Getting a dog can be one of the best things you ever do. They give you unconditional love, friendship, and more. That doesn’t mean they don’t come with some work, though.

You’ll need to look after your dog, and this can often be more complicated than some people think. It’s not just a matter of putting some food out and taking them for an occasional walk. You’ll have to put a lot more effort into it if you want your dog to be happy and healthy. This doesn’t mean it has to be difficult.

Knowing a few tips helps with this, as long as you actually put the time and effort into them. Five of these stand out.

Look after your dog: 5 practical tips

1. Give them a safe & clean environment

One of the first things you should do when getting a dog is to make sure you have space for them at home. They’ll need a space to call their own.

Put time and effort into making sure this is clean and safe for them. Don’t just put their doggie bed anywhere and leave it at that. Make sure they have everything they need in the same space so they can create a little nest for themselves.

After that, it could just be a matter of giving this area a clean when you need to.

2. Give them plenty of exercise

All dogs need exercise, and you’ll already know that. What you mightn’t know is how much exercise they’ll actually need.

Different breeds need more exercise than others, and it’s worth figuring out how much your dog needs. Figuring this out only takes a few minutes, and you could even ask your vet about it if you’re not sure. After that, it’s a matter of making sure you actually let them get that exercise.

This could mean taking them for a walk or to the dog park so they can run around for a while. You’ll need to do this a few times a week. Regular exercise is also a key factor in preventing canine arthritis and keeping their joints healthy as they age.

3. Look after their diet

You’ll already know you need to feed your dog, but that doesn’t mean just putting out food every day. It’s worth making sure their diet is as nutritious as possible.

Picking out the right foods for them is the first step in this. Make sure it’s as high-quality as possible, and that your dog is eating enough of it. It’ll help make sure they’re as healthy as possible. It could also be worth looking into vitamins for them, like turmeric for dogs.

This helps you make sure they’re getting all of the vitamins and nutrients they need.

4. Get an Insurance Policy

You may need to take your dog to the vet. Most of the time, this will be for check-ups to ensure its health.

There’ll also be times when they’re sick and need some form of treatment. Even surgery could be a possibility under certain circumstances. This can all be quite expensive, and you might end up dipping into savings to cover them. By getting an insurance policy, however, you’ll avoid quite a bit of stress because of it.

While that means paying an insurance premium every month, you should end up saving more money in the long-term.

5. Have patience

Getting and raising a dog takes a lot of time and effort. As much as you’ll love them, there’ll be times when they don’t do things the way they’re supposed to.

For example, they could have accidents more often than you would’ve thought. Then there’s how long training takes so they can behave properly and follow your commands. This can often feel like it’s getting the best of you. By having patience, however, it’ll be much easier to get through everything.

The more patient you are, the better. It’ll help you ensure that you can properly care for your dog long-term.

Look after your dog: wrapping up

You’ll need to look after your dog from the moment you get them. While you’ll already know that, you mightn’t know everything you need to know about it.

Thankfully, this doesn’t need to be too complicated, however. Using a few tips and focusing on the right areas will help you more than you’d think. You’ll end up taking better care of your dog than you’d think, and it shouldn’t even need to take a lot of effort.

With how important your dog should be to you, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t put the effort into them.

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