Your dog & cold

Like humans, dogs are also affected by the weather. In winters, they feel cold, and if they are exposed to the cold weather, they can get sick as well. Some dogs are more prone to be affected by the cold than others. This depends on the age, health, breed, weight, and fur of the pooch.

Small dogs tend to be more sensitive to weather conditions. Those with shorter hair or a coat that is not thick are also easily affected. Sometimes, even healthy dogs with thick coats feel cold. If you notice that the thick-furred dog’s hair is matted or wet, then that dog might also be getting cold.

However, you cannot help your furry friend if you are not sure of what is wrong with it or if you cannot detect that your dog has cold. Thus, your ignorance increases its suffering which can lead to a condition that can pose severe risks to the doggie’s health. We as pet parents should be aware of if our dog is uncomfortable in any way and should provide it the necessary requirements for its ease.

Signs that show your dog might be feeling cold

Here are some tricks that can help you figure out if your dog is feeling too cold. Once you know that your dog is feeling cold, you can help it.

• The cold outdoors

Head outside and see for yourself how cold it is. That is common sense. A dog’s body temperature is higher than that of humans, and it has a fur coat, but when you go out and feel cold despite having a jacket, gloves, and boots on, it means that it is too cold for the hound as well. Your garments act as your fur, and if you feel very cold though you are amply covered, then it is time for you to keep your pooch inside.

• Cold body or ears

Another way you could get to know that your canine is getting cold is by touching its body. If it is cold rather than warm, then it means that the cold has seeped into the dog. When it is cold outside, the blood circulation in the pooch’s body is concentrated in its essential parts; that is the trunk area. The flow of blood reduces in its paws, legs, nose, and ears. By touching these parts, particularly the edges of the ears, you get to know if the dog has got cold.

• Body language

The reactions of a dog’s body when it is freezing are very similar to those of us humans. They tend to shiver and tremble in the cold, move slowly, and hunch their backs to feel somewhat warm. They keep their tails tucked close to their body to not expose it.

Dogs also tend to hide behind things as a means of seeking shelter from the cold weather. These are clear signs that your dog is uncomfy in the harsh winds. If you find your dog acting like this, limping, barking or moaning, feeling worried or agitated, these are also a sign that it is feeling cold.

• THE COMMON DOG HEALTH PROBLEMS

What exposure to the cold can do to the pooch

Being in the cold for prolonged hours naturally has adverse effects on the dog’s health. Dogs can catch a cold not because they feel cold but because of the disturbing situation they have faced because of it. Being exposed to the strict weather for long hours could cause even more problems. It could cause frostbite or some infection.

Look for red marks on the pooch’s limbs that indicate frostbite. A pooch can also catch pneumonia, hypothermia, or other such life-threatening ailments. If you find your dog in a vulnerable and oddly sick situation, take it to a vet immediately.

What to do about it?

When winters come, try to keep an eye on how your dog behaves. That would quickly tell you if it is troubled with the weather or not. Here are some ways you can help out your furry fellow when it is the cold.

• Housing

Your indoor pooch will head inside with you but if your canine is an outdoor fellow, you can get it a warm house that is properly insulated. Make sure the bed of the pooch is soft and heated. The bed should be raised up from the ground. If the bed is not raised, it can get wet. Also, give your dog a blanket so that it can feel snug. The same goes for your indoor dog; it does not need a separate house but just a bed.

• Covering

Walking out with your pooch and it is frigid? Consider keeping it warm by giving it warm clothes. There are several pooch jackets and boots available. You can get one that suits your pooch and is of an appropriately thick material.

• Food & drink

Give your dog healthy food like you always do. But for winters give it warm fresh water instead of cold. That will make the dog feel comfier.

• Take it to vet

If your dog is very sick for quite some days, take it to a vet for a checkup. There might be some illness that better be treated soon.

Sign that shows your dog has caught a cold

Pooches can also catch a cold. A virus can infect it, and if the cold is left untreated, it can evolve into a much bigger issue. The bacteria can spread and defect the respiratory system in a dangerous way. You can only help your doggie if you know that it is unwell. However, you would not catch its cold like it cannot catch it yours. Following are the symptoms that hint that your hound has a cold.

