The Dog Podcast The Best Dad Podcast with Mimi and her Dad
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I have been around dogs all my life and have learned over the years how to be a responsible dog owner with the help of my parents. After all the tips and advice given my parents I thought it would be a good idea to share those tips with you. Below I share 11 tips that I believe will help you to be come a great dog owner so you dog knows they are loved and taken care.
Basic Supplies
Before you get a dog stock up on food and bowls. Also a bed. (buy treats if you spoil your dog.) And for recommended soap I think you should buy oatmeal soap because it’s great for dog skin.
Food and Water
Nothing could be more important than food and water for your pet. Providing food and water is the bare minimum you should be doing for your pet as an owner. If you don’t know what the proper portions are for you animal you should ask your veterinarian. We leave the food available to some of our dogs at all times due to our schedule.
Affection and Time
Give affection to your dog so it won’t feel neglected. Any dog/animal needs a lot of affection to feel AWESOME and cared for. My brother and I spend time with our dogs outside nearly every day. There aren’t many days that my dogs go without being played with or receiving love.
Walking your dog
Walk your dog on a weekly basis. Dogs should at least be walked 3 or 4 times a week. Some dogs need more walking then others depending on their breed and age. Typically when our family goes on a walk we take at least one dog with us. Our dogs are getting older so for some of them we can’t walk them as often.
Bathe your dog frequently
When your dog looks filthy and is in need of a bath I recommend washing them like the following: #1. Soak up you’re your stinky dog in water first. #2 Scrub well with soap. #3 Rinse them well so little bits of dry soap don’t end up in your dogs fur which might make your dogs skin feel icky. Be sure to ask your vet what soap would be suitable for your dog. We use oatmeal soap from Petco.
Suggestions if your pet is ever lost
When you lose your dog go to the animal shelter and see if he was found by a dog catcher. You could also put up flyers with your information in your neighborhood if the first suggestion doesn’t work out. (They usually don’t go too far if they weren’t out long.) You can go around town looking too.
In some areas there are actually people that track lost animals with dogs of their own. I happened to see this on an episode of Dogs With Jobs.
Training
To train your pet you always have to praise them in some way. I recommend giving them treats and petting them when they have done something good. (tip: Don’t go digging in your pockets for a reward. Be prepared as dogs can lose interest in training very quickly)
Obedience
All dogs find ways to get into some trouble as dogs a curious creatures. An example of this type of mischief would be if your dog tips over the trashcan. You as an owner have to make it clear to them that it was not alright. My dogs are old but find a ton of ways still to find mischief. My dog Jasmine always was finding ways escape our property and we would make it clear to her that it was not alright and it eventually stopped. You scold them to make sure they never do it again.
Sleeping conditions
Make sure you have a warm and dry place for your pet to sleep in. Personally my two dogs are indoor dogs and the other one is an outdoor dog. The one dog is an outdoor dog because she doesn’t like the indoors and gets board easily. Make sure your dog feels comfortable in the space they are sleeping in and the living space must be clean and suitable for the size of your dog.
Veterinarians
Regular trips to the vet are not debatable. If you don’t have the money to take your dog maybe you should give your dog to someone can take it to the vet. Another idea might be took find some special programs for low income pet owners. Sometimes if you don’t get a checkup for your dog it may get really sick without you knowing. With that being said I don’t believe in just putting down your dog if it is sick. There are other options available if you search around.
~Thanks for Reading and Enjoy your day J
