Becoming a puppy parent feels almost as momentous as becoming a parent to an actual human child. Dogs are a huge responsibility but they’re also a huge source of joy in every dog owner’s life. Here’s how to be the best possible dog owner…
Train Your Dog
It’s crucially important that you train your dog well, so she knows how to react to the world around herself. Taking your pup to obedience classes means that she’ll learn how to socialize with other dogs – and with other people. It’ll also mean that she’s less likely to get overwhelmed in situations with lots of different stimuli in future.
When you get home, you can continue the training by teaching your dog tricks. Not only will this look incredibly cool when you show off how smart your dog is to other people, but it’ll also help to build a bond between you.
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Create A Safe Environment For Your Dog
Your home needs to be a safe haven for you, your family, and of course your dog. If you have kids then you’ll understand everything about how baby proofing works – but puppy proofing is definitely a little different.
Remember that dogs can jump pretty high, so make sure that you leave things off your kitchen work surfaces that you don’t want your dogs to get hold of, and make sure that all the toxic substances in your home like cleaning products and any foods like chocolate that might be poisonous to your dog are shut carefully away.
Your back yard should have high fences that your dog can’t jump over or burrow beneath, and you should ensure that you’ve trained your dog to walk quietly and calmly on the leash. If you let your dog off her leash in public, make sure that she has good recall so she comes right back to you when you call her.
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Watch Out For Your Dog’s Health
Just like any member of your family, it’s important to encourage your dog’s good health. Make sure that she gets plenty of exercise and that her food is as pure as possible, full of meat and nutrients, and that she always has fresh drinking water available to her.
Make sure that she’s free of fleas and any other uncomfortable bugs with medications like https://www.petcarerx.com/frontline-plus-for-dogs/10884, and that if she starts drooling more than usual or exhibiting bad breath then she might be suffering from toothache.
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Spend Time With Your Dog
Make sure that you spend plenty of time with your dog to build a great relationship with her. Dogs are naturally sociable creatures and you’ll find that she loves to please you and be rewarded for it.
Make sure that you include her in your plans – find cafes that allow dogs, and take your pup hiking with you at the weekends (although make sure that she wears a warm coat this time of year if it’s still cold where you are!).
Having a good relationship with your dog will help her behave well and show you that dogs really are man’s best friend.