• If the dog is sneezing too much

The first sign that shows that the pooch has caught a cold is that in such a case it tends to sneeze a lot every hour. That does not necessarily mean that the pooch has cold rather it could also indicate an allergy. But when accompanied by other common signs that are mentioned below you could be sure that it has the flu.

• Leaking red eyes & nose

Bacteria tend to make way to the dog’s eyes and nose through its fur quickly. A thick whitish or greenish discharge comes out of the nose and eyes of the canine as a result. The consistency and color of the discharge can help you decide if the pooch has a cold or some other sickness. Colds in dogs promote conjunctivitis which gives the dog red eyes with such discharge.

• Troubled breathing

If you notice your dog is inhaling via its mouth or lying on its chest because it is having difficulty in taking breath; that is another sure sign that it has a cold. When a dog has a cold, its nasal passages get blocked which further causes congestion and problem in breathing.

• Tiredness & loss of appetite

You will notice your dog tiring quickly and not being able to enjoy things like it does. It will sleep more and play less due to exhaustion. Also, dogs mostly lose appetite and do not want to feed when they have a cold. They do not want to eat because the bacteria affect their esophagus. If it does not feed for more than a day, you should book an appointment with the vet.

What to do about it?

If the condition seems severe, head to the veterinarian immediately. However, if not, wait for a few days and if the pooch still does not feel better, then head to the pet doctor. Try to do as much as you could to make your pooch feel better. After all, a dog is a loyal member of your family. Here are some ways you can treat the dog’s cold at home.

• Feed it on chicken soup

A chicken soup that is not hot but lukewarm could be of aid. One that is made of chicken breast, some healthy cooked veggies, and brown rice would give your pooch the nutrition it needs to combat the cold. This will strengthen the pooch’s immune system and give it energy.

• Keep it hydrated

Give your dog warm fresh water to drink and to stay hydrated. Dehydration causes more suffering.

• Give it rest on a heating pad

The best way to fight the flu is to take enough rest. Let your pooch rest on a heating pad so that it can have a comfortable and relaxed sleep.

• Give it steam

Steam can help the pooch breathe easily as its nose and throat are congested. You can do this by running hot water in the washroom and letting the pooch breathe in the steam.

Follow professional advice

Go with the words of someone who knows what they are saying and is knowledgeable about the matter. Do as directed by the vet. Do not feed the medications on your own without consultation.

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• How to Assess Health by Looking at Your Dog’s Gums
• Are Vegetables for Dogs Healthy?
• The Keys to Having Healthy Dogs

Dogs are our best friend, indeed! We like to see them happy and try to provide the best of everything we can for our pets. They are food lovers and drools whenever they see us gorging on our food. We just can’t avoid their puppy eye look, and we tend to give them a morsel of what we eat. But this should be a strict no-no, as most of the human foods are not eligible for their consumption and milk tops the list. So if a dog drools for whipped cream, we need to know first if the whipped cream is bad for the dogs.

Most of the dogs are lactose intolerant. Hence they cannot digest milk or any other dairy product. Whipped cream is also a dairy product. So before we let our dogs lick a good amount of whipped cream, let’s see if it is fit for their tummy!

The answer to the question “Is whipped cream bad for dogs?” is “Yes.” Since whipped cream is a dairy product, so it is not advisable to feed it in large quantities. Whipped cream cannot be considered as a toxic product for the dogs, but because whipped cream contains a large quantity of sugar as well as fat, which are harmful not only for the canine’s teeth but also for their overall health. An occasional treat of whipped cream is acceptable and causes no harm. It should never be turned into a habit, though.

The renowned brand Starbucks came up with several delicious foods specially made for the pooches. Puppuccino is the whipped cream that has been introduced by Starbucks for our canine friends. The whipped cream, Puppuccino, has some consistency thickening agents, too, but is safe for the dogs. But again, an occasional serving is fine. It is not good for a dog to have it regularly. Whipped cream made at home without any added flavors is also a good alternative for a relishing lick!

