Your dog might scratch his bowl when hungry. If a dog wants to be let outside, they often scratch at the door. If your dog wants attention, he may try to climb on your lap. Sadly, your dog can’t speak his needs, but you can learn all about them below.
It takes a lot of money to raise a dog. Every dog requires good quality food, general supplies and medical care; this can range in cost from $700 to $1000 per year. Pet insurance can be very helpful since emergency medical care for your dog can cost thousands of dollars, depending on the circumstances.
Your home needs to be ‘dog-proofed’. Prior to bringing the pooch home, check that the whole home is safe. Put cleaning supplies and medications away and keep indoor trash inside a cabinet. Research the toxicity of plants you own, and move or remove anything that might be an issue.
Your dog can not tell you what is wrong, so just listen to his body language. Hesitant dogs need to be taken out of fearful situations. This could cause your dog to harm a person or another dog. Watch for any of these non-verbal cues and let these guide your actions.
Practice training your dog around your home, where you and your pup can be alone. It is not good to teach them where there are distractions. It is very difficult to teach a dog that is distracted by people and disturbances.
Your lifestyle can help determine what dog breed is a good match for you. Do not buy a dog that is lazy if you are very active. If you like to stay at home, perhaps you would like a small dog. Getting a dog that matches your lifestyle will make you both more happy.
Be sure to praise your dog freely and consistently whenever he exhibits a desired behavior. You want to reinforce your dog’s good behaviors. He’ll learn that praise will come when he is good, too.
Don’t force your dog to eat something. If you got them a treat and they aren’t interested in it, don’t make them eat it. It will take you a little while to figure out what your dog likes and what he doesn’t, but you’ll get the hang of it.
Take the time to correct bad behavior in your dog at the first sign of it. If you delay too long, the behavior will get harder and harder to correct. If you don’t get his behavior under control, your dog could end up biting someone.
When selecting a brand of dog food for your pet, read the labels carefully and avoid the cheapest brands. It is vital to give your dog the best quality food. Although you may have to spend more money, you will ensure your dog’s diet is as healthy as possible.
If you’ve been considering adopting a dog but still aren’t sure, you could try to become a foster owner first. There are plenty of animals sitting in homeless shelters who desperately need a home due to over-crowding and limited shelter resources. Fostering a dog will allow you to do some charity work and see if you really want a dog!
Get your dog’s hair trimmed around its paws so that hair doesn’t get matted up. Try to comb the hair to straighten it before trimming. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, take your dog to a groomer.
When you leave to work, leave music on for your dog just to be nice, or if he has separation anxiety. This will help him feel more secure and provide him with a little company. It may just be the fix needed for the dog’s anxiety problems until you get back to the house.
It’s said that humans can read dog feelings by just looking at their faces; after years of human/dog interactions, that is no surprise. However, thanks to the tips in this article, you understand dogs on a number of levels. Your dog will be in debt to you forever.