3 Fundamental Steps To Raise A Healthy Dog

By Gerald McNicholl

We all want what is best for our pet. Yet sometimes because of your hectic schedules, we tend to put our dog’s care at the bottom of the list or it just becomes a habit of chores we perform every day without giving it much thought.

We stumble out of bed in the morning, let the dog out, fill the water bowl, dump some food in the dish and go on with our daily routine. Are we really thinking about ways to make our dog healthy and happy?

There are no hard and fast rules to maintain your dog’s health but essentially it comes down to 3 main rules you need to follow:

1. A good diet
2. Plenty of fresh water
3. Exercise

A good diet is essential to your dog’s health. Be careful of what you feed your dog! Your dog has very little sense about what’s good and what’s bad for him to eat. So you have to take charge. An all natural dog food is what you should be looking for, try to avoid reconstituted foods that are packed with fillers and by-products. Remember you get what you pay for.

Although an all natural dog food may be more expensive, studies have shown that your dog will in almost all cases eat more of the “bargain brand” than the all natural, nutritious dog food. The “bargain brands” will pass through your dog more quickly because they do not contain as much of the daily nutrients your dog requires. This leads to your dog being hungrier more often and thereby eating more. Your dog will retain more of the nutrients contained in the all natural food which means they will be less hungry, have healthier coats, more energy and better overall health. Do not over-feed your dog – do not feed him between main meals, except for those small treats you reward your dog during training. Avoid feeding your dog with small bones of any kind from chicken, fish, chops etc as they can splinter in the throat or intestines and seriously hurting your dog in the process. Instead, give your dog a very large marrow or knuckle bone to chew on.

Give your dog plenty of fresh water. Change it as often as you can. A good rule to follow is that every time you get yourself something to drink, add new water to your dog’s bowl.

Exercise your dog daily. Most dogs love having playtime with their owners, take long walks, throw a ball or stick around the backyard or park. Remember your dog’s cardiovascular system, heart and muscles need exercise just like yours.

Also it is important to take your dog for regular checks and treatments with the veterinarian including things like worming, proper vaccinations and teeth cleaning. There are many diseases that you dog could face – fleas, ticks, worms, ear mites and infectious pests or parasites. While most of these afflictions are fairly common, preventative techniques and new treatment methods will reduce the discomfort or pain that your dog suffer from and ensure it leads a healthy life.

It is wise to spay or neuter your dog if you are not a breeder or do not wish to deal with a pregnancy. Neutering your male dog will make him less aggressive towards other male dogs but this reduced aggression does not mean you have impaired his ability to be a guard dog. A trained guard dog will do his job irrespective of whether he has been neutered or not. Other health benefits include eliminating crying, whining and irritability, eliminating the vaginal discharge that accompanies heat for a female dog, reducing territorial marking, minimising dominance issues with your family and reducing sexual mounting behaviour (leg-humping) in your dog.

For more information and tips on Dog advice and care, check out our website: www.dog-advice.net

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Defining Dog Health Care

By Roland Jefferson III

It is most important to realize that to be successful in the goal of providing your companion with a happy and contented life style, the form of dog health care that works best for your pet, must include exercise and diet as well as frequent checkups with the vet.

Most people equate dog health care with rabies shots and the other series of immunizations that your vet has persuaded you that your doting animal requires. You, as the funding agent for your dogs health, feel obligated to accept all that your vet says. Given that you are most likely smarter than your dog, any other action would be taking advantage of the situation. Lets face it, your dog cannot even spell dog.

It is most important to realize that to be successful in the goal of providing your companion with a happy and contented life style, the form of dog health care that works best for your pet, must include exercise and diet as well as frequent checkups with the vet. care. In fact most, if not all dogs, cannot spell at all. Given that, you alone define the right dog health care for your trusting friend.

Exercising Your Dog For the human and their companion, exercise is probably one of the most important aspects of health care. Holistic dog care must include an appropriate amount of exercise for your faithful friend. Although you can train your dog to sleep most of the day by your side and be as lazy as you, this is not good dog health care practice. To be happy dogs, dogs need to be active. This exercise does not need to be excessive.

If you have a Puggle, it most likely does not need more than a walk around the block. Your average Labrador might need a couple of miles a day to feel contented. You should understand the needs of your dog and makes sure that it gets the exercise it needs. Unfortunately most dogs completely rely on their owners for exercise and it is important for the owners not to let them down.

Caring for Your Dogs Stomach

The final component in providing good dog care that is most often ignored is the provision of the right form of food. Cat owners have this down. Cats regularly regurgitate their food and their owners are normally determined to find food that reduces the frequency of their furry purring friend repeatedly doing this.

Animal throw up of all kinds is pretty disgusting to most human beings and we should all strive to minimize the activity for our own benefit. However, most dog owners do not regard the management of the dogs diet as part of an overall practice of good dog health care. They should. Particularly in Europe, dog foods are incredibly inconsistent in quality and content. You should read the labels carefully.

In Europe horse meat is common, in Australia most likely this is replaced with kangaroo meat. These are both difficult meats for the average dog to assimilate. Most dogs do better on milder foods such as lamb and rice. Dog health care practices should include a solid nutritional program that is customized to the sensitivity of the particular animal.

About the Author:Roland Jefferson is an online researcher based out of Los Angeles, Calfornia. For free resources covering Long Term Health Care Insurance, please visit our Long Term Health Care Insurance Resource.

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