Tuesday, February 28, 2012

How to Care for Your Dog

By Lucas Vasilyev


The bond that can come between a person and a dog can be extremely strong, especially if that bond had been strengthened living with each other for many years, I have personally cried after losing our family dog that had been like a best friend to me from my birth till I was 15 years old, when he was hit by a car one morning.

Dogs serve many different needs for people. Several get a dog because their lonely and want a loyal friend or some want a dog to protect their homes. A dog that's taken proper care of and given attention, will most likely give his life to help protect his home and his owner. For those blind people, a dog can be a pair of eyes to help them get around, and for the police, a dog is an important tool and a loyal partner, with a nose that nothing can beat.

The first thing you need to know about taking care of a dog is that dogs need lots of exercise. This is the same for large dogs and small dogs. All dogs need to be let out at least once every 8 hours and should be given at least a 20 minute walk to give the dog some fresh air, exercise and a chance to relieve themselves.

It is also important to play with the dog on a regular basis. This can mean going to the park on a weekend or day off and having a good game of fetch, tossing the ball around in your back yard or just wrestling on the ground with the dog, just make sure if you are ruff housing with a little dog that you don't accidentally hurt the dog. Playing with the dog for a half hour a day, is not only good for the dogs physical health but a dog that is played with regularly is mentally healthier and less likely to become a depressed dog, it also lowers your blood pressure as well and it will form an unbreakable bond between you and your dog, which will extend to your family if you should start having one after having the dog.

The food you feed your dog is also essential to your dogs continued good health. The better dog food is going to be marked for which group are the foods appropriate for. Younger dogs need certain nutritional requirements in greater amounts then a grownup dog, and the same is true to older dogs -- they need more calcium in their food to help protect their bones and joints. Feeding your dog with the improper food can stop the dog's growth and subject your dog to a bigger chance of surgery when they're older.

Like a doctor is to human beings, your dog should be taken to a veterinarian every 6 months, and should receive their vaccinations every year. Regular checkups and vaccinations will even help ensure that your dog grows to be an old happy dog.




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