We all adore and love our dogs unconditionally and do everything we can to keep them happy and healthy at all times. Discover the top tips on how to keep your new furry friend happy and healthy.
As a responsible dog owner, there are things you can do to keep your pet happy and healthy. Here are top 10 tips recommended by professional veterinarians and other dog owners:
1. Keep Your Dog at a Healthy Weight
A major concern among first-time dog owners is keeping their pets at a healthy weight. If a dog is underweight or overweight, it might be a sign of a serious problem.
Ask your veterinarian about the ideal weight range of your dog, and make sure to keep your dog's weight within that range.
The best way to keep Fido at a healthy weight is to give them high quality dog food and exercise them regularly.
2. Feed Your Dog Properly and Consistently
Both puppies and adult dogs require high quality dog food, and they thrive on a balanced diet and a consistent food routine.
Make sure to maintain consistent meal times and avoid giving your dog too many treats or snacks.
You may want to consult your veterinarian to ensure your pet is giving the right amount of nutrients at all times. The amount of food dogs need varies, depending on the breed, size, age, and activity level of the individual dog.
Some toxic and dangerous foods for dogs include avocados, grapes, nuts, sultanas, coffee, chocolate, onions, unripe tomatoes, and mushrooms.
3. Provide Enough Exercise and Playtime
Playtime and exercise are not only important for your pet’s physical health, they also boost their mental health. Daily walks, a game or fetch or swimming are some of the recommended exercises that can help burn off some of your dog’s excess energy.
Games and toys prevent boredom and provide the much-needed mental stimulation for your dog. Remember, a bored dog will always find ways to have fun, usually in the form of destructive behaviors.
Playing regularly with your dog and providing them with interactive dog toys will easily keep them mentally stimulated and offer the exercise they require to stay happy and healthy.
4. Train Your Dog Consistently
Some dog owners assume that the training process is complete once their dog has mastered the basic commands like Sit, Come, Stay, Lay Down, etc. Ongoing training is a great way to challenge and stimulate your pup’s mind.
Dogs always want to learn new things, especially if you use treats, praise, toys, and other positive reinforcement training techniques. Since the reward encourages the dog to repeat the good behavior, it is a powerful way of changing or reinforcing your dog's behavior.
Regular training sessions also give you and your dog time to be together, thereby helping you to establish a strong bond with your canine friend.
5. Socialize Your Dog
Introducing your dog to new people, places, and other animals is important for their happiness, confidence, and good behavior.
Unlike other animals, dogs are social creatures that enjoy being around humans and getting out and about.
Taking them to a nearby dog park and allowing them to meet new people will enable them to make new friends while building their confidence along the way.
6. Give Your Pup a Massage
It's common knowledge that most dogs enjoy cuddling and being petted. Make sure to learn your dog’s favorite parts to be scratched, rubbed, or petted, and focus on those parts especially when you're trying to reward good behavior.
Learn some dog massage techniques and use them to help your dog relax, ease pain and anxiety, and strengthen your bond.
7. Have Regular Vet Checkups and Vaccinations
Unfortunately, there’s a wide range of health problems that can affect dogs. So, it's important to protect your dog by keeping up with vet check-ups and vaccinations.
As a responsible dog owner, it's also important to familiarize yourself with the various health issues that can affect your dog based on breed, age, health history, and exercise patterns.
8. Protect Your Dog From Parasites
Keep your dog free of parasites such as ticks, fleas, heartworm, etc. You may want to consult your vet for the best products for protecting your pup from these pets.
Keeping your dog safe from parasites and worms also includes:
- Visiting the vet
- Regular use of preventive drugs like parasiticides to prevent both ectoparasites ( fleas and ticks) and endoparasites (worms)
- Picking up their poop as soon as possible
- Bathing your dog as needed
- Using efficient flea control products
9. Provide Proper Shelter
As a responsible dog owner, you need to keep your pet safe from cold, heat, wind, and rain, so make sure your home has suitable shelter for your dog.
It's also advisable to buy a quality dog bed for your pooch. When they are inside, a crate lined with a comfortable towel or blanket is ideal.
10. Don’t Forget Grooming
Regardless of your chosen breed, grooming is of the utmost importance.
Whether it's brushing the coat, bathing your dog, brushing their teeth or trimming their nails, all dogs need some maintenance to keep them clean, healthy and happy.
Conclusion
If you love your pet as much as we do, you want to do as much as possible to ensure they stay safe, happy, and healthy. With some patience, love, care, and attention, you’ll enjoy being around your canine companion for many years to come.
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