When you care for your dog properly, you will be rewarded with a great deal of joy. You must get to know the dog’s needs in order to keep it healthy and happy. Keep reading for great tips on developing a good relationship with your pup.

You should take your dog to the vet at least once a year. Since your dog cannot talk to you, it may be hard to determine when arthritis is setting in or a tooth begins hurting. Regular checkups will help you find these issues prior to them becoming a serious problem.

Table Scraps

Don’t give table scraps to your dog. This will make your dog beg all of the time and also will make it not want to eat its regular food as much. Feeding your dog table scraps can cause obesity and a number of digestive issues. To prevent temptation, have your dog separated from the area you eat in.

Positive reinforcement is very important in training your dog. By rewarding your pup when it does the right thing, you’ll be teaching it to do these behaviors more often. This will teach the dog that when they do what you wish, they’ll get praised.

You need to trim your dog’s nails regularly. Your dog will be in pain if the nails begin curling. Find some good clippers you can use to trim your dog’s nails yourself. If this idea makes you uneasy, a groomer can easily attend to them for you.

If you’re going to adopt a new dog from an animal shelter, you need to get a vet appointment scheduled as soon as possible. Dogs that live in shelters may be sick or may have been around other sick dogs. You need to be sure that you get your animal all of the shots it needs prior to bringing it home.

Put a leash on your dog at all times when walking him. Your dog should walk beside you, not lag behind or run ahead, and should obey the command “heel.” This will ensure that your pet is not too far ahead or behind you. The heel command is crucial for your dog, even if a loose leash walk is being used.

Make sure you heed the vet’s instructions when it comes to medications and special care requirements. The dog may not be fond of the treatment or medication, but it’s for its health. Your vet recommendations should be taken seriously for the betterment of your dog’s health.

If you are looking for dog of a particular breed, don’t discount your local pound. People who aren’t fully committed to dog ownership often abandon their animals at the pound. Simply call your pound and see what they have. You may get to save a canine’s life if you do this!

If you have a dog with extreme separation anxiety, you can help reduce it by playing music or leaving the television on whenever you leave your home. Your dog will appreciate the company of the sound, and he will feel more secure. This can significantly help reduce its anxiety.

Have your pet checked out by your vet on a regular basis. Dogs need to go to the vet for a check-up, but also to check for heartworm and to ensure they have all their shots. If your dog is young, he will need to go to the vet more frequently. If your dog seems sick or hurt, you should go to the vet immediately.

Owning a dog is something special, and it can give a tremendous amount of joy to anyone who is around the pet. Although one must be knowledgeable and understand what it takes to sufficiently care for the pet so they are happy and healthy. Hopefully this article has helped you learn more about caring for your dog.