Now the question might arise that how much of whipped cream a dog can eat daily. A tiny quantity of whipped cream will not cause any harm. But giving the dog in large amounts will not be a good option as the high quantity of sugar is always toxic for the dogs. If one is quite lucky to have a dog who is not lactose intolerant, then they can be given whipped cream or ice cream in limited quantity.

Giving saturated fat and sugar is not a healthy diet for the pooch. It is because of the high quantity of sugar as well as fat, and both are harmful to the dogs. The percentage of saturated fat in one hundred grams of whipped cream is seventy-five. The same amount of whipped cream also contains eight grams of sugar and twenty-five percent cholesterol. Consuming a huge quantity of fat and sugar will make a dog suffer from obesity and other cardiac diseases. Apart from this, a high level of sugar content will develop dental cavities and stomach upsets. It also increases the blood sugar level of dogs, and the dog can suffer from diabetes. So it is not at all a good idea to make whipped cream a part of the dog’s daily diet!

Overeating is not at all good for a dog. Overeating causes obesity and other health problems, like cardiac issues. Saturated fats and high sugar content in the dog’s food will make the dog diabetic and will also cause dental cavities. The worst health issue apart from these is that the dog will suffer from obesity that can be the major cause of all other health issues of the pooch. These health issues might be responsible for reducing the dog’s life span. There are various symptoms of overeating of whipped cream like vomiting, bloating, diarrhea, gas, cavities, and tooth decay.

Instead of whipped cream, there are plenty of other healthy snacks for our canine friends. Peanut butter is the healthiest alternative. Apples are rich in Vitamin C and are a healthy treat for the pup. Apart from these, carrots, blueberries, sweet potato, etc. are healthy treats for the dogs. There are various types of dog biscuits available in the market, which is quite healthy for the dogs. Being said so, we also need to remember that snacks are never to be given in large quantities and should never be a part of their main meal.

Choosing the right kind of food for the pooch is very important for those who have a canine member in their family. Selecting the right diet depends on the breed of dog. However, the nutritional facts are important while selecting dog food. The concept that meat is the only important addition to a dog’s meal is not quite true. Dogs also need minerals and fibers. They should be given an adequate quantity of rice or oats and also vegetables like broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, potatoes and fruits like apples, blueberries, etc. Though these provide the required quantity of minerals and fibers to the dog, however, the quantity should be limited.

Fruits and certain vegetables should be given as treats and not in large quantities. Bananas also make a delicious and healthy treat for the pooches. Apart from meat, eggs are also healthy for dogs. At times the vegetables and fruits are given inadequate but limited quantities to the dogs who suffer from obesity. These are of low calories and keep the dog feel full for quite a long time. One should keep in mind that some of the vegetables, like potatoes, should not be given raw to the dogs. It might make the dog ill.

There are lots of options for choosing the right dog diet and as mentioned earlier that meat is not the only meal for a dog; however, it is one of the main and richest sources of protein. So a dog’s diet should consist of 25-30 percent meat, which is a mandate. Last but not least, one should not forget to add enough water in the dog’s diet from the day the canine member steps into your family!

One tends to spend quite a bit of time with their pets. As time passes, you start understanding every gesture of your pet. Dogs are among the most common pets that people keep owing to their affectionate nature and easy training. A lot can be gauged about the personality of a dog by its various gestures, and this is something that only a dog owner would be able to understand. An owner would be able to fathom why a dog is whining or wagging its tail as they know their pet inside out.

Among the various gestures that reveal the type of personality your dog has, one is the sleeping position that it adapts. Indoor and outdoor pups tend to have quite different sleeping positions, and every dog tends to have a different resting position. Thus, by observing the sleeping position that your dog adapts, there is quite a bit that you can know about it. We are going to go through some of the common positions that dogs tend to rest in and the meaning that they hold.

Various Sleeping Positions

Let us now proceed with the various sleeping positions of a dog and what they mean.

Crazy Legs

This is one of the most adorable and bizarre sleeping positions of dogs, which will leave you perplexed at times. One is often forced to wonder whether the dog is indeed comfortable in the position that it is resting in. In this position, the dog can be seen lying on its back with its legs stretched at certain angles.

