Giving your dog the right amount of attention can sometimes be extremely time consuming. With work, school and other leisure activities we sometimes tend to ignore our dogs when we get home. A dog is a man (and woman's) best friend! They need some TLC (Tender Love and Care) as well. PetTastics has set out to provide our readers and clients with the ultimate guide to making your dog feel right at home!
1. Quality Time: Your dog loves to spend time with you, especially if he is the only animal in the house. The best way to spend quality time with your dog is to take it for a walk. It provides you with exercise as well as your dog. Animals have feelings too and can sometimes get lonely. Let your dog know that you still love them by going outside and throwing a ball around for a few minutes. Every minute counts!
2. Structured Routines: Your dog has a tight schedule just like you do. They sleep, eat and play at scheduled times. Keep them on a routine so they can get use to it. It helps keep your busy schedule under control as well.
3. Socializing With Other People and Dogs: Making sure your dog is well-behaved in public is one of the most important aspects of dog ownership! It is extremely important to train your dog so that they can enjoy their time out around other dogs as well as people. As dog owners we understand that many dogs are extremely protective over their owners and that can sometimes result in attacks. Let your dog know that it's perfectly ok to interact with other dogs and that they do not propose a threat.
4. Establish a Sense of Trust: No one wants to feel like a stranger in their own home. Give your dog respect and allow him to develop his own sense of territory, after all, it is their home as well. Pat your dog on the head when you come in from work or give it a kiss before you leave to ensure them that you will be returning. Providing them with that blanket of security makes them feel confident in their ownership.
5. Develop Communication: Often times we scream at our dogs when they mess up. Although we need to punish them and teach them a lesson when they mess up, we also should embrace them and applaud them when they do good. Carry treats around with you and reward them when they have done a good deed. Also,be aware of the tone of voice you use with your pet. Always using an aggressive tone of voice or using violent hand gestures may put your dog into defense mood and they may retaliate against you. Dogs have characteristics that are similar to those of people. They respond to tone of voice as well as facial expressions.
Please be reminded that PetTastics advice is for informational purposes only.
