Taking care of a puppy is a joyous, enlightening, and truly rewarding experience. Within just a short time together, your new pet will become your strongest defender, favorite cuddly toy, and best companion. Just like people, animals must adopt healthy habits to live long and happy lives. Since your pet can’t do this for themselves, it’s up to you to take care of them. Dogs benefit our lives in many ways, so it’s only fair we repay the favor by ensuring theirs are the best they can be. With that in mind, here are thirteen essential tips you must know to keep your puppy healthy. 

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1. Feed A Balanced Diet

Feeding your furry friend the right type and amount of food will help them to maintain a healthy weight. This is one of the very best ways to prevent obesity and therefore extend their lifespan. Good nutrition will also aid in digestion, increase immunity, and promote heart health. If you’re unsure which food to give your puppy, then speak to your vet. Whatever type you pick, make sure you feed the right amount for their weight. You must also wash out their bowl each day. 

 

2. Walk Together Every Day

While different breeds require different levels of activity, all puppies need exercise. This is especially important during growth and when your furry friend is going through adolescence. For this reason, you must make sure that you take your pet for daily walks. If harsh weather stops you from going out, then find activities to do inside instead. Gage what types of activities your puppy enjoys by trying out a few different ones and seeing how they react. 

 

3. Leave Out Fresh Water

Regardless of the situation, your dog must always have access to fresh water. When at home, you should leave out a bowl for them, but you must take drinks out and about with you too. While some pet parents carry a bottle of water and a collapsible bowl for ease, there are other options you could try. Dogs will try to drink any water they have access to, even when it isn’t clean. Therefore, if you’re visiting a pond or lake, for example, you must try to deter them from doing so. 

 

4. Teach Them New Tricks

All dogs need training, and it’s best to start this in their youngest years. This provides mental stimulation, which is crucial in keeping your dog happy, but it will also enhance the relationship you share. Having a dog that listens to your commands could save their life one day too. Continued teaching is the key to long term success, so don’t quit your training sessions when your puppy reaches a certain age. Instead, teach them new tricks, while you go over old lessons.

 

5. Attend Regular Vet Checks

Every pet parent knows they should take their dog to the vet when they’re sick. However, it’s vital that you do so even when yours isn’t. Attending a pet clinic will provide your furry friend with all of the vaccinations they need to fight off common health problems. You must also schedule regular check-ups, which allow your vet to monitor your dog’s health. Without these checks, a health issue could develop and get worse for some time before it is noticed and can be treated. 

 

6. Invest In Pet Insurance

Although you will surely do your best to keep your puppy healthy, there is still a chance they could become sick or injured. If this were to happen, the treatments required to help your dog could be costly. Because of this, you must invest in pet insurance. Failing to do this means that you may not be able to cover treatment expenses, which would leave your furry friend suffering. This is a relatively small cost in comparison to the benefit it provides and the stress it can save you from. 

 

7. Pet-Proof The House

Most houses aren’t safe for a puppy before they arrive. Exposed wires could cause shocks, loose carpeting could cause falls, and open chemicals could cause poisoning. Rather than expect your furry friend to navigate these risks, you must pet-proof your home. Make sure that all toxic substances are locked away and that flooring, wires, furniture, and all else is secure. It can take some time to make your home safe for an animal, but the effort is more than worth it. 

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8. Switch Up The Toys

As you work to make your home safer, you will likely add dog-friendly extras, like beds, bowls, and toys. Rather than give your pet all of their toys at once, you should lay out a small selection. This allows you to switch up their options now and then. Animals get bored just like we do, but if you keep changing which toys your pet has available to them, they will continue to find them exciting. This will also provide mental stimulation, which is essential in keeping them happy. 

 

9. Find Them New Friends

Dogs are pack animals by nature. They need to socialize, or they won’t ever be truly happy. Although your pet surely loves spending time with you, they need to have fun with their own kind too. For this reason, you should visit a local park to see if there are any other dogs looking for a playmate. You may also want to take your furry friend to puppy parties or doggy daycare. This gives them the opportunity to meet and interact with lots of other dogs at the same time. 

