A dog is undoubtedly a very fine choice as a pet. They’re loving, affectionate creatures. However, to benefit both you and your dog, it would be to your advantage to know everything you can about them. This article can provide you with a great start for your growing canine knowledge.
Being a dog owner requires a financial commitment. When you add up the medical care, food and supplies in general, your costs could run from $700-$1000 annually. Pet insurance can be a good investment because your pet may require emergency care for illness or injury.
Make your home doggie-proof. Before bringing your dog home for the first time, make sure that the entire area is completely safe. Store things like meds and cleaning products in a safe location, and be sure to keep any indoor trash cans behind a cabinet. Keep house plants out of his reach, especially if they could be poisonous.
Your dog needs annual medical exams. Your dog can’t talk, it might be difficult to find out what is wrong if there is an issue. An annual vet visit can help you find problems early.
Neuter or spay the dog. Research has shown this simple procedure can lessen cancer risks and can give your dog a longer lifespan. Also, dogs that are fixed lose their desire to stray from the home, lessening the chance of them getting lost or hurt.
Your dog can not tell you what is wrong, so just listen to his body language. For instance, if your dog is hesitating, it is not a good idea to force him to approach a person or another animal. This could cause your dog to harm a person or another dog. Look for your dog’s non verbal cues and react accordingly.
If you bring your pet on vacation with you, keep a picture of him with you, particularly on your phone. This will help in the rare situation that you get separated from your dog. You will have a current picture of your dog to show to people.
Try using hand signals when training a dog instead of just using verbal commands. These signals will help you keep your dog under control in a noisy environment. Always associate the spoken command and the hand gesture at first and choose the system that works best later on.
The dog breed you choose should blend in well with your lifestyle. If you love to run, seek out a pooch that will love to run alongside you. Likewise if you spend quite a lot of time at home you may want to get a dog that likes to be pampered a lot. Avoid a mismatch if you want both of you to be happy.
To summarize, a dog provides its owner with a wealth of unconditional love which is really not reciprocated by anyone else in the same way. You will have to do your homework though, if you want to be a great owner. This article has given you what you need to know to be an expert with dogs. Apply them to become the best dog owner that you can be.