The affectionate bond between humans and dogs is as old as history. Dogs are possibly the most popular among the various pets that people have in their homes. The relationship, however, is built on certain time-tested ways of bringing up a dog in your household. The process should start with your selection of the correct breed of dog, and then providing it with dog training the appropriate way. Unless you have the passion for the animal, there are several facets of the bond between you and your dog so that you may not be able to enjoy. So love your dog. Here is a treatise on the best you can get out of a dog at home.
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Dog Selection
If you already have a pet dog at home and know the way the different breeds behave, you can skip this part. If you are new to this experience, however, you should do some research on the breeds of dogs. You should also be clear on the objective of adopting a dog into your home. Is the dog expected to serve as a guard or just a companion? Will your children be comfortable having a dog around? Are all members of your family willing to be cooperative when it comes to living with a dog around? These and other relevant questions will first have to be answered by you before you bring the little pet home.
A detailed list of the different breeds and their features may be the subject of another post. A few dog breeds are mentioned here which are categorized as excellent guard dogs. These will include the German Shepherd, Rottweiler, Bullmastiff and Beagle and so on. Experts opine that if your primary purpose of having a dog at home is security, it is advisable to choose a darker color animal.
The First Few Weeks & Months
If you have brought home a small puppy, it has a different atmosphere. If it is a slightly grown-up dog, then you must allow it some time to get acclimatized to the surroundings and the people in your home. You can start by giving it a name and provide it a comfortable place to sleep in. You have to feed it with the correct type of food it likes and is recommended by the vet. This is the period the dog will get closer to you. Give it all the attention it deserves when you are home. This is also the time you must be able to start the dog training activities.
Types of Dog Training
Dogs are used to being trained; therefore, you need not be very concerned about how they will react. It is how you approach the training process that will count. The objective of the training to be given to dogs should also be clear in your mind. If you are growing the dog for your personal safety and security, then you will need a strong animal. Like with human beings, dogs too will need to have strong legs and body to be able to protect you and your family. Your training exercises must address this requirement.
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Making the Dog Run Up and Down the Stairs
This is not a new way to train your dog and has been practiced for ages. The benefit of this exercise is that the dog will gain strength on its legs and other connected muscles and will remain quite active. People tweak this exercise by changing the speed at which the dog climbs up or down etc. You can possibly entice the pet with some treat to ensure this.
Other Physical Exercises
There are various ways to make your dog run and grow strong. Some play the fetch game. Some take their dogs along during their morning jog. It may sound surprising that there are even dog treadmills available for this purpose. Depending on how strongly you feel about these things machines and whether you have space and funds to spare for a treadmill, you can choose this option for your dog training too.
Using Treats to Lure the Dog
If you have been able to learn what your dog likes the most, then it could be fun, and you can make it an exciting game. The dog must know you have hidden its favorite stuff (it could be a food item, a ball or anything that the dog covers). Only then will the pet run after it and search and have the pleasure of having found it. This can become a regular exercise.
Search for New Ideas
You need not confine yourself to the ways of dog training listed here in this article. Search online for stories where dog lovers would have shared how they had used new methods to train their dogs.There are no straight-jacket solutions to dog training.
Nutrition for Dogs
If you are new to breeding dogs as pets, you will invariably want to know what best food should be served to them. Many people ask if it is acceptable to serve just vegetarian food to their dogs. This may arise out of the situation where the family may be vegetarian in food habits. Dogs can eat vegetarian food and still remain healthy and active. It does not harm if you feed your dogs a mix of vegetarian food and meat-based food. You can check with the vet the way you would consult a dietician to plan your diet.
A lot of research has been carried into nutrition habits best suited for dogs. Most of these studies have confirmed that dogs must have the minerals, amino acids, and vitamins in appropriate proportions. As in the case of humans, the quantum of each of these would be determined by the age of the animal.
There can be other questions in your mind, as well. Should you be serving cooked meals to dogs? Calorie counts matter in dog food as well. There are sufficient resources available to clear all your doubts on these. You can go through these when you find the time, make notes and adapt them. These resources can guide you with the right quantities of food to be given to the dogs. The amount may vary with the breed of the canine you have chosen to bring home. The real-life parallel never ceases to crop up. Like mothers make mistakes while bringing up the first child, you could make errors handling your dog as well. You will quickly learn from some mistakes and turn into an expert in growing dogs.
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Dog Accessories
When you are expecting your child, you will go into elaborate planning on what all you should have at home to welcome the baby. Things like the baby’s bed, feeders, toys, and everything else to make the baby comfortable. In the case of a dog too, it would be no different. You will need to consider the pet as part of your family and make all the arrangements accordingly.
Fortunately for you, there are online resources in plenty that offer all these in one place. If you take a tour of one of these sites selling dog accessories, your knowledge on them will increase manifold. The regular eCommerce platforms like Amazon, have a section devoted to dog supplies. You have to pick and choose what your dog needs and order. Make sure you have one member in your family who can keep track of the consumption of some of the regularly ordered items and replenish them periodically.
Bottom-line
Bringing a dog home and bringing it up as part of your family could provide a useful distraction in your otherwise hectic lifestyle. At one level, it might sound a little challenging to grasp all these aspects surrounding the adoption of a dog. However, you have no option but to consider some key issues. If you have a baby at home, you should look at the dog’s breed and the hygiene aspects once the dog joins the household.
Dog training should be an essential part of bringing up the dog. Only a few training methods are covered here. You can access more information from resources like iWorkDogs Dog Training Co. to improve your knowledge. You can get your dog to follow a routine as far as its food habits and other activities are concerned. Taking the dog out is another exciting experience. You may try that if you have some spare some time in your daily routine. If your work schedule allows such luxury only during the weekends, try and do that.
If your work involves traveling, think of making alternate arrangements for your dog in your absence. Someone has to look after the animal. People are there who can do it for a fee. Locate one close to you. If you have created an affectionate bond with your dog, the pet will feel as emotional as you or even more while parting company. Manage it well.
Love your dog. Enjoy having a dog at home and keep it happy!
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