Last Updated on February 9, 2021 by Pauline G. Carter
Taking care of your dog is an important step towards making her healthy. From grooming to regular exercises and healthy diet, there are many ways you can take care of your dog.
Understanding your dog’s reaction especially when she feels sick or hurt is also important in determining how to help her deal with lots of issues. It is also important that you give the dog behavioral training especially when she is still young.
Take Care of Your Dog – 7 Important Tips
The following ways are some of the most important ways to take care of your dog always;
Provide Clean Environment for the Dog
Taking care of your dog starts with providing a clean livable environment for her. It is important to protect the dog from predators and other stray animals that can infect her with diseases. It is also important to make her environment clean to maintain good hygiene.
A dirty environment can increase the risk of the animal to serious health risks, and invasion by pests that can cause skin diseases. Make sure you provide new and clean bedding as often as you can to promote healthy hygiene.
Provide Clean Water and Healthy Diet
Maintaining optimal hydration is very important in maintaining a healthy dog, hence the animal must have access to clean water always. Similarly, an unhealthy diet can lead to obesity and digestive problems. Follow the dietary recommendations for the dog by the veterinarian and feed the animal based on nutritional needs.
You should also consider the size, age and physical status of the dog when choosing her meals. Do not give your dog unhealthy treats especially from the remains of human food, rather you should choose healthy options that promote optimal health.
Schedule Veterinary Visits and Keep Dog’s Records
Your dog’s veterinary doctor will provide adequate information on scheduling vaccinations for the dog. Other procedures such as deworming and external pest control are also important health procedures you should consider. You must contact your veterinarian if you suspect your pet is ill.
You should consider checking the dog’s temperature and perform a physical examination on all body parts. If your dog suddenly becomes aggressive or not as active as she used to, you should take her to the hospital immediately, to avoid further complications.
Exercise is a Must
You need to constantly provide your dog the ample opportunity to exercise. Exercises don’t have to take place outdoors, there are some fun activities you can organize for her inside the home. For instance, you may want to hide some treats inside the home and let her search for them. Exercises stimulate the dog mentally in addition to boosting her agility.
Your dog will require more exercise if you notice she is getting out of shape. If you can’t schedule a regular morning walk, then you should schedule 30-60 minutes’ walk late in the evening. If you are too busy during the day, then you should consider scheduling exercises for her on weekends. Regular dog exercise will also help the animal explore her environment.
Groom Your Dog Regularly
Perhaps one of the best possible ways of creating that special bond with your dog aside taking care of her is regular grooming. Make sure you brush her teeth at least once in a week or two and brush her coat or hair daily to remove any form of dirt and flea. If your dog is long-haired breed, you will have to clip the hair more regularly to keep it shorter and to reduce hair shedding.
Short-hair dogs may require hair clipping once in 2-3 months while long-hair dogs will require hair clipping once in every 1-2 months. When it comes to bathing, you should consider using only pet-friendly shampoo and not human shampoo to bathe the dog.
You should bathe the dog when she is muddy otherwise you can use a brush to remove dirt. As part of the grooming routine, you should cut excessively long nails when due to prevent injuries and for hygiene purposes.
Simple Behavioral Commands are Important
The better your dog is at following simple commands, the safer your dog can live. Your dog must understand basic commands such as “Sit”, “Stand”, “Stop”, and others. When your dog understands these commands, it becomes easier to take them outdoors without the fear of the animal causing problems for other people and animals.
In the earlier stage of command training, you may have to use leash and collar to control your dog, especially outdoors until she can control herself.
Check Ear, Eyes, and Nose of the Dog
In addition to paying attention to the dog’s poop, you should consider paying attention to the dog’s ears, eyes, and nose for any discharge. Discharge from the nose, ear, and eyes may signify a much bigger problem, hence you should pay attention and report them immediately.
Most dog owners pay little or no attention to their dog’s eyes, ears, and nose, which is not a good decision.
Conclusion
In addition to all the procedures mentioned above, it is also important to improve communication with your dog. Dogs are social animals, and they need to interact with their owners to communicate their needs. You need to learn to relate with your dog to detect early signs of infections.
Dogs are known to communicate their pain and discomfort in several ways, constant barking and whining are just a few of such. In addition to communicating their needs, the time spent with your dog can help prevent many undesirable behavioral issues.
You must regulate the activities of your dog, especially when outdoors. It has been discovered that most of the health issues affecting dogs emanate from the outdoors. Make sure the animal does not explore too much into the woods or grasses where ticks, fleas, and other insect bites can become a source of serious health problems.
It is also important to use reflective collars especially when you walk your dog in the night. This can help prevent accidents especially when there are poor visibility issues. You should also consider taking your dog to animal-theme social events to help boost her social interaction with other animals and people.
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