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Owning a dog will change your life. You will experience love and affection you never knew was possible. You will also have a lot of hurdles to overcome.
Owning a dog will change your life. You will experience love and affection you never knew was possible. You will also have many hurdles to overcome – holidays become a lot more challenging to plan, and you will now be responsible for managing your dog’s behavior and health, which can come with challenges. Read on to discover some valuable tips for first-time mini puppies and dog owners with that in mind.
Make sure your dog gets to socialize
Imagine how your life would be if you never got to socialize with other people. Dogs need this sort of interaction too. You need to make sure your dog has positive experiences with people and other dogs to ensure that they turn into friendly pets.
Don’t believe your dog will grow out of a particular habit
Many dog owners assume that they will grow out of their bad habits, but unfortunately, it is rarely this straightforward. You need to train your dog to act a certain way; you cannot just expect nature to take its course.
Preventative care is a must.
Preventive care is a must to ensure your dog lives a healthy, happy, and long life. This means that you ensure your dog leads a healthy lifestyle to prevent issues arising, rather than simply reacting to any problems that come about. There are some great sites online with lots of helpful information on this, and you can also find preventative care plans that will help you get started.
Find a pet store you can rely on
You can also find great products and advisors at pet stores who can help. It can make a big difference when you know you have a pet store that you can turn to for all of your needs and requirements.
Be consistent
This is one of the most important rules for all new dog owners. It would be best if you were consistent. If you send mixed messages, your dog will only get confused, and this is how bad behavior arises because they are unsure what they should and should not be doing. Once you set rules for your dog, make sure you follow them.
Set rules
While we are on the subject of rules, make sure you set some. All dogs need to have rules. Otherwise, they will run riot. You need to figure out where your dog will sleep, if it is allowed to be on the furniture when you exercise it, walk, feed, and by whom. It would be best to decide on this early on to stick to the same rules throughout.
Final Thought
Hopefully, you now feel more prepared for owning your first dog. While there may be several challenges and hurdles along the way, there is no denying that owning a dog is an incredible experience that will change your life in more ways than one, but overall for the better.
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Down to earth, common sense, proven DOG advice
Welcome to Spike’s Dog Blog by Acme Canine. Throughout the site, you will find a variety of helpful dog training articles, insightful dog behavior tips, and truthful product reviews from nationally-recognized canine trainers and professionals.