The Ultimate Guide to Dog Care: Tips and Tricks for a Happy Pup
Jul 17, 2024
Dogs are meant to play in sand and mud and water but it is your job to clean them regularly; to take good care of them. They are just cute little puppies who need your care and support. Your dog is dependent on you for so many things. It wants you to feed it; it wants you to clean it; it wants you to be with it during vet visits.
If you are a new dog parent and want to know how to take care of your cute little (or big) doggo, then you are at the right place. Here, we will share some important tips to take the best care of your dog.
Keep Them Clean
One of the basic requirements of caring for your dog is to keep them clean. Every pet needs to be cleaned so they won’t catch fleas or any disease. This helps them to stay healthy as well. Some common ways to keep your dog clean and healthy are discussed below.
Shower Them Regularly
Your precious dog needs to be showered regularly to stay clean and healthy. You can set a bath routine for your pet based on its breed, its age, and the weather. Dogs are not like humans so they need to be bathed at longer intervals, for example, within a month or three.
You can take a hint about the ideal bath routine for your dog by following some steps like:
- Brushing your dog’s hair
- Wet your pet
- Use a good dog shampoo
- Rinse with a good amount of water
- Dry your puppy properly
*Optional*
- You can also use conditioner to detangle the long luscious locks of your dog.
| Tip: Don’t forget to moisturize your dog’s paws and nose. |
Brush Their Teeth
It may sound weird to a few people, but your dog needs dental care too. Those canines need to be cleaned regularly. Adding a dental care routine to its cleaning sessions can help you keep your dog’s oral health in check.
Here are some benefits you can expect from brushing your dog’s teeth regularly:
- Prevent painful dental diseases
- Prevent expensive dental bills
- Increase your dog’s lifespan
- Improve your doggo’s dental health
Have a Timely Grooming Session
A timely grooming session is necessary for your cute doggo. This not only makes it look cuter but also provides various health benefits such as:
- Better hygiene
- A flea check
- Reduce chances of any infection
- Early detection of any disease
- Healthy coat
- Improves posture (by trimming nails)
Maintain Their Health
Caring for a dog does not only include keeping them cleaned but it also includes keeping them healthy. Your doggo relies on you for its health. You need to take the best care of it.
Feed Them Properly and Timely
Feeding your pet is rule 101 in pet care. You brought a new pet to your house and the first thing you do is feed it. Feeding your dog is essential but DO NOT overfeed your precious pet. You need to feed it at regular intervals (depending on your dog’s breed and age).
You can try various dog food brands and choose the one that your dog likes the most. Also, not every dog food has all the nutrition your pet needs. So, you can keep changing different dog foods to give your dog all the nutrition it requires to stay healthy. Buy treats for it from reputed websites, like Bully Sticks Direct, to ensure your pet’s health.
| Tip: Consider a puzzle feeder so your dog won’t eat its food in large gulps as this can lead to digestive issues. |
Spay and Neuter
Spaying and neutering not only help keep the dog population under control but also help in keeping your dog healthy. There are numerous benefits of spaying and neutering your dog such as:
- A longer and healthier life
- Prevent breast cancer as well as testicular cancer
- Prevent urine infections
- Make your dog well-behaved
- Prevent your dog from wandering outside (in search of a mate)
- Fight overpopulation
Take Them Out For Walks
Walking is one of the best activities that every dog likes. I’m sure you too like taking your dog on walks and meeting new pet parents. Taking your doggo on a walk is not only a fun activity but also keeps your pet’s health under check. A good walk helps in better digestion, for both you and your dog.
| Do you know that around 34% of dogs have been diagnosed as obese in the past few years? |
Make Peace With The Vet
Your pet may be one of those who hate vet visits. However, they are necessary for their health. Visiting the vet can keep their health in check and you can be aware of certain diseases. You should not shy away from regular visits to the vet as they can be so helpful.
