Have you always dreamed of having an amazing dog? You might end up with something really different. Now that it is yours, it is your responsibility to make sure your new friend learns how to behave properly.

You need to have a physical every year, and so does your dog. Because your dog is unable to speak, you may not know for sure when your dog feels sick or has an injury. Check-ups can reveal that and more.

Beware of flea treatments for your dog. Some medicines can put your children in harms way. Talk to your veterinarian about safer alternatives.

Avoid giving your dog scraps from your table. This will encourage constant begging and reduce their appetite towards their own food. Overfeeding him will lead to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, too. Insist that your dog wait away from the table during family meals to avoid temptation on his part – and yours.

When training a dog, practice in the yard or your home. Avoid training your dog where many people are present. This may distract your pet which will make it a lot harder to teach it even basic things.

Keep a leash on your dog at all times. Wild animals could get the dog’s attention and lead him into dangerous places, or unanticipated circumstances could provoke conflicts with others. You are responsible for anything your dog does, as well as for his safety.

Talk to your vet to learn which foods are appropriate for your particular dog. If your puppy is very young, it might not be ready to consume specific brands, and feeding them to your pup can result in sickness. Be careful when deciding what to feed your dog.

Reward your dog for doing right things, such as sitting while you place it’s food down, with lots of praise and attention. By rewarding your pup when it does the right thing, you’ll be teaching it to do these behaviors more often. This is called positive reinforcement.

Daily brushing for your dog does more than simply prevent shedding. Regular brushing encourages a healthy, shining coat. This is mainly due to the fact that brushing allows the oils in the skin to be distributed evenly. That keeps the skin soft, shiny, and healthy.

Make sure that you show your dog affection at all times. Owners tend to focus on the bad times, not the good. This may spell trouble in the future. You should mostly focus on praising and petting your dog when you notice a good behavior. He’ll behave better more often this way.

Be cautious with female dogs in the heat. If you aren’t, you may have to deal with an unwanted pregnancy. Male dogs can smell her scent from up to five miles. This could also lead to unplanned pregnancy, or cause other dogs in the area to fight.

There’s an abundance of advice in this article, and you should take full advantage of it. If you implement it in all you do, your dog will be like the dog you once dreamed of. Dogs that are happy really show it no matter what, so work hard and you’ll see the rewards!