Are you at a loss for competent, responsible information on caring for your dog and what type of food to buy him? There are many dog owners who feel that they have nowhere to turn for helpful pet care advice. If you want to be able to care for your canine friend, then you’re in the right place. There’s a vast array of dog-care knowledge waiting for you, so check out the tips below and expand your knowledge base.

Take your dog to the vet at least one time a year for checkups. Your dog can’t speak to tell you he’s in pain. A checkup once a year will help diagnose any problems.

Be careful with canine flea treatments. Some medicines can put your children in harms way. Talk to your veterinarian about safer alternatives.

Make use of hand signals when training your dog versus relying only on verbal commands. Using hand gestures can help your dog to recognize commands quicker. Look at both options and see if one particular way works best.

A dog’s bad behavior should always be corrected whenever you see the first signs of it. If you delay too long, the behavior will get harder and harder to correct. It is possible that your dog could injure a person, and that person could be you! So correct unwanted behavior right away.

You should always trim your nails. When they start curling under, the dog runs the risk of experiencing pain. You can trim them yourself with a pair of store bought clippers. If you are not comfortable doing it yourself, you can take him to the groomers and have them done for very little money.

Instruct your dog clearly about how to walk with a leash. Your dog has to understand the “heel” command and respond to it by walking beside you, not ahead of or in back of you. If you do this, your dog will be safe, and it will be easy for you to handle. Your dog needs to get used to this.

Don’t leave your dog outside all day long. Even though a lot of people tend to do this, a dog requires human interaction to feel good. If you only have one dog, he can get lonely outside. You need to bring your dog inside the house when it is inclement weather outside.

Listen to your vet when he tells you how to administer medication or care. Your dog likely will not enjoy wearing a cone, but the vet prescribed it for good reason. If you fail to listen to your vet, your dog may end up sick or injured.

What types of health problems are typical for your dog? Research his heritage and take preventative steps for problems you know he is a candidate for. Also, you can speak with the vet to see what can be done so that your pet will have a better chance at avoiding health problems.

Give your dog plenty of love. It’s typical that dog owners will pay much more attention to bad behavior than good behavior. That could be real trouble with the dog. You should mostly focus on praising and petting your dog when you notice a good behavior. Your dog’s behavior will improve because of your new technique.

Be sure that your dog has some kind of identification in case it were to escape from your home. A breakaway collar that includes an ID tag will ensure the return of your dog if they should wander. Your dog’s name and your contact info should appear on the tag. Micro-chipping is an even better method.

When it comes to training your dog, you should never have several people in charge. Not everyone will do things the same way, which can cause confusion. You should train your dog for a few minutes several times a day and encourage everyone else in your household to reinforce what you have been doing.

Dogs need regular check-ups, too. Your dog should see a vet at least twice a year to make sure they are in good health and that they do not need new shots. Puppies tend to need the vet more than adults. You also should see a vet as soon as possible if your dog seems ill or gets injured.

If you already have a dog at home, take your existing dog to meet the potential new one. Dogs are usually social creatures, but sometimes they just won’t get along. Finding dogs that are compatible is a good way to save yourself hassle and heartache.

When you’re snacking, you might be tempted to let your dog snack too. This is fine with some foods, but other foods aren’t healthy for dogs. Caffeine, grapes and chocolate should never be fed to dogs. Such foods tend to harm the health of dogs.

Some vitamins are not beneficial for dogs. If your dog’s already getting the nutrients that it needs, you won’t need to add vitamins to its diet. You can cause damage to your dog’s joints, bones and circulatory system with excessive vitamins. Speak with a vet before starting your dog’s vitamin regimen.

Be firm. Dog owners often feel that it is no big deal to sneak foods to their pets or allow them to destroy certain toys. Small dogs are even harder to discipline! But, by staying firm on the rules, you can avoid issues. If you are not firm, your dog will take advantage of you.

Be patient with your dog and do not push the training too hard. You may want to train him for a long time, but his attention span isn’t that long. You should not spend more than fifteen minutes at a time on training or your puppy will lose interest.

Your dog will no longer need to eat store-bought bagged dog food from the supermarket. There are many more options concerning dog food than what you find in the grocery store. Remember the tips provided here when you are caring for your dog.