photo by Fairplex – Home of the L.A. County Fair, Flickr

Coming home to your happy dog, which never fails to greet you with a wagging tail, palpable happiness, and absolutely no retributions for anything you have done – this is all part of owning a dog. Since time immemorial, dogs are said to be “man’s best friend” thus your pet is going to rely on you to be his best friend as well.

Some canine pets require a lot of time for grooming therefore you should be aware what breed you are considering based on the time and effort you will have to spend on grooming your canine best friend.

Unless you plan to breed your new pet, the shelter is the best place to consider getting a dog.  There are so many available, and they all greet you as their best friend the moment you walk into the kennels.

Consequently if you are ready and willing to part with care, food, and attention, they will pledge their allegiance to you and guard you as though you were the most precious thing on earth, which of course, to the canine mind, you are!

Nutrition

In order for your pet to live long and yes, prosper; you need to purchase dog food that is nutritious. This is not the time to acquire junk food and expect your pet to thrive, just as junk food is not nutritious enough for most humans, neither are the low-priced cans of dog food contain cheap fillers.  Also, just as humans need treats, so dogs need treats as well, but you should be judicious with them.
Training

Dogs need to learn manners, tricks and other ways to bring you pleasure, for bringing you pleasure is essential to their happiness.  A well trained dog is one who relishes pleasing their owner, thus it rests on your shoulders to train the dog yourself, or attend the local dog training sessions so that your dog is not a nuisance but instead the “true friend” that you seek.

Grooming

In order for your dog to be the attentive companion you seek, you must be sure to either groom it or have it groomed.  Depending on the breed you’ve chosen, it will require, to be well brushed so it maintains a pleasant coat.  The longer haired breeds may need to have their coats trimmed at intervals to prevent painful knots from forming. Also, you will need to clean the dog’s ears and brush their teeth. Of course all dogs need an occasional bath, which you will have to provide.

Exercise

Making a commitment to a dog means that you must be ready to walk your pet so that it can relieve itself and get the exercise it needs.  The larger the breed, the more exercise it will require.  Make the walk a fun time for you to bond with each other.

Health Care

Just as you see your own Doctor at specified intervals so will a good veterinarian set up a schedule for your pet.  Yearly shots are necessary but you also need to keep a careful eye on your pet so that you can bring your dog pal to seek help as soon as possible.  Just as a human becomes listless when they are sick, so do our canine friends.  As you become accustomed to your dog’s specific habits, you’ll note a difference in your dog when they are ill.

All in all, you’ll have years of pleasure with your dog if you follow the tips listed above, and most importantly you’ll discover why a dog is known to be “man’s best friend!”

photo by Julie Smith David, Flickr
Food in general has been controversial, from human children’s formulas to pet food, but tremendous concerns have risen and questions abound from pet owners.

Whether you own a cat or dog, makes no difference, for proper nutrition of your pets requires that their food includes meats or fish, and vitamins as well as excluding non-nutritious fillers that the cheaper food contains. In the wild these animals tore at the flesh of other animals, and so the “circle of life” was stimulated and thrived. In the wild too, dogs and cats would eat the organ meats of animals and thus were provided with the legumes, bones, grasses, and fruits that the kill had eaten.

Experts agree that performing research on what you are going to feed your treasured pets is imperative in order to keep them healthy.  Among many other fillers, cellulose, which in effect is sawdust, is frequently used as filler for pet food, and thus is detrimental to your beloved pet because cellulose is not digestible by cats or dogs. Other strange fillers may include scraps from the particular meat listed, such as feathers, beaks, feet and grain hulls that contain no actual nutrition.  At the worst, know that cheap kibble may be laced with preservatives such as BHT, BHA, and possibly the antioxidant Ethoxiquin, all of which can make pets very sick.

It is crucial that you read and weigh the amount of vitamins in any kibble or other pet food.  As mentioned, in the wild, the vitamins are already inherent in what they eat but when man-made food is created, man tends to add preservatives and other non-nutritious additives.

Instead add your own additives in the form of nutritious “people food” such as eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, various vegetables and fruits as your pet indicates a desire for by eating them.   Choose carefully though as some  “people food” is dangerous for pets, such as raisins, onions, chocolate and cocoa, as well as macadamia nuts.  Again and again it cannot be stressed enough that proper research be done. Often sick pets are brought to vets and the vets find that the dogs and cats being presented have over-caloried diets, but the poor animals are actually under nourished!

Grain-based diets also do not bring with them the proper nutrition to cats and dogs, and therefore bring illness to the pets. As with humans, chicken based diets are considered the best for dogs. Optimum human diets announce that fat, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and enzymes should be well balanced, and so it is with pet food.  Remember when researching for the optimum food to feed your pet that the primary ingredients on the can or box are listed first, and the gradient falls from there.  You need not be a scientist to purchase the best food for your pets, but careful adherence to the afore-mentioned “balance” should point you to the best.  If in doubt, then of course the best person to consult is your local vet that takes care of your pet.