Becoming a Dog Owner: How to Take Care of the Dogs

Owning a dog is bliss, and a wonderful addition to any home which ensure the additional happiness and joy. Dogs are loving friends and loyal companions which gives you more back in the form of love and enthusiasm in the life. To own a dog means the starting of a long and healthy relationship as if having a beautiful bond as with any other family member.

But if you are planning of bringing a dog into your home or you are first time owner of the dog, it is going to be challenge too to ensure the care of the dog. Dogs need proper care and love to provide them with proper growth and development.  Some of the important tips on How to Take Care of the Dogs are as follows:

How to Take Care of the Dogs

Feeding

The puppies of eight to twelve weeks must be provided four meals a day. Similarly, the puppies of three to four to six months require three meals, and two meals for six to one year puppy. And once the dog reaches the age of 1 year, it can be provided with just a meal a day.  Especially the puppies must be fed a high qualitative and nutritive food to ensure the proper growth. Limit the people’s food as much as possible as it may not provide all the nutrients required for the dogs.

Buying a high quality ingredients brand of food is highly recommended for your dog. You can prepare yourself the fog food in your home. Make sure you do not feed your dog with too much sugar, chocolates, fried food, onions, garlic, too much oily food, raisins, and garlic as they can harm your dog’s health. While providing the chicken, meat or the vegetables, boil them with hot water.

They love boiled chicken and vegetables such as carrot, cauliflower, cabbages along with some rice. This can be a very good replacement when you do not want to provide it with the dog food of the market.

The most important thing is to feed your dog on a regular schedule and the in the regular place. This will ensure that your dog know its meal time. Also, take out the food within 15-30 minutes away from your dog as it makes your dog more disciplined in its food habit and avoid obesity by free eating.

Always monitor the food habit of your dog, including its appetite. It helps you to know how much food should be given to your dog next time. Check whether your dog is under weight or overweight from time to time.

Dogs should be provided with plenty of fresh water. So always keep fresh water available for your dog. You can provide water with some ice when it’s summer time. Drinking a lot of water is good for your dog’s health.

Exercise

Exercise is very important to burn calories and stimulate the minds of the dogs. It also helps your dog to avoid boredom. Exercise may vary with breed, sex or age. Dogs need a plenty of exercise that includes the activities of running, jumping, walking or playing. It ensures the health and happiness of your dog. You should take your dog for a walk at least 30-45 minutes a day. However, long walk may not be necessary for higher active kind of dogs such as spitzes. Walking is not enough for your dog. You should make sure that your dog gets tired every day.

Do not make your puppy of less than six months involve in extensive running and jumping as they have weaker growing bones. Develop a habit of taking your dog for walk tied in a leash. Dogs prefer safe and comfortable leashes of nylon harness and do avoid collar leash when taking out for a walk. And more importantly do not forget to play with your dog. They love ball games and these games ensure higher exercise.

Insufficient exercise may lead to boredom and laziness, which may cause unusual behavior issues. Exercise is must for the mental stimulation and physical growth of your dog.

Hygiene and Cleanliness

Special attention must be given in hygiene and cleanliness of your dog to ensure the proper health. Grooming is necessary which differs with the breeds of the dogs. Dogs must be brushes at least once a week to help them to shed their long hair. The long haired breed of dogs requires even more regular brushing and also the trimming of the hair. You should determine the best grooming habits for your dog.

You should check for the ticks and the fleas in your dog while grooming. Remove them with the comb and if they are excessive, you may apply the anti-flea medication, which are easily available in the vet. It is usually in the liquid form which you must apply in the skin of the neck region and the skin of the upper tail region. You may simply follow the advice of the vet doctor.

Always have a routine veterinary visit for your dog. Regular check-ups help to prevent the problems your dog might face. Your veterinary may provide with various suggestions and recommendations. Also, very important is that you ensure your dog has been provided with all the necessary immunization so that your dog is safe from any diseases.  Follow the advice of your veterinary to get the vaccines required. Your dog must be immunized within 12 weeks of age that include of Rabies as well as the diseases such as Distemper, Parvovirus and Hepatitis. Dogs must be then immunized in a yearly basis.

Do give your dog with the regular bath.  Dogs need not bath as regular as human, but give your dog a bath once it start to smell or gets dirty with mud or other litters. Bathing a dog every couple of weeks is usually recommended. However, the dogs with thick hair may be bathed after even more span of time. Use soap or shampoo specialized for the dog. Using human shampoo once or twice will be okay but is not recommended. Use lukewarm water and its shampoo to give it a bath.. Dogs often run around after a bath, so do give it a proper time for a bath. Provide it some treat while bathing it to distract it.

