Are you planning to adopt a dog? Or maybe you already have a furry pet but you are having difficulty how to raise a dog?
Having a dog is somewhat similar to raising a child. There are things you must avoid in order to assure that your dog is living happily with you. In fact if you will consult different dog owners not all of them know the do’s and don’ts when it comes to taking good care of a dog.
In order for you to assure that your furry pet is handled with care, listed here is your guideline on what are the ten things you should never do to your dog:
1. Skip veterinary visit or vaccination
If you want your dog to have a long life then better treat them like a real child. Maybe you are asking why? A lot of dog owners are not aware with the importance of veterinary visit and vaccination.
Others would think that a one shot of vaccination for dogs is enough to give them immunity and protect them for a long term. Well, that is absolutely wrong!
Vaccination for dogs require a series of booster shots in order for them to assure that the immunity a dog can get through vaccination is enough to protect them from having diseases in dogs such as parvovirus, rabies, etc.
So better make it a habit not to skip any scheduled veterinary visit and secure their vaccination booklet at all times. Also whenever you see anything unusual with your dog, don’t wait for the situation to get worse!
Go and visit your dog’s veterinarian in order for him to diagnose what’s wrong with your pet so they can immediately treat it or prescribe medications needed.
2. Leave your dog alone in the car
No matter what the situation is, you must never leave your dog in the car unattended. Leaving a dog in the car can make your dog sick because of the hot temperature or worst is that the thieves might get your dog. So better avoid leaving your dog alone in the car to avoid these kinds of incidents.
3. Make your dog live in a chain
Dogs were born to be man’s best friend and not a prisoner. If you plan of having a dog, make sure that you have no plans of making him live in a chain. Dogs have emotions too, and they will be depressed and miserable if you will let them live in a chain.
Also if you want your dog to be friendly avoid this and socialize him or her to humans and other pets. If you want to adopt a dog, make sure that you are ready with the responsibilities!
4. Neglect your dog’s teeth
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, only 2% of the pet owners are following the recommendation of proper dental care with pets and 65% of the dogs with stage one periodontal disease are left untreated.
With this, you must make sure that you brush your dog’s teeth daily but always remember that you must use a dog’s toothpaste because furry pets does not know how to spit and there are several ingredients with human’s toothpaste that are toxic to dogs.
5. Assume that Dogs doesn’t have feelings
Yes! This is a very common mistake of humans; even if a dog does not understand your language they do understand your emotions. Dogs can read human emotions and facial expression.
If you will study the behavior of a dog when his human is lonely, you will notice that he or she will try to comfort him or her. If your pet sees that you are in a good mood, he or she will play with you. If you are grumpy, then your pet will surely avoid you.
A dog’s emotion is similar with humans; they can feel happiness, loneliness, anger, anxiety, or even pain. So if you love your dog, better handle your dog’s emotion or feelings with care.
6. Hit your Dog
Dogs can’t comprehend why they are being punished, so there’s no use of hitting them. It will just lead them to have a trauma and like humans, dogs can remember that for a long period of time.
What if they are doing something wrong and you want to correct it? The right thing to do is scold them whenever you caught them in the act. That is the only way to stop them from doing anything terrible.
7. Give Chocolates
This is a big No with dogs. Why? Because a small amount of chocolate can only give your dog an upset stomach, especially to the small breeds.
The theobromine content of chocolates can be easily metabolized by humans but is toxic to dogs, so if you want your dog not to suffer from vomiting and diarrhea don’t let them eat chocolates. Put those chocolates to a place where dogs will never reach it.
8. Blow their nose
Why dogs do not want us to blow their nose? Hmmm. If you are playing with your dog and you want him to be irritated then try blowing their nose, definitely the playful mood of your pup will disappear.
A dog’s nose is very sensitive and it is their most developed senses. There are millions of sensors that reside in it, which is why they can detect odors even from afar.
9. Over feed them
Overfeeding your dog can make them really happy for a moment, but always remember that excessive eating is bad for a dog’s health. Obesity is also common with dogs and this might lead to diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory problem, etc.
Like humans, eating can be a good reward for dogs but make sure to monitor and maintain a balanced diet for your dog in order for them to live a longer life with you.
10. Using a crate as punishment
Have you ever wonder what is the real purpose of a dog’s crate? Is it really for punishment? A crate is intended to be a dog’s safety haven but it is very common that crates are used the other way around.
Instead of making your dog feel safe and comfortable with their crates, dog owners tend to lock their pets inside the crates whenever they did something wrong. If you really want your dog to sleep in their crates, then never use it as a punishment.
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