If you are about to adopt a puppy or adult dog, you will likely be both excited and nervous. While your new dog can bring joy and love to your life, it will also have needs that must be met to keep the dog healthy and well-adjusted.
Appreciate The Need To Start Training Your Dog Early
Training your dog can be an essential aspect of owning one of these animals. While all dogs can benefit from some amount of basic training, there are some breeds that may particularly need this source of structure. If you have never owned a dog or successfully trained one of these animals, enrolling in an obedience training course can help you and your animal bond while you learn more about training and controlling these animals. While it is easy to assume that these courses are only suited for adult dogs, it is generally best to start training dogs at a young age, and as a result, most of these programs can provide the training puppies often require.
Be Aware Of The More Common Health Risks To Dogs
Dogs are extremely skilled at getting into trouble or otherwise putting themselves at jeopardy. Before you bring our new dog home, the entire property should be dog-proofed. This will require moving any items that the dog could chew, swallow or otherwise cause harm. If your animal will be spending long periods of time outside, it is important to make sure there are water sources and shelter available at all times to the animal.
Maintain Your Dog's Claws
Dog owners will often make the mistake of failing to trim their dog's claws. This can lead to a number of problems. When the animal comes inside, the long claws could scratch floors. Furthermore, long claws can be extremely uncomfortable for your animal. Trimming can be a pet care task that is often more difficult than it needs to be. One way to help reduce the difficulty of trimming your dog's nail is to regularly fondle your dog's paws. This will help the animal to get acclimated to you handling its paws so that it will not be as alarmed in the future.
Try To Use The Same Veterinarian Clinic
When choosing medical providers for your dog, it can be beneficial to attempt to use the same veterinarian clinic. This will ensure that the doctors and staff treating your animal will have access to its medical history. Furthermore, this can help to reduce the stress and strain of taking your animal to the veterinarian as it will be more accustomed to the staff and facilities.
