Owning a dog can bring a lot of happiness to your life, but that is not true of every dog. If you want to have fun with your pet, there is some basic advice that you need to follow. You should go over this article to learn more about dogs and what you can do to be a good pet owner.

Keep in mind that dogs are expensive. Food, supplies and vet bills can add up to $1,000 or more per year. Emergency vet care is very expensive, in some cases thousands of dollars, so you might want to consider purchasing pet health insurance.

Hugging is okay but kissing should be avoided. While getting kisses from your dog may seem cute, your dog’s mouth is extremely dirty. They eat garbage or poop and even sniff other dog’s butts. Your dog’s mouth is not really any cleaner than a human’s mouth. Definitely do not believe that!

If you have over-the-counter medication or prescription medication in your home, keep it in a place the dog can’t access it. If the dog gets near the pills, then just a few of them could do serious harm and result in a trip to emergency room. If your dog does ingest some of your medication, get in touch with your veterinarian immediately.

Choose the correct flea medicine for your dog. Many have ingredients that are dangerous to kids. Find out about healthy treatments that can keep you and your pet safe.

You should never give table scraps to your dog. That encourages him to beg and makes him not want his own food. Scraps from the table obesity, digestive problems, or other health issues in dogs. Resist the temptation and only give dog food to your pup.

If you are not sure how often you should feed your dog, ask your vet. While some people follow the direction on the back of the dog food packaging, they are sometimes incorrect and may make your dog overweight. Ask your vet what the right meal plan is for your dog.

Don’t purchase cheap dog food. Cheap brands usually contain ingredients that can be harmful to the health of your dog. Use a consumer awareness or animal advocacy group to obtain a list of the best foods that come with the highest recommendations by professionals. Better food will be very beneficial to your dog.

There is a wealth of information available to help you to become a fantastic dog owner. There is much more than just selecting a dog with a cute appearance. You must work at the relationship for it to work. Enjoy the time you spend with your dog now.