What A Dog Needs
Adopting a dog is pretty much like taking on the responsibility of raising a child. It is a wonderful experience, but there are so many things you need to get right if you want your dog to live a happy, healthy, and fulfilled life.
In this article we discuss five basic things that every dog needs. This is not an all-inclusive list, but if you cover these five areas, you’ll have gone a long way towards being the best guardian you can be.
Proper Nutrition
A good place to start is what you feed your dog. Broadly speaking, you can feed your dog a raw food diet, make your own dog food, or feed your dog a pre-packaged dog food. As most dog guardians don't have time for the other two, so they'll likely end up feeding their dog a branded kibble. This is a perfectly sound choice, provided the product you choose meets your dogs nutritional needs. Not all kibble brands are good, so you may want to discuss this with your veterinarian before deciding.
Veterinary Treatment
Your dog's health is your responsibility, from the initial puppy shots to annual check-ups and booster vaccinations. You also need to consider whether you can afford to pay for intensive veterinary care should your dog suffer an injury or become seriously ill. The cost can be exorbitant, so it is strongly advised that you take out a pet health insurance policy.
Physical Activity
Whether you have a hyperactive terrier or a laid-back mastiff, your dog needs exercise! Make sure that you have time in your busy schedule to walk the dog, and the fitness levels required to keep up.
Your choice of breed is of the utmost importance. Don’t get a Border Collie if you can only spare an hour a day for exercising the dog. Lack of exercise is the number one reason behind canine behavioral problems, so do your research.
Obedience TrainingTraining is not an "optional extra", but a responsibility of dog guardianship. A dog that has been trained will generally be calmer, happier and easier to control. Dogs actually enjoy learning, and training provides the dog with mental and physical stimulation.
Use a proven methodology, like clicker training, to train your dog. And always use a positive, reward-based approach.
Love, Affection and Companionship
Dogs are sociable animals who are used to living in a pack structure and therefore enjoy the company of others. The worst thing you can do to a dog is to exclude him from family activities, throw him in the backyard and ignore him. In fact, this is as bad as physically abusing the dog.
Take care of these five basic areas and you'll have every chance of raising a happy, well-adjusted dog. Your reward will be the love, loyalty and devotion you get in return.
Find out more about dog training, dog training tips, dog health and other useful dog info at Dogs and Dog Training
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