Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

Dog Care Advice Straight From The Experts

Do you want a canine companion? Do you understand what you will be responsible once you take possession of your dog? There are many responsibilities which come with dog ownership, and they start the first time you bring your puppy home. This article will show you the ropes and get you ready for your new best friend.

Your pet needs vaccinations, much in the same way that your baby does. Some common vaccinations that dogs require include rabies, hepatitis and distemper. Each pet is different, and each will have a different immunization schedule. Your veterinarian is a great resource when it comes to which vaccinations are right for the age and breed of your pet.

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. Try both ways of giving commands to see what works best.

Be careful around Christmas time with a dog in your home; it's the busiest time of year at 24/7 animal clinics! Things like hanging and tree lights pose a danger to your dog, as they could become tangled or gnaw their way down to raw wires. The loveliest of Christmas plants are also hazardous to a dog's health, so take extra care during holidays.

When clipping a puppy's toenails, start slow. Introduce your little dog to them before you begin cutting. You may only be able to get a single nail done during a sitting. It could take some time for puppy to become comfortable with the idea of nail clipping, but soon, you will be able to get through it all at once.

In order to make sure that your dog is healthy, be sure to allow it to have access to clean water at all times during the day. Just like with all living beings, water is one of the most important components. The only exception would be that you would want to keep water from a puppy for three hours before bedtime.

Be prepared for natural disasters that also impact your dog. Have an emergency supply of water and food for him and know in advance if your local shelter for people will allow pets inside. Too many pets are injured or lost following storms, floods and other situations that cause chaos in a community.

Do you have a hard time keeping your dog from barking? You might be encouraging this behavior without even realizing it. Your dog will keep barking if you acknowledge this behavior. It is best to ignore your dog until it stops barking, even if your dog wants to come inside.

The pads of your dog's feet can become dry and cracked, so make sure that you moisturize them regularly. Ask your veterinarian for advice on which product to use. Avoid using moisturizers that are intended for humans, because they can make the pads too soft and your dog may get hurt.

Use positive reinforcement to teach your dog the habits that you would like to see from them. For example, if you notice that your dog barks anytime someone enters your home you could reward him for not barking with a treat. The dog will then associate being quite with the reward that he will receive.

Always make sure your dog has fresh water available. Water is essential for the health of a dog. He can easily become dehydrated without it or look for unsafe water sources, such as puddles or contaminated ponds. Making sure your dog always has water is an easy way to keep him happy and safe.

If your dog seems to have a bad reaction from every shampoo you use on him, try a green product. Most commercial brands of dog shampoo contain a lot of things like phosphates and sulfates, which can irritate your dog's skin. They are also harmful to the environment so you'll be solving two problems at once.

Keep your dog safe from dangerous chemicals. Similar to kids, cleaning chemicals and any car maintenance substances are harmful to them. These substances are poisonous, so if a dog gets any on them or ingests any, they could get burned, become very sick, or die. Store your hazardous chemicals in a place that your dog can't get to, or keep them in a closed area using a child-proof lock.

Be sure to keep your dog's nails clipped in order to prevent injury. This can occur both from the dog scratching itself or also from having its nails get caught in things such as carpet. In order to be sure you are cutting the nails correctly, be sure to check with the veterinarian or groomer.

Keep in mind that the pads on a dog's foot are very similar to the skin at the bottom of a human foot. This means that they have a hard time withstanding extreme heat and cold. If you have to take your dog out in extreme weather, make sure that you cover their paws, or you don't have them out for very long.

If training your dog is more than you can handle, you should consider sending it to obedience school. Do some research to find out more about the different obedience schools in your area and talk to other dog owners to find the best school possible. It is best to send your dog to obedience school while it is still a young pup.

Do you feel stressed out a lot? Dogs have been proven to help lower your blood pressure and help you to feel calm. People who own dogs often live longer than those who do not. Dogs can also bring you happiness and comfort if you are suffering from an illness.

The knowledge you have gained from reading this article in full will prepare you to bring your dog to your home once and for all. Once you have everything you need and your home is puppy proofed, go and find yourself a best friend. You'll give them the life they deserve and provide yourself with endless hours of love. get more info

This is your main content section.

You should delete all of this text and replace it with text of your own. You can modify any text on your page with the Text formatting tools at the top of the page. To add other content, use the Media and Add-ons tabs. If you'd like to change your style template click on Styles. To add or remove pages use the Pages tab.