This sleeping position is an indication that your dog is comfortable and confident with its surrounding. The exposed belly tells you that it is vulnerable and submissive. The legs stretched at angles are a sign that your dog has given you its complete trust and views your home as its. Dogs who adapt this sleeping position are found to be quite independent and have a laidback nature.

The Fuzzy Bagel

This is another interesting sleeping position that you might get to see with your dog. In this sleeping position, the dog tends to tuck its paws beneath it and curl up in such a way that its head rests on its tail. This sleeping position is done when your dog wants to make an effort to conserve body heat and provide protection to the vital body parts.

This sleeping position might be an indication that your dog has some sort of apprehension about any situation around it or the surrounding in general. However, there is no reason for you to worry if your dogs have a naturally sweet disposition. This is because such dogs tend to prefer to sleep in a curled up position.

Superpup

This is another bizarre sleeping position that would leave you bewildered and would not fail to bring a smile on your face. In this position, the dog can be seen sleeping on its stomach with its limbs extended outward. The first image that comes to mind when you see a dog resting in such a position is of Superman.

This position is not without meaning. It is easy for the dog to jump up on its feet from this position. Hence, this position is seen when dogs are taking a nap. You would not see a dog sleeping in this position at night. This sleeping position should tell you that your dog is ready to play and would not disappoint you if you want to have a bit of fun.

Side Sleeping

This is among the most common sleeping positions that are adapted by dogs. This position is viewed to be a calm and resting one. When a dog sleeps on its side, it should tell you that there are no worries on its mind. It is comfortable in the surrounding that it resides in and nothing bothers it. It is seen that dogs that are affectionate and enjoy a strong bond with their owners are the ones that adopt a side sleeping position.

Tummy Time

This is the position where the dog sleeps on its stomach. In this position, the muscles of the dog are tense and contracted that prevents it from falling into a deep sleep. Thus, this is the sleeping position adopted when dogs are under some sort of stress or have a reason to be uncomfortable.

Sometimes, dogs get into this position when they have ample energy and do not feel like sleeping. It would rather get up and play. It is seen that tummy sleepers are usually timid in the presence of people they do not know. They are also not very comfortable in unfamiliar situations and react in a negative manner. However, in contrast to this, they are found to be gentle and energetic around the people they know.

Passed Out

When you see your dog sleeping in this position, the first thing that would cross your mind is whether it is sleeping or it has fainted. You might feel the urge to check up on it. Commonly, indoor dogs adopt this sleeping position. In this position, they lie on their backs in order to cool down as quickly as possible.

This sleeping position might be an indication that your dog is now drained after being energetic throughout the day and just wants to rest. The dogs who adopt this sleeping position tend to be rather confident. They do not take long to adapt to different types of surroundings and people.

Sleeping on Back

Sometimes, you would get to see dogs sleeping on their backs where their paws are in such a position that they protect their chest. This should tell you that the dog does not want to be bothered at the moment. You might want to think twice before attempting to wake up a dog sleeping in this position.

The Light Doze

Dogs tend to doze off during the day when they are bored. In this position, they are found to be resting against something. You might think that they are sleeping, but it is their ears that you should take a closer look at. You will find that their ears are on alert. The moment you move or they hear something, they would not take a minute to wake up.

Back to Back

If you have more than one dog, you might catch them sleeping in the back to back position. This position can also be adopted by your dog with other pets. This is an indication that the pets are forming a bond. This is basically a way to show affection and reveal how much love they have for their family.

Circling and Digging

It is quite common for dogs to circle in their sleeping area and do a little digging before they doze off to sleep. This stems from the ancestors of dogs who use to trample down the grass in order to acquire optimal comfort. They might dig if they want to keep themselves warm. It is normal for dogs to circle for a few times before lying down. However, if your dog circles excessively, you might want to consult a vet since this might be a sign of some condition.

A Dog’s Sleeping Position Changes Depending on Its Mood

At the end of the day, the sleeping position of your dog might vary depending on its mood and level of comfort. At times, you might see your dog flying away like Superman in its sleep, while at other times, it would lie flat as if it is passed out. Sometimes, its sleeping position would let you know that something is amiss, while at other times, it would reveal that it is provided with optimal comfort and there are no worries on its mind. It would also enable you to fathom when your dog feels like playing and when it would like to be left alone.

