Stop And Read This Article If You Need Help With Dogs

Dogs are a very fun pet to have around the house. They give unconditional love and will bring happiness and joy into your life. But, to really make life perfect, you need to learn all that you can about your furry friend. The below article will provide you with some excellent knowledge on how to begin raising a dog.

Make your home safe for your dog. Before bringing your dog home for the first time, make sure that the entire area is completely safe. Make sure all of the medicine is put away and the cleaning supplies are up and safe. Some common house plants that are toxic to pets should be removed from your home.

While hugging your dog will make both of you feel great, refrain from kissing him. Kissing a dog might seem cute, but they have dirty mouths. Dogs go through garbage cans, toilet bowls, and love smelling and licking specific body parts of some other dogs. It is folk wisdom that a dog's mouth is cleaner than a humans. However, this simply is not the case.

Take your dog to the vet at least one time a year for checkups. Since your dog doesn't talk, you may have difficulty figuring out if a tooth starts hurting or where arthritis is developing. A yearly checkup will help you find any problems before they become huge issues.

It can be really helpful to incorporate hand signals with verbal commands when first training your dog. Your dog may pick things up much easier when they are given these type of signals. Always associate the spoken command and the hand gesture at first and choose the system that works best later on.

Ask your vet the amount of food your dog needs daily. It is important to follow guidelines for the sake of your dog's health. Speak with your veterinarian about what your dog's needs are and what amounts are proper.

Make use of hand signals when training your dog versus relying only on verbal commands. Using hand gestures can help your dog to recognize commands quicker. Test out both methods to see which works for you.

Rawhide bones are the best options for your dog. Genuine bones can chip, and the pieces may become stuck in your dog's teeth or digestive system. Rawhide bones are tested and veterinary approved, and they can benefit your dog's teeth and gums too. Treat your dog to one regularly.

Some dogs are more likely to suffer from health problems and so you should know what to look out for in your dog. Take the time to read up on your breed so that you don't get any surprises down the road. Speak with your vet to determine the correct course of action.

If you're adopting a dog through a local shelter, try scheduling a vet appointment right away. Dogs from pounds are exposed to more illnesses than others. Make sure the new puppy gets their required shots before going home.

Take your pet to the veterinarian regularly. Your pet will need to go to the vet so it can get tested for heart worms, get a general check up, and to see if the shots are still up to date. Having a puppy means regular visits to the vet. When your dog seems to be sick or injured in any way, it is time to go to the vet.

As you can see, there are many options to properly care and feed your dog. There is a world of dog dietary options beyond what you can see in the dog food aisle. Take the advice in this article to heart, and provide the best care and feeding for your particular dog.