You have a plethora of animals choose from when you want a pet. Have you been considering adding a new member to your family? However, if you want a pet that will show you lots of love, a dog may be your best bet. If you are among the people who love dogs, this article will provide some valuable information about how to properly care for the pet you have chosen to adopt.

It is important to puppy-proof your home. Your entire home should be safe prior to bringing the dog inside. All cleaning materials and drugs must be put away, and put your trash receptacle inside a cabinet. Make sure no toxic plants are in the vicinity of your dogs.

Go on and hug your dog, but do not kiss him. While getting kisses from your dog may seem cute, your dog’s mouth is extremely dirty. They eat garbage or poop and even sniff other dog’s butts. Many people believe that the human mouth has more germs than that of a dog – this isn’t true. This is completely wrong!

Be sure to keep all medications out of the reach of children and pets. Dogs can have very negative side effects from even small amounts of medications intended for humans. If, by chance, a dog does eat some of your pills, contact the vet right away.

Table Scraps

Do not fall prey to the temptation to feed table scraps to your dog. Your dog will constantly beg for food when you are eating and will not be hungry when the time to feed it comes. Table scraps can negatively affect the dog’s health and cause digestive issues or obesity. Train your dog to sit far away from your dining room so that you and your family won’t be tempted to feed it table scraps.

Practice training your dog around your home, where you and your pup can be alone. This allows you to control how many people are there while the training takes place. The more people there are, the more difficult training will be. This may distract your pet which will make it a lot harder to teach it even basic things.

If your dog displays a good behavior, praise it or reward it with a treat. You need the dog to realize that he or she has done something you like. This will teach your dog that praise comes from good behavior.

Build or buy a house for your dog if he has to stay outdoors for any length of time in cold weather. Exposure to extreme weather for long periods can cause health issues, particularly if the dog’s feet get wet. Keep your dog safe from the elements by providing him the dry shelter he needs.

Correct your dog’s bad behavior immediately. If you let it fester it can only make the problem much worse and eventually the dog becomes extremely difficult to train. It is possible that your dog could injure a person, and that person could be you! So correct unwanted behavior right away.

Daily brushing for your dog does more than simply prevent shedding. Brushing daily will give them a shiny, beautiful coat. The reason for this is that brushing distributes a dog’s oils from its skin so it looks soft and shiny.

Take some time to trim your dog’s paw beds during every grooming session. This can help prevent mats. Clean and comb the hair before you trim it. If you’re uncomfortable trimming hair, you should probably have your dog groomed by a professional.

Your vet will provide sound advice regarding medication or special needs for your pet, so ensure you pay heed to their words. They might not be fond of having a cone attached to their head, but your vet recommended it. If you fail to listen to your vet, your dog may end up sick or injured.

Dogs paws can be damaged by walking through areas that are rife with debris and broken glass. If you notice a small cut on your dog, use antiseptic to wash it, and then put a bandage around it. If it is a very deep cut, you should take him to a vet.

Whenever your dog has a house-training accident, be careful to clean it very thoroughly. Use a professional strength cleaner, followed by a proven odor remover. If your dog can still smell the spot he has marked, he will be likely to mark it again.

During hot weather, check your dog for fleas and ticks daily. Utilize a flea comb in order to eliminate any fleas on your pet. A number of products are available to control fleas and ticks on your dog. Speak with your vet about which choices are best.

Before you add a dog into your lifestyle, consider both the pros and cons of this decision. You can quickly fall deeply in love with a puppy without considering everything that is involved. Make sure that you understand all of the care dogs need so that you will know if you’ll be able to do it all.

Don’t surrender to your dog’s whims. Most dog owners think that letting it slide “this time” is okay, even for a major rules infraction. That usually happens with the cutest dogs! But, by staying firm on the rules, you can avoid issues. Giving your dog the scraps after a meal might be okay to you, but if you let things slide you may find your pet eating your dinner from your own lap!

Owning a dog is a big responsibility, but this article should make it an easier task. Keep on educating yourself about dogs and dog care. You’ll be able to take great care of your pet, and will have a fun little hobby.