 

10. Get Your Pet Fixed

Unless you plan to breed your pet, it makes sense to get them fixed as soon as possible. There are many benefits to having this procedure done, including preventing certain diseases and cancers. Neutering will also reduce aggressive behavior in males, which is crucial if you have other pets or young children in the house. For females, spaying prevents them from going into heat, which will reduce the behaviors associated with doing so, like spraying and yowling. 

 

11. Look After Their Teeth

Stinky dog breath isn’t pleasant, especially when your pet loves to give you puppy kisses. The good news is, you don’t have to put up with it. Brushing your dog’s teeth regularly will help to prevent the nasty smell, as well as many oral diseases and other dental problems. However, you must make sure that you use the right toothpaste. Human toothpaste is toxic to dogs, but there are products for canines. Giving your pet chew toys and chewy treats will also protect their teeth.

 

12. Keep Their Coat Clean

Grooming is much more important than just mere appearance. By regularly trimming, brushing, and washing your pet, you can keep an eye on changes to their skin and fur. For this reason, it’s vital for every breed of dog and type of coat. This is also an ideal time to check for any lumps and bumps. Many people hire groomers to clean their pets, but you don’t always have to. As long as you have the correct tools, there’s no reason why you can’t groom the dog yourself at home. 

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13. Spend Quality Time Together

Keeping your puppy healthy requires more than exercise and nutritious food. Your furry friend must also know that you love it, which you can only show if you spend quality time together. This means taking daily walks, playing in the yard, and cuddling in front of the television. Pets are a part of the family, so make sure you treat yours as one. Even if you can’t spend all of your time together, you must make sure that the time you do have is special for both of you. 

 

With the advice above, you can ensure that your puppy stays happy and healthy. 

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Getting a dog is one of the most amazing parts of adult life and they will instantly become a huge part of the family in every way. A dog can be the ideal companion whether you are alone or have a packed household and they will make your life more exciting and fun right away. 

 

Today we want to talk about one aspect of getting a dog which can be a bit of a challenge for some: training. Whether you opt to tackle the job yourself or take your pooch to a dog training program, it can be a challenge and it can take some real time and dedication to get right. Today we are going to take a look at some simple dog training tips you should know. 

 

Choose a good name 

 

The first thing which you need to consider when you get a dog is the name you give them. You may not think it is too important to choose a good name but this will act as a command of sorts when training your dog so needs to be recognized by your pet. Names which end in ‘ie’ or ‘y’ work best because they are a high pitched sound and this is easily heard by your furry friend. This is why dogs are often called things like Archie, Millie or Harry. 

 

Decide on house rules

 

House rules are incredibly important when you get a dog and you need to make sure that you are clear from the start where your dog is allowed to be in the home. Remember that to your dog, your house is it’s whole world. It is important that you don’t make their world even smaller by cutting off large sections of a house. Make sure you are clear on where your dog can sit and sleep and get protective covers and throws for your furniture to make their life better. Make sure that everyone in the house knows the rules for your dog and teaches them accordingly. 

 

Set up a private space 

 

Like all animals, your dog needs a private and safe place where they can sit and sleep or hide when they feel overwhelmed. Many dogs actually use a pen or a crate when they are in need of a safe space but even a small corner nook in your living room can be the ideal place to set up a bed. As long as they have the option of somewhere to go this will make them better behaved. 

 

Help him relax when he comes home

 

The best way to train a happy dog is to ensure that they feel safe. When your dog comes home for the first time they should immediately see your home as a safe place. Set up a private area and leave him to explore the house in his own time. This is a good way to help your dog get used to the space and they are less likely to do their business in the home. 

 

Reward his good behavior 

 

Always reward good behavior with a stroke, a treat, or a toy. Positive reinforcement works wonders for dogs and this is the best way to ensure that they carry on working well.

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As every pet owner knows very well, the animals we share our lives with become members of the family, and not just creatures that occupy the same space as us.

 

Our pets offer emotional support, companionship, and fun, and the better we get to know them, the more we realize that they have distinct personalities and quirks, too.

 

For all those reasons, it’s heartbreaking when a pet gets ill, and we would all like to do our best to prevent such a situation from arising.

