Helpful Advice For Anyone Who Has A Dog

Some say a dog owns you, you do not own a dog. Once you have a pup in your household, you are likely to agree. That said, your responsibilities in caring for the dog will be great. Read on to find out what you need to know about caring for your dog correctly.

If you are thinking of getting a new dog for your family, be sure you are prepared for this commitment. Smaller dogs will require at least a 14-16 year commitment, and larger dogs will require at least 10 years. If you are not prepared to own the dog for its entire life, then do not choose a dog as a 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 youve learned together. Use positive reinforcement and limit your training sessions to no more than 15 minutes.

Ask your vet about which foods he can eat. A puppys stomach may not be able to handle particular foods, which may cause stomach issues. Err on the side of caution when feeding food to your dog.

When preparing to groom your pet, start the session off on the right foot by helping your dog relax. Spend a few minutes simply petting him, starting with the head and then rubbing the back, paws, belly and even tail. Once you feel your dog is happy and content, begin grooming him.

Exercise

Determine your dogs specific exercise regimen. Dogs have different fitness needs based their sex, overall health, age, breed mix, or breed. Every dog should have a couple 10-minute walks a day around the block. Dogs between 6 and 18 months, active breed or mixed breeds, terriers, hounds, and herding dogs will most likely require more fitness than others types of dogs.

Give your dog plenty of exercise for both his body and his mind. You can even teach your dog useful tricks such as fetching the newspaper for you. This kind of play will make your dog feel like a contributing member of the family and keep his mental functioning at a high level.

Shop carefully for a dog before you get a new one. Make sure that you have taken the time to research the breed and know how much exercise and grooming a new dog will need. If you take the time to choose carefully, youll find that you are naturally a better match to the dog and both of you are happier.

Nutrition

Feed your dog dry, premium-quality dog food. This kind of dog food helps to make sure your dog gets all of their vital nutrients. Making sure that they get proper nutrition helps them live a longer life and reduces their chances of obesity, malnutrition, skeletal problems, muscular problems, and many more conditions.

When it comes to feeding your dog, make sure that you are using a reputable brand that contains enough nutrition. This is important because there are dog foods that contain an undesirable amount of filler in the food. You want to be sure that your dog is getting the amount of nutrients that it needs in order for it to be healthy.

Since you do own your dog, it is your responsibility to care for him the right way. You have taken the time to read this article, so you must also take the time to implement its advice. As you start to do the things you have learned here, you will find things become easier for both you and your dog.