Caring For Canines - Essential Dos and Don'ts

As dogs are man’s best friend, we need to do our part too and make sure that we look after them to the best of our abilities. Check out the dos and don’ts below for some tips on how to do this.

Do train them as a puppy

It’s essential that you take the time and effort to train your dog, while they are still young. A lot of unwanted behavior can be avoided by correctly teaching a dog how to behave and who is in control. Remember dogs are pack animals and they will do their things unless you show yourself to be the one in charge.

Training them to sit, lie down, roll over and fetch are all basic moves that are within the capability of any dog to learn. Puppy training will also help to stop them becoming bored and misbehaving as they will have something to tire them out and occupy them.

Don’t use force as a deterrent

If you want a good relationship with your pet, then using violence as a deterrent is not a good idea. Dogs are quite capable of learning without the use of unnecessary force. Just make sure that you are aware of the skills you will need to manage them.

Do tailor their food

It’s important to get the right type and amount of food for the breed of dog you have. Each breed will need a different amount of food per day. An example of how this works is available at the link feeding schedule for German Shepherds.

More active dogs like Greyhound and German Shepherds will need food denser in energy than a lap dog like a Pug or Min Pin. The amount of food they will need will change as they mature too. Firstly increasing and then decreasing when they reach old age.

Don’t forget to have water on offer

Remember just like humans dogs need to keep their bodies hydrated to be healthy. But unlike humans, they can’t go and get a glass of water whenever they feel like it. So make sure that they always have access to fresh water through the day and on walks.

Do exercise them thoroughly

Don’t forget that whatever breed and size you dog is they will need to be exercised every day/ This will ensure they live long healthy lives, and minimize the risk of them developing a weight problem. It’s good to walk them twice daily, and also allow them off their leash in a safe place to play fetch and run around.

Don’t over feed them treats

Dogs can have issues with weight gain if there are fed too many treats. Try to restrict the amount of treats you give to your dog, to the portion state on the packet. Avoid giving them scraps of human food as treats. This is because some human food like chocolate and cheese can be harmful to dogs, but they don’t realize this and will gobble it up excitedly. Leaving you to clear up the mess later.