A Healthy Dog Is A Happy Dog

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By Garrett McMahan


We love our pets and they love us, but just like a child, dogs definitely are completely dependent on their owners for care. This means more than just providing plenty of water and healthy food, as there are many other important aspects of dog care, including the following.

While we don't hesitate to take our pets to the vet when they are hurt or ill, it's just as important to schedule that yearly check-up. Your veterinarian will do a thorough exam and run some routine tests to ensure that your dog is in tip-top shape. It's often during these annual visits that the doctor can find problems early on before they are really causing your pet discomfort.

Just like with people, there are many vaccines that are highly important for dogs. Obviously, all dogs are required by law to have a current rabies vaccination. Your dog also needs to be up-to-date with their bordetella vaccine, which prevents kennel cough, a miserable and highly contagious upper respiratory infection similar to whooping cough in humans. Distemper vaccines and vaccines that prevent Lyme disease are other important vaccines your dog will need. In addition, it's wise to consider medications that prevent heartworms, as well as some type of flea and tick treatment.

Unlike humans, dogs shouldn't be bathed every day; however, dogs do need proper grooming. This not only includes the daily brushing of fur, but also trimming fur for longer-haired dogs, trimming hair around the ears, cleaning the ears, trimming toenails and a bath every other week. This keeps their skin healthy and coat nice and shiny.

One area of dog care that often isn't really addressed is proper obedience training. Not only will you enjoy your dog all the more if he is well-trained, training keeps your pet safe from harm. Well-trained dogs don't dart away from you, they come when they are called and they rarely exhibit troublesome behavior. Often destructive or dangerous behavior is the reason why dogs are sent to shelters. However, with a few weeks of training, you can teach a dog to do exactly what you tell them and to understand permanent limits. Even if you would never get rid of your dog because of behavior, wouldn't you rather have a pet that didn't jump on your guests, scratch at doors and bark too much?

Training doesn't have be difficult or expensive, it just requires a little bit of time and patience. Consider opting for a program such as The Dog's Way, which is a dog training DVD program with 12 step-by-step lessons, as well as reminder cards and a training workbook. This dog training aid addresses dozens of common behavior issues and after a few weeks, your dog will be able to walk loosely on a leash, sit and stay when you command, understand boundaries and much more. With The Dog's Way, you can address behavior such as unwanted barking, over exuberance and jumping when guests arrive and having your pet come whenever he or she is called.




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