 

Here are a few straightforward tips that you can follow for keeping your pets healthy.

 

 

• Check them regularly for parasites, and treat them as soon as you find any

 

 

Parasitic creatures, such as ticks and fleas, can cause our pets to experience significant levels of agitation and discomfort, and they can also pass on diseases which can be potentially fatal if left un-medicated.

 

The thing is, unless you’re paying pretty close attention, you might not necessarily notice that your pet has picked up some parasites, until the problem has exacerbated, and they’ve been scratching themselves raw, losing fur, or displaying other symptoms.

 

Get into the habit of checking your pets for parasites on a regular basis, and treat them as soon as you find any such parasites.

 

Medication such as Frontline Plus for cats can often kill off any parasites that may be affecting your pet, within just a few days, and keep them at bay for a good length of time afterwards. The sooner you catch them, the better.

 

 

• Feed your pets food that is as close as possible to their natural diet

 

 

Every animal has such a thing as a “natural diet template” that they are meant to follow. Cats, for example, are obligate carnivores, and must eat meat. Even dogs, who we have selectively bred to the point where they are quite distant from their Wolf cousins, need to eat certain foods, and avoid others.

 

As a general rule, feeding your pets food that is as close as possible to their natural diet helps to keep them in peak health, and stave off many serious and chronic diseases and conditions.

 

These days, it’s often quite easy to find “high-quality” pet food – but it’s more expensive than generic pet food.

 

Even if you’re not able to afford top of the range nutrition for your pet, certainly avoid feeding them human treats like chocolate and table scraps. These aren’t likely to be good for them, no matter how much they beg.

 

 

• Ensure that your pets have plenty of opportunity for regular exercise, and social interaction with other animals of their species

 

 

All animals need regular physical movement in order to be healthy, and high-energy pets such as cats and dogs need a lot of it.

 

Generally speaking, your pets will do what they can to exercise themselves – but you should still take your dog for a walk, and should provide plenty of opportunity for your animals to roam around, play, and exhaust themselves.

Additionally, social interaction with other animals of their own species is very important for the well-being of certain pets – particularly dogs, who are naturally social. A visit to a dog park on a regular basis can be great for your dog’s health, for this reason.

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It’s a great thing to have a dog. Not only are they incredible company and very loving, but they are also just a great being to have around you all the time. Of course, just because it is lovely to have a dog doesn’t mean that it is easy all the time, and there are some respects in which it can cause you a little trouble in your daily life. One example of where this can be the case is when you go on holiday, and have to leave your little friend behind. Having a dog means, for most people, not going on as many trips as before. But if you still want to make sure that you are going to be able to have a holiday, then you will need to find something to do with your dog to make sure they are being looked after, as their wellbeing is paramount. Let’s take a look at some of the best options you have here.

 

Leave Them With A Friend

 

If you have a particularly good friend who you know would be happy to look after them, then that is generally the best option and the one you should probably go for. But make sure that you are genuinely not putting anyone out – the last thing you want is for your friend to really not be happy about having to do it, so make sure that they are okay with it. It helps if they happen to be a true dog lover, of course, and that should help to inform your decision about which friends to ask in the first place. Leaving them with a friend means that you can relax and enjoy your holiday, knowing full well that they are being looked after perfectly well.

 

Go To The Professionals

 

Of course, you might instead decide that you want to go to a professional to look after your dog while you are away. This certainly has its distinct benefits. For one, you can make sure that you are actually going to get updated, as many professional dog walkers and sitters keep you regularly updated as a matter of course, which a friend might not do so readily. You can also expect that they will be fed and walked the proper amount, as a professional is going to know exactly how much they need both. Clearly, this is a good way to go which results in you knowing that your dog is looked after, and which is certainly worth the money.

 

Ask A Neighbour

 

Finally, if you happen to have a particularly trustworthy neighbor, then that could be a possible way to have your dog looked after. You might even ask them to simply house sit for you, which can be nice for the pooch as it means they don’t have to go and get used to another home. But do make sure that you choose a neighbor that you definitely feel you can trust, otherwise you might end up regretting it!