How to care for your pet dog!

Like humans, dogs and wolves have families. In the case of wolves and dogs, these families are called packs. In these packs, there is always a leader and several followers. When a dog lives in your house, your family becomes his family, or ‘pack’. It is important that you let your dog know who the leader is. If he doesn’t know, he will try to become the leader. When this happens, a dog may appear pushy and disobedient. By teaching the dog obedience and keeping him occupied, he will realize that a human being is the leader and he will follow, instead of leading the ‘pack’ When wolves hunt, they find food. The animals in the pack often fight over food, pulling at it to be sure that they get their fair share. Our pet dogs continue the same pulling and tugging behaviour when they play tug-o-war games. Dogs and humans have been best friends for a very long time. While dogs give unconditional love, loyalty and friendship to their owners, the owners are, in turn, responsible for their proper care, food and water, shelter, safety, regular veterinary care and exercise. In fact, if you do not undertake proper care of your dog, it is not only likely to suffer from physical problems, but behavioral problems as well. In this context, there are some dog-care basics that you need to follow. In order to help you out in the task, we have listed a number of dog caring tips below.

How to care for dogs

* Collar your dog and attach an ID to it, with the dog’s name, your name, address written on it. The ID will prove to be of great help if, and when, your dog ends up getting lost. Through the information provided on the ID, someone will able to bring your pet safely back to your home.

* Bathing your dog at regular intervals is necessary. However, giving it a bath on an exceedingly frequent basis can dry out its skin and coat and result in skin infections. The best bet would be to bathe your dog once a month. In case it gets too dirty in-between, rub it with a damp towel or wash just the paws.

* While bathing the dog frequently is not advisable, you should definitely groom it on a daily basis. Move a brush or comb through the hair of your dog, ensuring that its coat remains smooth and free of tangles. Grooming of a dog can be started when it is 3-4 months old and continues throughout its life.

* It is necessary to undertake a proper physical examination of your dog on a monthly basis. Check the pad of its feet for any injuries and also undertake an oral examination.
At the same time, make sure to keep its ears as well as teeth clean. You need to take your dog for regular veterinarian check-ups as well, say every 2-3 months.

* One of the main points that you need to keep in mind, while taking care of your dog, comprises its diet. Remember, a nutritionally balanced diet, with constant access to fresh water, is as good for your dog as it is for you. Before deciding on the proper diet for your dog, it is advisable to consult a veterinary doctor.

* If you want your dog to remain fit and healthy, then you need to make sure that it gets a lot of exercise. Keeping it busy physically will also help keep behavioural problems at bay. You can take him for walks twice a day or play with him. In this context, remember that the level of exercise that your dog should get depends upon its breed and age.

* While some people prefer to keep their dog free throughout the day, others prefer to keep it tied for most of the time. It is advisable not to keep your dog constantly tied up, as this will lead to boredom and result in the dog having a bad temper as well. As much as possible, keep your dog free of the leash.

* You should also get your dogs vaccinated against rabies and other diseases. It is necessary to ensure the health of your dog as well as those who come in contact with it.

* You need to provide proper shelter for your dog, mainly in the form of a dog house (and fenced yard, in case of large and active dogs). However, most dogs crave for companionship and do not like to be alone for long periods. So, try to spend as much time with your dog as possible and make it go into the dog house at night only.