Spraying or neutering

You might consider getting your dog neutered or sprayed. Female dogs are sprayed and male dogs are neutered by six months of age. These are the procedures that prevent the unwanted pregnancies and help to get rid of health and behavioral issues. These prevent some complications and diseases such as testicular cancers, urinary marking etc. too. 

Training

One of the major thing to accomplish after bring a pet in home is training tour dog to relieve outside the house, instead of inside the house. This is often considered as the major challenge of any owner. Dogs can be trained with proper guidance. You must follow some of the basic rules while teaching your dog to relieve outside.

Firstly, you must limit the area for your dog so that you can watch your dog and immediately taken out once you find the signs they are about to relieve. Puppies need to go out more frequently as they have smaller bladder and cannot hold for longer time.  Secondly, establish a schedule to take your dog out, mostly in the morning after bed, after mealtimes, after playing and before sleeping. You may require waking up at night time to take your puppy out until it is not big enough to hold its bladder.

Thirdly, you should teach it to go to the specific location and provide it with the treat whenever it relieves outside, and you should tell it ‘No!’ when you find it doing inside. Clean the area whenever it has accident inside and ensure to prevent it repeating in the same place. But never spank your dog for it as it will either fear you only or become aggressive.

Teach your dog to be good natured and play nicely. They mostly are very playful and nice with the children. But still they might bite or scratch a little while they play. So make sure your dog is well trained to avoid biting and scratching.

Also, you might consider teaching your dog to bark less. Barking is their nature but sometimes they bark a lot, and may annoy many times by barking consistently. When they are barking constantly, tell it to stop without making it feel like you are barking with it too. When it stops barking, you should give it a treat. If your dog barks compulsively, that might be because of the less exercise and playtime. You should ignore when your dog is barking for the attention.

Do not forget to train your dog few commands and tricks such as to sit, stand, jump, giving their hand, stand on two feet and so on. When you teach them the commands, it is easier to prevent it from straying around too. This also helps to make your dog smart. Always call your dog with your name to make sure that it knows its name too.

Socialization and Security

Adequate social interaction is important for the dogs. The lack of socialization may cause depression or other behavioral issues. Let them chat and play with dogs around, and if possible make the habit of taking your dog with other. Dogs are sensitive and easily frightened. Give it more time and speak softly. Be playful with your dog. Do not create the frightening situation in front of your dog. Minimize as much as possible of leaving it alone. 

Environment

You must create a healthy and safe environment for your dog. Keep the small objects that might harm your dog away from it. Do not keep any kind of medicines, chemicals etc that can be easily reached by your dog. It is always best to keep the objects and human toys away from the floor and the reachable areas where your dog spends the time. Always keep the dangerous products away.

Some plants such as rhododendron, oleander can be toxic for your dog. So it is best to identify the plants and avoid such plants in the area where your dog is easily in contact.  Do not feed your dog with chocolate, onions, raisins, grapes and even chewing gums. They can be toxic for your dog.

Prepare an area for your dog where it will be spending most of its time. Determine what areas it will be allowed and which areas you want to keep off limits. This will avoid the confusion for your dog too. You dog need a designated area to sleep and eat as well as space to play. Prepare a good and confortable bed for your dog. You must be aware that once you allow your dog to sleep in your bed, it is very difficult to get rid of its habit.

Spending time together

Your dog seeks a lot of your time and attention. It may do many things to attract your attention. Some of them you have to consider and some of them you have to ignore. But always make sure that you provide it with your enough time and attention along with the much needed affection. Play with your dog, engage with it in different activities together, take it to long walks as well as travel sometimes with it. These will strengthen your bond with your pet. Your enjoy your company and love to play together. This will make it happier.

Final Thoughts

Some of the points to be remembered for the dog owners are:

1.      Take time to train your dog

2.      Feed your dog with quality food

3.      Take for the regular veterinary checkups

4.      Regular grooming and bathing

5.      Take for the daily walks

6.      Keep up with the dental care

7.      Provide with plenty of fresh water

8.      Ensure the immunization of your dog

9.      Monitoring of the general health

10.   Providing a designated area with its proper place to eat and sleep

11.   Teaching good habits