Thus, it is apparent that a lot can be gauged from the sleeping position of the dog. You can acquire a better understanding of its behavior and personality and as a result, you can ensure that you are able to form a better bond with your dog.

All of us wish to make sure that all the measures are taken that would provide the dog with optimal comfort. Once we do everything in our capability, it would be nice to get some sign that the dog is indeed comfortable. This is something that you can now gauge by observing the sleeping position of the dog. Therefore, the next time your dog snoozes off, take a closer look at the position that it rests in. This would tell you what kind of behavior you can expect from it. It would be quite revealing and fun to make this observation and it would make your relationship with your dog stronger.

Going for a walk with your adorable pet may be your favorite task of the day, but your enjoyable outing can turn into a troublesome one if your dog is aggressive toward other dogs and people. Dog aggression is a serious issue for dog owners. Aggression is a behavioral problem in dogs and is very common because not all the dogs like other dogs, people, and other living beings. Moreover, behavior such as biting, snapping, or growling could be very troublesome. A dog exhibits aggressive behavior mostly because of fear, frustration, territoriality, and other reasons. While we cannot cure aggression in one day, we have this detailed post for you to understand this behavior and take steps to stop it.

What is aggression?

Aggression refers to different types of behavior, and there are many reasons that can cause it. Naturally, all animals tend to become aggressive as they defend their offspring, protect themselves, or guard their territories. The following are some of the signs that come under the category of aggressive behavior:

• Snarling (growling and showing teeth)
• Becoming very rigid and still
• A threatening guttural bark
• Biting
• Lip lifting
• Snapping
• Lunging forward
• Mouthing
• Growling
• Muzzle punch

Some dogs exhibit only one or several behavior together. Most of the times, dog owners ignore the signs of aggression until their dogs bite someone. However, dogs do not bite that quickly, and mostly they give a warning before doing so.

Types of aggressive behavior in dogs

Territorial aggression:

Dogs are wild animals, and their ancestors belonged to regional areas which they defended from invaders and intruders. Wolves are extremely territorial, and they attack intruders and other wolves that do not belong to their territory. As the dogs belong to ancestral wolves, they also tend to show the same behavior. However, some dogs are appreciated and valued for this territorial behavior and are kept as watchdogs at home.

Protective aggression:

Dogs may exhibit protective aggression when they feel that they or their loved ones might be in danger. A dog which was not aggressive in the past may start showing such behavior when it gives birth to puppies. A dog may also show aggressive behavior when it sees a new child in the family and feels threatened. Male and female dogs both are prone to protective aggression as they tend to protect themselves and their loved ones from any harm and danger.

Fear aggression:

This is another common type of aggression and many dogs suffer from it. If a dog is scared of something, it tries to escape or run away from there. However, if it cannot run away, then the first thing that comes to its mind is to fight. This may be the case with a dog that is tied to something and is not able to run away. A fearful dog is most likely to bite because it is scared to the extent that it wants to fight back. A fearful dog tries to fight by barking and growling and if the other dog or person leaves, it tries to attack from behind and nip. This is the reason why it is recommended not to turn your back on a fearful dog.

Social aggression:

A dog who perceives itself as a powerful dog tries to dominate the other dogs. This is the reason a dog acts normally toward its owner but tends to show aggression toward the children of the house. Dogs also perceive themselves according to status; and if a dog thinks it belongs to high status, it tries to dominate and act aggressively toward other dogs and people. Some examples of social aggression include taking food away, disturbing other dogs, taking a chewed bone or other objects away etc.

Causes of aggression in dogs

There could be many causes of aggression in dogs, and one of the reasons is the experience. A dog may be aggressive because it may have a horrible encounter with another dog or it may not have socialized with other dogs when it was young. The owner’s behavior may also influence the behavior of a dog.

For example, if you have two dogs at your house, and if you favor the smaller or weaker and punish the other one, it will show more aggressive behavior in the other dog. When tension among multiple dogs at home increases, you should look for the possible causes and factors that are causing them to do so. For many aggressive dogs, it is the lack of training and exercises that causes the aggression. There are many dog exercises that help with maintaining a healthy and active state of mind in a dog, and lack of these exercises can cause behavioral issues.

