel secure. It could be the right trick to help relieve your dog’s anxiety.
Exercise is vital when you own a dog. Make sure he can get the paper and help you around the house. They’ll feel like a useful family member and the constant reinforced training will maintain their sharp thinking skills.
Keep a dog tag on your dog at all times. Consider purchasing a breakaway collar for your pet. On the tag, make sure to include your pet’s name and your phone number. Another good thing to do would be to have a micro-chip put in your dog.
Dogs paws can be damaged by walking through areas that are rife with debris and broken glass. If you notice a small cut on your dog, use an antiseptic and a bandage to clean and protect it. If it is a very deep cut, you should take him to a vet.
During hot weather, check your dog for fleas and ticks daily. Comb your dog with a good flea comb to eradicate fleas. There are many products out there that can help you control your dog’s ticks and fleas. Speak with your vet about which options are best.
You should take the time to reflect about your lifestyle before getting a dog. Wanting a dog is the easy part, but taking responsibility of one and giving it the love it needs is difficult.
Adopting a dog is an important decision, but you should have a better idea of whether or not it is a good option for you after reading this article. Continue learning and reading about dogs. This will help you to take even better care of your dog.