When you are trying to find a dog, you may imagine a sweet dog that sleeps right next to you and happily tags along all day. The dog you get may be far from this ideal vision. No matter which dog you end up with, you now have to learn how to care for your pup.

Hugs are great, but steer clear of kisses. Dog kisses are adorable, but your dog’s mouth is really dirty. He probably doesn’t mind eating dirt, enjoys drinking water from the toilet if he can get at it, and tries in vain to clean himself with his tongue. Many people say that dogs have cleaner mouths than people. It certainly isn’t the truth.

Just as you need to keep up with your annual doctor’s appointment, your dog needs to see his vet annually too. Even the best dog owner will find it difficult or impossible to detect the first signs of health troubles, like a tooth infection or arthritic joints. A yearly checkup will help you find any problems before they become huge issues.

When you have medications of any sort, keep them where your dog cannot get to it. If your dog has access to these pills, there can be fatal consequences. Call your vet as soon as possible if your dog swallows any pills.

Know about what could go wrong with flea treatments if you have a dog. Some treatments contain dangerous ingredients that may put your kids at risk for diseases like cancer. Ask your vet about alternative treatments that are more family-friendly, and be sure to keep small children away during applications.

To improve the dog training process, try using hand signals in addition to verbal commands. Your dog may pick things up much easier when they are given these type of signals. Try both ways and see which is best for your dog.

Talk to your vet about what you feed your dog. A lot of the time a dog might not want to eat some brands of dog food, this might make them sick. Err on the side of caution when feeding food to your dog.

Speak to your vet about your dog’s eating habits. While some individuals give their dogs food by following the package, sometimes these guidelines are inappropriate for your dog. Your vet will give you personalized advice.

Do not overlook your dog’s bad behavior. Ignoring it for any length of time will only make it that much more difficult to contain later and you never know what could happen as a result of it now. You don’t want to be the owner of a dog who hurts someone, so get a handle on it now.

Makes sure your dog gets adequate exercise. A dog needs to play and exercise on a regular basis so that it can be happy and healthy. From a walk to chasing a ball, everything counts. Every time you play with or exercise your dog, you will find that you are promoting a lasting bond.

If you’re thinking about getting a dog, but aren’t sure you want to make the commitment, try serving as a foster home. Many homeless and abused animals are waiting in shelters for someone to adopt them and with over-crowding, resources are slim. Fostering an animal will help animals and help you decide whether or not you would like to keep a dog of your own.

Trim hair around a dog’s paws so that hair mats don’t form. You should use a comb to straighten out the hair a bit before trying to trim it. If you’d prefer, you could have a groomer do this for you.

Follow through according to your vet’s suggestions if your dog needs something special or has medicine. While a cone around the head is not a pleasant experience for your pet, it may be a necessary requirement for a short time. The directions that you get from your vet are focused on the health of your pet and ignoring them can be detrimental to your pet.

Learn what health problems are most typical for your breed of dog. Research the heritage of your pup and learn how to prevent any common problems. Also, ask your vet what you can do to help your canine beat the odds for his breed.

In the case your dog has separation anxiety, leave music or the television on when you leave your house. The noise from the music will comfort the dog and that can help the animal to feel secure. It may just be the fix needed for the dog’s anxiety problems until you get back to the house.

Identification Tag

Ensure that your dog will come back after being lost by having some type of identification tag. A popular way to ensure your dog gets back home safely is to make them use a breakaway collar that has an identification tag. Put your own name and contact information on it, along with your dog’s name. Having your vet equip your dog with a micro-chip is a good idea.

Take the dog to see the vet often. Your pet will need to go to the vet so it can get tested for heart worms, get a general check up, and to see if the shots are still up to date. It’s important to go more often if it’s a pup. It is also important to visit a vet immediately after seeing signs of injury or illness.

Have your current dog choose your new dog. You need to see if they are going to be compatible or not. If you find that your dogs are compatible, a lot of anguish and trouble can be saved.

This great advice is here for you, so don’t ignore it. Use it to turn your ferocious little beast into a dream companion. If your dog is happy, you will be much more likely to love it unconditionally.