Breed & aggression

Many people blame the breed for a dog’s aggressive behavior, but in fact, any breed could be aggressive, and this behavior is not breed-specific. The difference between large breed of dogs and small breed is that the large breed of dogs can cause more damage as compared to the small ones. Large breed of dogs, for example, pit bull or mastiff, are very powerful and if they are not controlled or trained to suppress aggressive behavior, they can cause significant injury to other dogs and people. It is easier to train and control a small breed of dog as compared to handling an aggressive large breed of dog. Thus, you need to train the dog, establish rules, define limitations, and make boundaries. If you want a powerful and large breed of dog as a pet, you must take the responsibility of training and calming it.

Things you can do to stop dog aggression

Now that you have identified the causes and types of aggression in your dog, you can take effective steps to eradicate it. Dogs are mostly deprived of other friendly and good-natured dogs, and thus there is a lack of adequate socialization in them. As a result, most of the dogs grow up with lesser socializing skills and develop aggressive behavior. Handling an aggressive dog is a long-term process, and there are many things which you can do to suppress the response. Consider the following useful tips:

Be patient & consistent

The first thing to do is to be patient and confident. Punishing your dog for its aggressive behavior is not the solution, and you need to control yourself to stop it. If you respond to the barking and growling of your dog by yelling or hitting, it will get more aggressive. To defend itself, it may try to bite you and bark even more. Punishment may also lead to serious behavioral issues such as biting without giving a warning. For example, if your dog is growling and barking at children, it is giving a sign that it is not happy with the children around it. If you yell or punish it for this behavior, it may bite the children and cause injuries to them. To understand and stop your dog’s aggressive behavior, you must be consistent and cool-minded. You cannot cure aggressive behavior overnight, and for that, you will have to be positive.

Protect your dog:

If you feel that your dog is aggressive toward other dogs and people, try to protect it instead of punishing. For example, if you go for a walk with your dog and it starts growling at another dog, calm it down and move on. If your dog is fearful of the people around, do not stop and talk to them; instead ignore or just say a quick hello and then move on. This does not mean that you will have to stay like this forever, but things should be handled this way at first if you want better results. If your dog seems calm when it sees other people, let it meet them but also inform the people that your dog is aggressive to strangers. Tell your family members to get back if the dog jumps at them, do not make quick movements, and do not pet the dog from above.

Be aware of the stress triggers:

If your dog is fearful of other dogs, make sure that it stays away from them. Some large breeds of dogs have a natural look that makes them appear powerful and dominant, and this look can make other dogs fearful. If your dog sees such a dog, it will try to protect itself by being aggressive. This way conflicts can arise, and both the dogs can end up barking and fighting with each other. If dogs are fearful of strangers, be careful that no strangers enter your house and even if they do, you should inform about your dog’s aggressive behavior. If you have identified the aggressive triggers, it will be easier for you to stop your dog from being fearful and aggressive.

Train the dog:

The good news is that there are many effective training ways that can calm and resocialize your aggressive dog. The training remedies help your dog vent its aggressiveness and overcome the behavioral issues. Different trainers have different techniques of training, and mostly ‘growl classes’ are conducted to teach the dogs discipline and calmness. These classes make the dog respond to other dogs positively, and they are rewarded for their good behavior too. Operant conditioning is a technique which is used to teach a dog positive actions and good manners. The dogs are taught that their good behavior and a positive attitude can bring praises, treats, and other types of rewards to them.

Counter-conditioning:

Counter-conditioning means teaching your dog to behave normally even if things are new to it. In short, it is a technique to teach an animal to associate with something or someone. This method should be practiced in a slow manner by taking small steps. First, identify the causes of aggressive behavior in your dog and then arrange a situation to handle it positively. For example, if your dog is afraid of children, you can ask the children of the house to give food and other things to the dog which it loves.

