Generally speaking, being a pet parent comes with plenty of responsibilities. It doesn’t just involve cuddles and games of fetch but also requires some essential practices to help you take care of your canine properly. However, it’s important to note that there are some mistakes you can make when raising your dog.
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To prevent yourself from falling into any bad raising habits that can lead to dog problems down the road, below are the five mistakes you should consider from the get-go:
Letting Dogs Eat Anything
Many pet owners believe that their furry companions have a strong stomach and therefore can eat anything. However, this notion may not be true. Just because your dogs want to eat something, it doesn’t mean it’s safe and healthy for them.
Typically, certain things like spoiled food and poultry bones shouldn’t be given to them for consumption. Not only that, but there are also other food choices that shouldn’t be part of your dogs’ meals.
For example, you may ask yourself, ‘Can dogs eat pickles?’ While the answer may depend on several factors, it’s still important to do some research and familiarize yourself with the foods they shouldn’t be eating in the first place. That way, you can protect them from any potential health problems.
Not Providing Enough Activity And Exercise
Activities and exercises are essential when raising dogs. That’s why not giving them enough activities and exercises to do is one of the mistakes you should take note as a pet parent. In most cases, lack of exercise can result in behavioral and health issues.
In order to avoid those, be sure to assess their needs. For example, you can check if they’re bored, restless, and overweight. When you notice those characteristics in your dogs, it’s about time to provide the activity and exercise they need. If you’re looking for better outcomes, determine your pets’ daily recommended exercise and try to stick with it. Doing so can make them happier, healthier, and more obedient to orders.
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Ask a Vet Live NowDenying Dogs The Company Of Others For Too Long
Dogs are known for being social animals. This means they love having company. Thus, leaving your pets alone for too long is one of the mistakes you should be wary of when raising them. When you make it a habit, it may also lead to behavioral and health problems. While they can manage a couple of hours of monotony, seven hours or more of being alone may have an adverse impact on them.
To correct this bad practice, figure out a way to have someone who can watch over them while you’re away. Whether you want to request dog boarding services or have a pet sitter look after them, the decision is yours. Doing either of those can prevent your dogs from getting stir-crazy due to loneliness and monotony.
Avoiding The Costs And Inconvenience Of Vet Visits
Bringing your dogs to a veterinarian is one of the important aspects of raising them properly. With regular visits to the vet, you can keep your pets healthy at all times. However, if you’re one of those people who skip routine vet visits until their dogs are unwell, then you’re committing a huge mistake as a pet parent.
To make this right, you should keep up with your dogs’ routine checkups so you’ll be aware of some alarming signs for your dogs’ health. Besides, vet visits can make it easier for you and the vet to provide diagnosis and treatment should illness come along. They can also help foster your relationship with them as their pet parent.
Not Providing Training
Generally, every dog requires proper training to promote good behavior. However, if you opt not to train your pets, you’re not raising them properly. Since they haven’t undergone basic training, they may not be able to know the rules and get appropriate guidance.
Therefore, if you want to make them happier and more obedient, don’t make the mistake of dismissing training while you raise them. Instead, find some time to train your dogs or hire a professional trainer to do it for you. That way, you don’t need to worry about bringing them to public places and events because they’re trained to behave.
The Bottom Line
Indeed, raising dogs takes a lot of patience and motivation. This can be one of the reasons it’s easy for pet owners to follow bad raising practices. Hence, if you think you’re not doing it right, keep these mistakes in mind so you’ll know what to do to address them right away. Remember: taking care of your dogs correctly can go a long way in ensuring a happy and comfortable life for them.
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Tom
Tom has always loved to write since he was little - he wanted to be either a writer or a veterinary doctor, but he ended up being a professional writer while most of his works are based on animals. He was born in San Francisco but later moved to Texas to continue his job as a writer. He graduated from the University of San Francisco where he studied biotechnology. He is happily married and a soon to be father!
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