How To Be The Best Dog Owner

Owning a dog is the dream of so many people in the world. There are different ways to go about the concept; what kind of dog breed should I own? What type of food should I buy for my dog? What kind of activities will my dog enjoy? How should I train my dog? What kind of training should I give my dog? Should I bring my dog to the vet for a monthly checkup? Should I neuter my dog? Should I adopt or buy? The questions revolving around owning a dog can be quite overwhelming. The steps to buying a dog itself are very complicated and could get convoluted quickly. 

In order to tone it down and give you a chance to catch up, this article will help you decide and learn how to be a good pet owner. In fact, following these steps might just make you the best dog owner out there!

Choosing The Right Dog

Of course, we’ll start with the most important part. Which is the right dog for you? This usually comes down to choosing the right dog breed so that you can narrow down your searches. There are a lot of things to consider when it comes to choosing the right dog breed. For example, if you’re living inside an apartment complex where it’s a very small space, then a high-energy, large dog breed like a husky wouldn’t be the wisest choice. But, on the other hand, you’d only be making them suffer because they wouldn’t have the space to run around, and you’d probably also have to deal with more issues than just space. 

Other than your living area space, you also have to consider your priorities. For example, there are highly trainable but also very high-energy dogs that need a lot of exercises every day. If you’re a very busy person, then a low-maintenance dog breed like a beagle or pug would be your best option. On the other hand, if you like to dedicate time and resources to training your dog, then something like a border collie would give you the best time. Overall, what you have to do is to choose the breed that you can handle, considering your situation.

Dog Health

There are many aspects to maintaining your pet dog’s health. However, we’ll focus on the core ones, such as diet, exercise, hygiene, and checkups. These areas are the most significant factors in keeping your dog healthy and living longer.

• Diet. A healthy dog requires a healthy diet. So the first thing to consider is the nutritional makeup of your dog’s meals. Make sure to include all the necessary macro and micronutrients while also providing supplements should your dog have deficiencies. You could easily set up such things by bringing your dog to a veterinarian for a comprehensive checkup, then start from there. Next, ensure your dogs drink clean water, preferably with the same cleanliness as you. Lastly, ensure that your dog doesn’t eat any food it’s allergic to, and give breed-specific diets when needed.
• Exercise. As was mentioned earlier, there are different dog breeds that require differing exercise levels. Their drive to move needs to be met, or else they’d be very unsettled within your homes. On the other hand, dog breeds also hate moving and get tired very quickly. Finding the perfect exercise program and plan would benefit your dog just like we need the same thing.
• Hygiene. Grooming your dog’s hair, nails, and teeth will contribute to its health. Keeping your dog’s body clean will make them less prone to viruses, diseases, and illnesses in general. This can also benefit you, as having a stinky dog around the house just ruins the fun!
• Veterinary checkups. Lastly and perhaps most importantly, take care of your dog’s health by bringing it to professionals. Just like humans who have doctors who routinely check our health, our pets should also get the same treatment. This will help you identify and detect problems, avoid future issues, and get the best insight on how to take care of your dog healthwise.