Desensitization of the dog:

Desensitization is carried out in a peaceful and closed environment, and usually, a frail form of the problem is chosen as the stimulus. For example, if your dog is afraid of other dogs, you can use distance as a method to weaken the aggressive behavior. For this purpose, it is necessary that the other dog is friendly and calm in nature. When an aggressive dog is introduced to a friendly and calm dog, the former one tends to acquire its characteristics. Let your aggressive dog sit and watch the calm and friendly dogs, and observe their behavior. If your dog shows signs of aggression such as growling or showing teeth, involve it in some other activities to distract its mind. For a successful desensitization process, always take the teaching process slowly and never increase the problem stimulus right away.

Talk to the vet or a professional:

If you still feel that your dog is not calming down at all, you must contact a local vet or a professional to deal with your dog. There may be some underlying medical conditions or diseases that cause aggressive behavior too. Talk to a vet and let them examine whether your dog is suffering from a medical condition that needs treatment. If there is no disease or medical condition and still your dog is aggressive, it is time that you need the help of a professional dog trainer. Aggression is a serious problem, and it should be treated immediately, otherwise your dog may harm itself or other living beings in its surroundings. A professional dog trainer or behaviorist has deep knowledge and understanding of different dogs’ behavioral issues and can deal with it wisely. If your dog is not calming down and is aggressive in spite of trying everything, you should not attempt to solve the issue on your own, and consult a professional instead.

Owning a puppy can be an extremely rewarding experience. Joyful, enthusiastic, energetic and unconditionally loving, a puppy offers great company for everyone. Exceptionally cute and adorable, it is often a challenge not to turn down a puppy during a trip to the local pet store.

However, it’s not all fun and games. After all, puppies are known to be boisterous and energetic and since they are living beings, you are going to have to take great care of it if you get one.

This is no cause for alarm. There are certain challenges that you are going to face, which are listed below. If you educate yourself on what is going to happen when you get a puppy and what you are going to have to deal with, you will be able to face these challenges quite easily and allow yourself to enjoy having your puppy around as much as possible. Here are a few of the major issues you are going to face while raising a puppy.

The Challenges You Will Face

1. Training

When it comes to owning a puppy, one of the most significant aspects of the process of raising it is to train it. Not only is this fun and allows you to interact with your pet in a number of different ways, you are also going to get the chance to teach it to follow orders and establish yourself as the alpha. It is going to be quite difficult in the beginning because your puppy is simply not going to understand, but at the same time, if you start early enough, there is no reason why it won’t work.

2. Exercise

Puppies are often predisposed to weight gain, and this can be absolutely disastrous for their health. The problem is that even the most energetic puppies are going to be difficult when it comes to exercise. You need to get your dog into the habit of walking every single day. This is going to take a lot of time, but when you get a puppy, you need to be very particular about the sort of life you give to this animal as it will affect its health forever. Giving your puppy exercise will require you to sacrifice other things you might want to do, so you have to be prepared for that.

3. Diet

Finding the right kind of diet for your pup is the sort of thing that is going to take quite a bit of time and patience. You just need to keep in mind that for the first six months, you are not going to be able to give your pup the best diet possible. This is just the way things are; finding the right food to feed your pet is a very difficult task. You are going to have to mix things up and try to figure out which food items are the healthiest for your dog. Try consulting a vet whenever possible.

-> Choosing The Right Dog Diet

4. Socialization

Your pup is going to have a tough time socializing at first. Antisocial dogs are quite common, especially if you got your pup as soon as it was born and did not allow it to interact with other dogs that it had been born with. If you want to make your dog socialize, an important thing to realize is that you need to take it slow. Forcing your dog to be social can give it a great deal of anxiety which would make you out to be the bad guy, and you don’t want to alienate your puppy by making it do something it doesn’t want to do.

5. Healthcare

This is one of the biggest expenses that you are going to have to deal with when you have your pup. If you want to ensure that your pup is as healthy as possible, you are going to have to take it to the vet. Dogs generally don’t like going to the vet, so taking it in order to make sure it gets vaccinated and its health is perfect is going to be a real hassle, but it is absolutely necessary for the long run.

-> How to Tell If Your Dog Is Sick

6. Housebreaking

You don’t want your puppy pooping all over your house as this is going to end up causing a great deal of trouble. You would have to start house training your dog pretty quickly if you want it to learn where it has to poop and pee. This is going to be very challenging indeed because your puppy would not be able to follow this training simply because it would not know how to control its natural processes. You will have to be patient with your pup and allow it to learn slowly but surely, thereby allowing you to become the right kind of parent to your pet.