Book Regular Checkups
Regular vet visits and checkups are important for your dog to keep its health under check. A regular examination can reveal some hidden diseases and health issues which you can treat early and save your dog from severe infections.
It not only identifies severe threats at an early stage but also maintains their daily health such as weight control and nutrition. The vet can also let you know if your dog needs any prescription to improve its health. This way you can keep your dog’s health at its best.
Vaccination
Vaccination is also an important thing to keep your doggo’s health under check. Your vet can recommend which vaccination is required for your dog. Some of the common vaccinations include:
- Parvovirus
- Rabies
- Distemper
- Canine Hepatitis
- Leptospirosis
- Bordetella Vaccine
| Tip: Chocolates are harmful to your dog. Give them pet treats instead. |
Give Them Happiness
Staying happy is the key to good health. If you keep your dog happy, you can keep it healthy. There are many ways in which you can increase the happiness of your dog. However, most importantly you need to understand their needs to understand the reason for their happiness.
Spend Time With Them
You didn’t buy your dog as a showpiece, you bought it as a companion. So, it is your responsibility to spend time with it and not let it feel lonely. Even if you leave your dog at home while you go to the office or college, there are ways to spend a happy time with them.
- You can be with them while they are having their food.
- You can sleep together.
- You can take them on walks.
- You can play with them while watering your plants.
Play With Them
Playing with a dog is almost every person’s dream. You can spend so much time with your dog and give them happiness by simply playing with them. Take your dog to a garden and play fetch with them. This makes dogs happy beyond your imagination.
You can also buy toys for your dog to let it play on its own. There are so many options for dog toys in the stores to keep your dog happy. You can buy safe toys for your dog to keep it healthy as well.
Be Prepared
There is so much you can do to take good care of your dog, but still something unexpected can happen. Don’t worry, we have a few tips which can help you to be prepared for such uncertain situations.
Insurance
Pet insurance is becoming highly popular with the growing awareness among people about their pets. No one wishes for their pet to get an emergency treatment. But you can always be prepared if you ever need that. Getting an insurance for your dog can help you cover the following:
- Dental bills
- Vet bills
- Emergency Treatment
- Expensive Prescriptions
First Aid Kit
An emergency can knock on your door anytime. You need to be prepared for it when it comes. Your dog loves to play outside so it can be injured anytime. Most of the time dogs don’t know what is good for them and then they end up injured. It is your responsibility to take care of your dog in such tough times.
You can make a first aid kit specially for your dog to treat it quickly when necessary. Some essentials that you can add to the kit are:
- Non-stick bandages
- Gauze
- Cotton balls
- Antiseptic
- Adhesive tape
- Antibiotic gel
- Scissors
- Tweezers
- Muzzle
- Flashlight
- Thermometer
| Do you know that your dog’s nose should be a little wet because they sweat from their nose to cool down? |
Pet-proof Your House
This is crucial to keep your house pet-proof especially if you leave your dog alone at home for long hours. Following are some suggestions that can help you pet-proof your house:
- Place chemicals, medications, and food items out of their reach
- Keep your trash in a latched cabinet
- Keep dangling wires out of their reach
- Place house plants out of reach as they can be poisonous to them
- Keep all the vents covered
- Keep sharp objects out of their reach
- Use anti-scratch tape to save your couch
- Keep fragile items out of their reach
Consider a Microchip
Microchips can help locate your dog if it gets lost. These are painless to implant in your dog’s body and can be easily scanned at various animal shelters. They store your contact information and can help you find your lost dog quickly.
The ULTIMATE Tip
Do you want to know the ultimate tip to take the best care of your dog? It is to KNOW YOUR PET. Knowing your pet is the key to keeping them safe and healthy. If you understand your dog well then you can easily learn the issue they are going through. Once you know the problem you can quickly treat it.
Take your dog to the vet regularly, keep them clean, and understand their happiness is all you have to do to take good care of your dog. It’s easy and you can do it. Just trust yourself and bond with your dog.
