Dog ownership isn’t easy. It is important to feed your dog properly, make sure it gets enough affection, plenty of exercise and proper medical care. Learning everything about training a dog can take some time. The tips in the article that follows will give you a great start.

Make your home dog-proof. Before bringing your dog home for the first time, make sure that the entire area is completely safe. Store things like meds and cleaning products in a safe location, and be sure to keep any indoor trash cans behind a cabinet. Some indoor plants are poisonous, so put them high up.

Take your dog to the vet at least one time a year for checkups. It can be difficult to know what could be causing your dog pain since they cant talk to you. A yearly checkup will help you find any problems before they become huge issues.

Have your dog spayed or neutered. Research suggests that this small thing can give extended life to your dog by reducing cancer risk. Additionally, dogs who undergo this procedure are much less likely to wander off and maybe get into to an accident.

If your dog behaves badly, correct the behavior immediately. When you ignore this behavior, your dog thinks that it is okay. Also, the dog may end up hurting someone, perhaps even you.

Daily brushing your dog has more benefits that just reducing shedding. Regular brushing encourages a healthy, shining coat. The brushing motion will distribute the oil through the dog’s fur.

Take your dog outside so that he can get fresh air and exercise. Dogs need consistent physical activity to ensure they are physically and mentally fit. From a simple walk to a vigorous game of fetch, both of you will find the time well spent. In addition to providing much needed exercise, you will develop a lifelong bond with your pup.

Schedule a veterinary checkup for your new dog. This should be done as soon as he is adopted. The veterinarian will set the dog up with the proper vaccinations and give it a routine health checkup. Unwanted puppies are a tragedy, so make sure your dog gets spayed or neutered.

Solid leash training is a must for any dog. He ought to be next to you rather than ahead or behind. He should also respond to the “heel” command. Doing this will not only be easier on you, but it will also keep your dog safe. Even if you decide to give him additional slack on the leash from time to time, teaching your dog to heel remains an important task as a pet owner.

Keep trimming the soft hair near the paws of your dog to keep it from matting. Prior to trimming it, straighten the fur using a comb. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, take your dog to a groomer.

Show the dog that he is loved. It’s typical that dog owners will pay much more attention to bad behavior than good behavior. This can only lead to future difficulties. Praise your dog at least 5x more than you discipline him. When you do this, you will probably end up with a better behaved dog.

If you’ve got just one dog and he doesn’t seem all that happy or is left alone a lot, think about getting him a friend. The company could do your pet a lot of good. Choose a friend for your dog that has the same energy level and temperament and you will make your dog very happy.

After reading this advice, start putting it to use on a daily basis. If you want to become the benevolent, caring master your dog deserves, you should be well on your way. Just use what you’ve read here and your dog will show its gratitude by loving you for it.