Seeking Knowledge About Dogs? You Need To Read This Article!
Dogs are an incredible addition to the daily lives of a significant number of people and provide amazing amounts of joy and companionship. To ensure the health and contentment of any dog, a good amount of research and understanding is in order. The information that follows below can serve as a tremendously valuable resource for any dog owner.
Never hit your dog. There are better ways to train a dog without having to resort to violence. The best way to train a dog is to reinforce positive behaviors with treats and attention. Negative behavior should be handled with a stern and disapproving voice as opposed to striking the animal.
Avoid insisting that your dog socialize nicely with every other passing dog. Experts recommend that your dog be able to tolerate introductions through sniffing and eying with another animal, but say forcing the issue can create problems. Accept your dog’s lead when meeting and greeting other animals and allow for natural interaction.
If your dog is very rowdy or easily excitable, experts recommend that you don’t bring them along on vacation. Many times the thrill and confusion of a new area filled with strangers is too much for the hyper dog and unpleasant incidents may occur. Find a great kennel to care for your pooch instead.
When training your puppy or dog, keep the sessions short! Experts say that a dog has the attention span of a small child, sometimes less, and that longer sessions will actually cause him to forget everything you’ve learned together. Use positive reinforcement and limit your training sessions to no more than 15 minutes.
If you are in the market for a new puppy, make sure you will have enough time to devote to his training. On average, you need to take a young dog outside to do his business eight times a day and that can take a lot away from your schedule. Training takes more time and patience than most people realize.
Not everyone is good at training dogs, so quit trying if you see things are not going as well as planned. Instead of beating yourself up about it, get in touch with a trainer in your area. Since they have more experience with dogs, it may be much easier for them to train yours.
Pick and choose when you are going to groom your dog. You do not want to attempt grooming when your pet is in a particularly frisky mood, because the process will not go well. Instead, do so only when your dog is calm and tired, like after you have taken him for an especially long walk.
Ease your dog into knowing a new baby that comes into your home. Dogs can be very jealous and you need to continue to show him plenty of love an affection, even though you’ve got a brand new bundle of joy in your life. Talk to the dog as you handle the baby and keep him in the loop.
To make your dog happy and increase the bond between you, try learning how to give him a massage! It’s been shown in recent studies that structured massages are highly beneficial to a dog’s health and can improve their overall well-being. This activity can also be very relaxing for you as well.
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.
Be prepared to have a lot of patience with your dog during potty-training. Much like children, dogs learn at different speeds and ages and your canine may be slow or stubborn. Have good resources at your fingertips to assist your efforts and remember not to get angry when your dog has “accidents” as that will only impede his progress.
You should not just use your dog’s cold, wet nose as a barometer of its health. There are many reasons for your dog’s nose to be cold and wet even if the dog is sick. You can tell how your dog is feeling by watching his appetite and energy levels. These are good indicators for how your dog feels. Dogs can have their temperature taken rectally.
Consider getting your dog from a shelter. Many of the dogs that are brought there are well behaved, yet the owners could not handle the responsibility that came with raising them. For the best results, visit the shelter a few times so that you can find the dog that is right for you and your lifestyle.
Make sure that you spend adequate time on each thing that you try to teach your dog. Even though your dog might catch on to something, for example the “sit” command, it may not be mastered. You’ll want to make sure that the command is done every time that you ask no matter what situation you are in before you move onto a new command.
If you are looking into getting a dog you should ask as much about the dog that you can think of. For example, you will want to know about its mannerisms, level of activity and how affection it is. Ask whatever you can think of, so that you do not regret your decision later.
Make sure that you reserve a sleeping area for your dog. If your dog is going to be crated during the night, you shouldn’t allow the animal to sleep in your bed at first. If you do want your dog to sleep with you, make sure that you’re going to want to there every night.
The joy and delight a dog can provide is truly something amazing to behold. The fact remains, however, that a significant amount of know-how is required in order to make life with a dog the very best it can possibly be. Hopefully the insights found above have provided a strong foundation for canine aficionados everywhere.