The Ultimate Guide to Dog Care
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Dogs can bring companionship, fun, and unconditional love to their owners. To reciprocate for all of the joy that a dog adds to life, dog owners need to be educated about and fully prepared for responsible ownership and care. There’s a lot to know when you’re a dog owner, and this comprehensive guide serves as the ultimate reference for owners at all stages of their dogs’ lives.Inside The Ultimate Guide to Dog Care:•A thorough discussion on what you need to consider before you decide to add a dog to your family•Sources from where you can obtain a healthy, sound puppy or adult dog•Checklists and charts to help you buy all of the equipment and supplies you will need before your dog comes home•How to introduce your new dog to your home, other family members, other dogs, and strangers•The importance of socialization to a dog’s overall personality and confidence•Complete nutrition for puppies, adults, and senior dogs•How to groom different coat types and the tools you will need•Making sure that your dog gets enough exercise for his body and mind, with special sections on organized dog sports and pet-assisted therapy work•Keeping your dog safe at home and everywhere you go•Raising a polite canine member of society through reward-based training, communication, and solutions to common problems•Routine health checks, dealing with parasites, and recognizing and treating illness and injury, with a chapter on care of the older dog
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The bond between people and dogs represents one the strongest interspecies relationships in the history of the world. To many humans, no other animal is quite as endearing as the canine companion. Our dogs greet us after hard days of work, they join us for relaxing days of play, and they ease our suffering when we are sad or sick. Just by being there, dogs often make our daily lives brighter.
I have always considered people who share their homes with dogs to be among the luckiest individuals. To know a dog’s friendship is to understand unconditional love, compassion, and appreciation for the simplest yet best things in life. Few things are as exciting or rewarding as becoming a dog owner. Whether you have had dogs since childhood or you are adding a dog to your household for the first time, you will never find a truer friend than this cold-nosed, four-legged, furry companion.
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Choosing a dog who fits into your existing household schedule well is smart, but do expect that you may need to make some changes when you become a pet owner. Adjustments might be as simple as getting up 20 minutes earlier to walk your dog before breakfast and going for another walk at the end of the day when you don’t always feel like doing it. You can allow yourself a little flexibility within the schedule, but what matters most is that you establish and stick to a healthy routine for everyone in the household, including the four-legged members.
Tag-team caregiving often works well in a home with multiple people and schedules. The earliest riser is often the best person to perform the first walk of the day. The next person up may be the one to feed the dog and take him out before everyone heads to work or school. Older kids returning home from school in the afternoon can also help out. Children often make the best playmates for energetic pups, providing they are old enough to be respectful. A busy household can offer plenty of room for a dog, as long as everyone is willing to play a role in fulfilling his needs.
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