A dog is a family member, and just as your kids will need to get out, stay active, eat well, and be social, so too will your dog. Dogs require a lot of care and attention, and if they don’t get it, they can grow bored and antsy, and that often comes across as misbehaviour or aggression. If it seems that your dog is misbehaving, look first to their health. A dog that seems to eat up your home and destroy things is one that is not getting the exercise nor the mental stimulation that they need to be healthy. Take care of their physical needs first, and you’d be amazed at how well-behaved and calm a dog can be at home.
If you need some tips to help improve your own dog’s health or want to start off on the right foot before you bring a new furry friend home, these tips will do the trick:
1. Be Careful What You Feed Your Dog
This applies both to the human food that you may want to give them as a treat and to the food in the treats and dog food you buy for them. Many cheap dog food brands put a lot of filler that does not give dogs what they need to be healthy or active. Always check the ingredients to make sure that there are not too many fillers or other questionable ingredients, and if you can, try to stick with natural dog treats. They are healthier, delicious, and your dog will love them.
As for human food, it’s a good idea to print out a list of foods that we eat that dogs should never touch. Having it up on your fridge for a while can make it easy to refresh your memory and make it simple for everyone in your household to avoid feeding your dog those items. If there’s something else you think of once you’ve got your list sorted, like “can dogs eat pretzels?”, you can always check it out on the internet yourself and add it on to the list, if needs be.
2. Build a Routine
Dogs love routine. When you are consistent, you can leave your dog home alone without them kicking up a fuss. You can keep them healthy, happy, and content. This routine will include when you feed them and when you go on a walk (or walks). Not only that, but by making it a routine, you can make it a simple matter to stick with it. Your health will improve, and so too will your dog’s. You don’t need to keep everything strict, however, go to different locations and routes on your walk to keep things fresh and exciting, but try to keep the general timings of when you do things with your pet consistent.
3. Get them Used to Being Alone
Many dogs can develop separation anxiety, which is why it is important to train them out of it early on. Crate training is a good way to do this and can also speed up potty training and several other learning curves.
Another thing that you need to get your pets used to is the kennel. Find a great kennel and drop your dog off for one night before picking them back up before you go off on a big trip. This way, they know that you come back, and they are familiar with the people who work there and the environment. This can really help with their anxiety and make their stay with their dogsitter that much more enjoyable.