Caring For Your First Canine Friend: A Guide To Help Keep Your Dog Happy And Healthy

After welcoming home a dog, they quickly but surely, become part of your life. Your daily routines alter to accommodate your dog’s needs, whether it be waking up earlier, taking them on a walk before or after work, and ensuring that they have a comfortable spot to sleep.

Dogs are one of the most preferred choices of pets by Brits, with the nation slowly falling back in love with larger dogs. For any dog owner, one of their top priorities is to ensure that their canine companion is happy and healthy. As such, they are consistently searching for ways to improve how they care for their dog.

When caring for your canine friend, here are a few ways you can help to keep your dog happy and healthy.

Learn Their Body Language

Dogs communicate using their entire bodies. It is not just to show other dogs; they also use their bodies to communicate with humans as a way of expressing how they are feeling. As their owner, knowing what these body language signs are that they use to communicate can be incredibly helpful in determining your dog’s mood.

When your dog is showing signs that they are happy and relaxed, you know that your canine friend is feeling comfortable in the position that they are in. They might show this by the lack of tension in their body, and their tail might be hanging loosely, and their ears in a neutral position. However, if they are stressed, you will notice tension in their body. Their tongue might be hanging out, and their tail is lowered and stiffer compared to when they are relaxed. Identifying these signs and spotting the changes in your dog’s body language can help you react quickly and accordingly.

Know Common Breed Health Concerns

Each dog is different. Their personalities might vary; how they interact, how playful they are and who they most likely gravitate towards also change. Some of these personality traits can depend on each dog, whilst some are more breed orientated. Along with personalities, health conditions and common issues can also vary amongst dog breeds.

For instance, Pugs are known to suffer more from breathing difficulties than a Spaniel, whilst a German Shepherd is more likely to have leg problems than a Labrador. If you have recently adopted a dog, you should look into the common health concerns most related to your dog’s breed. Knowing these can help you to spot any signs that could be linked to these common health problems. It means you can get them checked out by a vet sooner to help ensure they remain as happy and healthy as possible.

Vet Visits For Concerns

If you are ever concerned about a change in your dog’s behaviour and unsure about the cause, booking a trip to the vet is always the best route. Having them checked by a professional can help spot any early signs of health concerns or provide peace of mind that your dog is happy and healthy.

When visiting the vet, try to have your pet insurance information on hand if needed. If you have yet to take out pet insurance, it should certainly be a task not to put off any longer. It can be a tremendous help if your canine friend becomes unwell or injured. Fortunately, there are plenty of insurance options to choose from. For instance, if you have an older dog, look into senior pet insurance providers to see the available quotes. Spend time finding the right quote. It will be beneficial to have when your dog needs a trip to the vet to help get them back to their happy and healthy self.

Change Their Diet

Similar to understanding their common health concerns, you should also spend time learning about your dog’s dietary requirements. Smaller dogs will likely have different dietary requirements compared to larger dogs, and vice versa. You might choose to switch the brand of dog food, the type, or even change the treats you reward your canine friend with. Along with changing the type of treats, you might also consider altering how many treats you reward your canine in a day. These changes can be gradually introduced to help change your dog’s current diet to one more appropriate for their age, weight, and health. Just remember, when changing the food for your dog’s diet, it’s vital you check the ingredient are clean and of high-quality similar to Dr. Marty Nature’s Blend.

Of course, if you are ever unsure about what should be included in your dog’s diet or what should change following a recent check-up, speak with your vet. They can advise you on what nutrients your dog needs and the quantity of food they should be consuming in a day. This can help you to keep your dog as healthy as possible.

Getting Enough Exercise

“Shall we go for a walk?” Many dogs know this phrase and are more than likely excited about going on their favourite route to the park. The ideal recommendation is that your dog should get at least 30-45 minutes of exercise a day. This could be a long walk or time spent in a field or park playing fetch and interacting with other dogs. For healthier, often younger and more active dogs, they should have at least 60 minutes (or longer) of exercise each day. It keeps them healthy and, of course, happy as they are doing something they enjoy.

Dogs with little exercise could slowly build weight, which could have implications on their health. As such, it is essential that you try to provide your canine friend with a healthy lifestyle balance of food and exercise. Create a routine for taking your dog out for a walk each day. It will make it easier to ensure that your dog is getting the right amount of exercise each day.

Mentally Stimulating Activities

Along with exercise, try to engage your dog in mentally stimulating activities. Participating in mentally stimulating activities can help to alleviate feelings of boredom in dogs. When dogs are bored, it increases their chances of developing behavioural issues, like excessive barking and chewing, which can be challenging to resolve. These issues could be avoided by ensuring that your dog is rarely bored.

There are plenty of stimulating activities you could try with your dog. It could be teaching them new tricks, making them work for their meals, creating obstacle courses to complete and engaging in more interactive games with them. All these ways could help to ensure they are mentally stimulated and that any signs of boredom are alleviated.

Socialise With Other Dogs

When taking your dog for a walk or finding ways to stimulate them, socialising with other dogs is a great way to help with keeping your dog happy and healthy. You will be able to tell from their body language when they are interacting with other dogs whether or not they are enjoying the company.

Invite friends with dogs on a long dog walk. This way, both your canine companions get the exercise they need and the opportunity to be social. You might even time your walks at the same time as other dog owners in the area. The morning before work or later in the evening after work are the most popular times for dog walks. As such, you will likely see a few familiar faces and wagging tails on your daily walks.

In Summary

As you can see, there are plenty of ways to keep your dog happy and healthy. Some of these tips could be the key to helping your canine friend be in their best health and at their very happiest self. Keep them in mind when caring for your first canine friend.