Owning a dog can give a person a great and loyal friend, but it is costly and the first thing to do is pick a vet so he can give you good dog health information on taking care of your pet. Be sure to have the money because pets are costly.
A dog should have a yearly checkup and be updated on shots. This is a good way for a vet to find any illnesses. When illnesses are detected early they can be treated. Your pet might seem fine but then what do you do when there is an accident, and you need emergency care. Pets get old too and then need care for age-related problems.
Teaching your dog the rules is very important. You are the boss and he needs to know that. Decide what the rules are for the dog and enforce them, do not let your pet do what he wants or you will have a dog you do not like.
Pets like routine, this makes them feel secure. They like to be fed at the same time, sleep in the same spot. They expect their owner home at a certain time every day. Routine can change on occasion, but they will be happiest if they do the same thing every day.
Feeding your dog a good healthy food and giving him exercise will help him live longer. This will help prevent illness, and you will not need the vet in between your health checks. If you have a small dog that has to be caged while you are away be sure to take him out and play and exercise him, also be sure the cage is big enough to move around in. Dogs love treats but use them for training or special occasions.
Dogs love to chew, and chewing on an electrical cord is not a good thing to chew on. Be sure things are kept up so not to harm the dog. Give them plenty of toys and chew toys to use instead. If the toys get to old replace them with new ones, or they will not use them.
Where the dog lives needs to be kept clean, this is very important. Dogs get dirty and need to be kept clean. They do not like sleeping in a dirty environment and parasites can grow in unclean areas. Pick up after the dog, brush his teeth at least three times a week and it will help eliminate tooth decay.
Keep your dog confined in a safe place. Be sure there are no holes in the fences, cages etc. When going outside use a leash to walk the dog. There are speeding cars, bad animals, pesticides and all kinds of things in the world that can hurt your pet. There are even thieves, so along with a dog collar it is good to have a micro-chip put in your pet.
When you bought a pet you made a commitment to take care of him. He cannot take care of himself so if you do not do it, he will become another homeless pet. This means he needs regular healthy food. He needs to be feed on time. He needs a good and safe place to play and get exercised on a regular basis. If you do all these things you will have a friend for life.