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A Few Tips for First-Time Dog Parents

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Owning a dog is a wonderful experience since it brings you joy and companionship. However, if it is your first time owning a dog, there is a good reason for you to be nervous about how you can keep your companion comfortable. It comes with a lot of responsibility being a first-time dog parent since the experience can be overwhelming. The good news is that with the right knowledge, you can groom your dog the way you like to become your best companion. Here are a few tips for first-time dog parents that you can consider. 

small white puppy under legs in jeans

A Few Tips for First-Time Dog Parents

Have a Budget

Bringing a new dog into your home comes with responsibility and commitment, as you are now aware. If left unattended, your dog may refuse to eat or show some odd behavior that can affect its overall health. Therefore, you should be prepared for such eventualities and set a budget aside so that you can immediately contact your vet when the dog’s condition persists. Additionally, you should also be prepared for other expenses such as food to bring up your pet correctly.

Learn the Basics About Dog Treatment

The unfortunate part about owning a dog, besides the joy it brings to your home, is that it cannot communicate like us when it is not feeling well. However, certain signs should tell you your dog is not feeling its best. For instance, if you see your pet limping or struggling to walk, it is a sign that it is experiencing joint pain, and you should attend to it. In some cases, your dog can show signs of discomfort and you can consider a natural remedy like CBD oil to treat it. CBD oil relieves pets suffering from joint pain or occasional discomfort. This option also helps your dog relax and promotes quality joint and bone health.

Provide Constant Training

It is important to start training your pet early, and you begin with the basic commands that can help your dog understand you better. The most important thing that you should know is that your new dog should be friendly to everyone in your home. Therefore, each person in your household should utilize the same commands every time they train the new pet. This helps to avoid confusing the dog, especially when each person introduces something new when the pet is still trying to get acquainted with its new home.

You must create a training regime that you should maintain throughout the dog’s developmental phases to create a relationship with everyone and your home. However, you should train your dog in a confined place during its first days and gradually allow it to roam your home freely. (The Spruce)

Introduce Your Dog to Other Animals

When you are satisfied that your dog has forged a close relationship with everyone in the household, you should move on to introduce it to other pets. This will help improve the way your dog interacts with other pets in public. Letting your dog socialize with other people helps it behave well when you have guests in your home. You need to create a schedule so the process can be more effective and safer.

Get the Right Dog Food

You should make sure that you get the right dog food. You can confirm with your veterinarian if the food you have meets your dog’s nutritional needs (The Wildest). Another factor to remember is that you should avoid randomly feeding your dog since you risk overfeeding or underfeeding it. This can cause healthcare issues that can affect the well-being of your pet. You should check out the feeding guidelines for your dog, and it is important to maintain a routine feeding schedule.

small dog eating dog food from bowl

Prepare a Nice Place for Your Dog to Sleep

It does not bode well to wake up to the whimpering sounds of your new dog in a cage. Your pet needs a comfortable place to sleep if you want it to familiarize itself with your home quickly. You need to prepare its sleeping place in advance, and you can start with a dog crate and add o a comfortable cushion. A confined crate is good for the safety of your dog.

When bringing a new dog into your home for the first time, you should prepare ahead. It feels good to have a new companion, but there are different things that you should know if you are a first-time parent. Get the right food for your pet and prepare a good place to sleep. Another important thing is that you should train your dog to socialize well with other pets and humans. 

By Author Julee

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About Julee: Julee Morrison is an experienced author with 35 years of expertise in parenting and recipes. She is the author of four cookbooks: The Instant Pot College Cookbook, The How-To Cookbook for Teens, The Complete Cookbook for Teens, and The Complete College Cookbook. Julee is passionate about baking, crystals, reading, and family. Her writing has appeared in The LA Times (Bon Jovi Obsession Goes Global), Disney's Family Fun Magazine (August 2010, July 2009, September 2008), and My Family Gave Up Television (page 92, Disney Family Fun August 2010). Her great ideas have been featured in Disney's Family Fun (Page 80, September 2008) and the Write for Charity book From the Heart (May 2010). Julee's work has also been published in Weight Watchers Magazine, All You Magazine (Jan. 2011, February 2011, June 2013), Scholastic Parent and Child Magazine (Oct. 2011), Red River Family Magazine (Jan. 2011), BonAppetit.com, and more. Notably, her article "My Toddler Stood on Elvis' Grave and Scaled Over Boulders to Get to a Dinosaur" made AP News, and "The Sly Way I Cured My Child's Lying Habit" was featured on PopSugar. When she's not writing, Julee enjoys spending time with her family and exploring new baking recipes.
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