A dog care guide for first time dog owners
This dog care guide for first-time dog owners will prepare you to bring home your first companion!Â
I know bringing home your first dog can seem intimidating because a lot goes into keeping your dog happy and healthy.
Some breeds are higher maintenance than others that’s why picking the right breed is super important for your success with owning a dog.
While basic dog care is the same for different breeds, some things such as grooming and exercise needs will vary in different breeds.
Dog care can be challenging because there are so many different opinions, while some things are necessary.
A lot of opinions on dog care are personal preferences. I am all about finding what works with you and your dog so this article is a guide to help you find that perfect balance.
If you don’t want to spend a bunch of money on dog care products that don’t help improve your dog’s life.
And you want an effective dog care guide that helps prevent unnecessary visits to the vet.
Is it your first time buying a dog and you’re unsure how to take care of a dog?
Then this dog care guide for first-time dog owners is perfect for you.Â
disclaimer this article may contain affiliate links. when you click on a link I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you
1. The Most Important Thing
dog food is the most important thing for your dog’s health. Quality dog food can help prevent many illnesses in dogs which in turn helps prevent frequent vet visits.
With that said be prepared for unexpected vet visits because dogs don’t have a schedule for getting hurt or sick.
I recommend feeding Diamond natural or wholesome it’s both good quality and is not super expensive.
As for how much to feed it will vary for different dogs. you can experiment with your dog to see what works best.
how much should I feed my dog?
For some dogs, it works great to give them a free choice of food most dogs know when to stop eating.
If you don’t want to free-choice feed your dog I would recommend about 1 cup for small dogs’ dry food per day, and for medium dogs about 2-3 cups of dry food per day.
For large dogs, I recommend 5-6 cups of dry dog food per day, you can adjust these amounts as needed if your dog is gaining too much weight you can lower the amount of food you are feeding.
I recommend dividing up your dog’s daily food into 2 meals, you can divide it into more meals if you like but 2 meals work best for my lifestyle.
And if your dog is not gaining enough weight, you can increase the amount of food you are feeding.
Note: If your dog is still not gaining or losing weight and you are concerned that they might have other underlying issues it is a good idea to let the vet look at them.
Or if you are concerned about feeding amounts you can always ask your vet.
2. Water
Your dog will need fresh clean water daily to ensure that they stay healthy.
3. Flea & Tick Protection
Flea and tick protection is very important, especially in the summer when fleas and ticks are at their peak.
The Best Flea and Prevention:
Frontline kills and repels fleas and ticks, it is more effective than Wondercide but I like that Wondercide is natural, unlike Frontline.
Some dogs have an allergic reaction to these two products so that’s something you will need to keep an eye out for.
Bug-off garlic is also really great in repelling fleas and ticks. Garlic is given with food and some dogs may not like to taste, often times if you start giving them only a small amount they will learn to like it.
4. First AidÂ
Having a few first aid items is a great idea and can save your dog’s life so here is a list of a few things that you should have:
- Iodine
- Vetericyn
- Activated Charcoal
- syringes
you can find all of these items on Amazon.
5. DewormerÂ
You will need to deworm your dog every once in a while, about twice a year because your dog will get parasites it’s something you can’t really control especially if your dog is outside a lot.
This one from Amazon is a good choice. use as directed.
6. leash & collarÂ
a collar and leash are necessary items when you want to take your dog on walks or to the park.
you can find nice leashes at a pet or farm store. I don’t recommend a retractable leash because the pressure will teach your dog to pull on the leash.
other places to get a leash & collar:
- Amazon
- Chewy
7. Dog TrainingÂ
Dog training is also an important part of owning a dog.
Even teaching your dog a few tricks will help you and your dog to trust and understand each other.
Basic training is important if you have a puppy, it will help them calm down and listen to you.
It is truly amazing what you can teach a dog if you have their love and trust.
The best method for training your dog or puppy is to use dog food as a reward when they do a behavior that you want like sit or lay down.
Your dog should not eat more than a few treats each day this makes using dog food a better option because you can feed them a lot at a time making training a lot easier.
Using dog food for training is cheaper than buying a bunch of treats.
What If My Dog Is Not Food Motivated?
Here are some tips to help motivate your dog:
- Wait to train till your dog is hungry (maybe skip a meal).
- Use a higher quality dog food than what your dog normally gets.
- Use cat food, for some reason my dogs like cat food better than dog food.
8. Exercise
Exercise is important in dog care, it keeps your dog fit and healthy, dogs need and love exercise some dogs get stressed if they don’t get enough, which can cause unwanted behavior.
The best way to make sure your dog is getting enough exercise is to let them run loose in your front or backyard. but this might not be possible for everyone so taking your dog on a walk at least once a day will help ensure your dog is getting exercise.
Buying toys for your dog can also help keep your dog entertained and help them work off some energy.
The amount of exercise your dog needs will depend on the breed another reason why is super important.
One Comment