7. Teething

The process of teething is one that your pup is going to have a lot of problems with. This is because teething is the sort of thing that would cause your pup some annoying pain, and you are going to have to put a lot of effort into easing its discomfort. You should give your dog something to chew on. Also, bear in mind that diarrhea and the like are pretty common during this stage of your pup’s life, so be patient with it.

8. Separation Anxiety

If you work, you are going to have to deal with your dog suffering from separation anxiety and whining every time you have to leave home. However, when it comes to separation anxiety, there really is nothing you can do. You are just going to have to be strong and go out or else your pup is never going to take you seriously. You need to go to work after all as it is a part of your life. Eventually, your pup will get used to the idea that you need to leave for a few hours every day and stop freaking out too much. However, your pup will still get all excited when you return and there’s no changing that.

9. Getting Everyone Involved

If you want to ensure that your puppy gets the best training possible, it is very important that you involve your whole family. Tell them what you have planned for your pup’s development, and let them know what they can and can’t do. If there are certain things that your dog is not allowed to eat, make sure everyone knows or else your pup would end up going to someone else because it would know it’d get what it wants. Remember, keeping your dog disciplined is a team effort, so you can’t do it without the help of everyone in your home.

10. Patience and Staying Firm

One of the most difficult things to do as a pet owner is staying firm with your dog. This is because you are generally going to be extremely loving to your pet, and you might just feel like letting things slide when it does something wrong. This is the absolute worst thing you can do because you are going to end up with a misbehaving dog that has no sense of what it can and can’t do. Be patient but firm. Make sure you lay down the law whenever your dog does something it’s not supposed to.

Puppy Tips

Allow Your Puppy to Sleep with You Initially

A lot of people tend to think that puppies are supposed to sleep on their own. This is actually not true at all. The truth of the matter is that you are going to have to let your puppy sleep with you in the initial days. This would help it get used to the idea of living with you and would establish you as a parental figure. Wean your pup off the habit of sleeping with you slowly; there is no reason why you won’t be able to teach it how to sleep on its own later on.

-> Signs That Show Your Dog Might Be Feeling Cold

Baby Proof Your House

Puppies are a lot like babies, so if you keep your pup indoors, you are going to have to baby proof your home and ensure that it does not go somewhere it can get injured or cause any mischief. Puppies can cause a lot of destruction if they are left unchecked, so it is very important for you to give your pup the sort of protection it needs in order to prevent it from causing havoc and breaking things in your home. You will also have to ensure that your pup understands what the walls and boundaries mean.

Give Your Puppy Its Own Room or Space

If you want your puppy to realize where it can and can’t go, giving it its own room is a great way to make that happen. By giving your puppy a room, you are going to give it a space where it can do whatever it wants. Put a little bed there as well as some toys that your puppy can play with. This would help you get your puppy comfortable in your home and teach it that there are certain places where it can relax and have a great time with you.

Be Careful What You Encourage

There are certain things like jumping on you that you might love your puppy to do because it would make you feel loved, but keep in mind that you are going to end up with a poorly behaved dog if you let behavior like this slide. No matter how cute your puppy is, certain behavior is simply wrong and should not be encouraged in any way. If you give your puppy the sort of training that would allow it to learn what it can’t do early on, you will have a much better behaved dog in the long run as your friend and companion.

Use Carrots While Teething

If you want to ease your puppy’s discomfort while it is teething, baby carrots are a great option to help make this as easy as possible. These carrots allow your puppy to chew on them and get rid of the pain it is feeling. You can also soak some cotton clothes in water and give them to your pup, as they would help ease your pup’s discomfort without giving it extra food that might end up making it gain weight. These techniques are great to prevent your dog from whining and feeling pain while its teeth are coming out.

Opt for Rewards Rather Than Punishment

If you want to train your dog properly, one thing that you are going to have to do is reward it for good behavior rather than punish it for bad behavior. While bad behavior should certainly be dealt with, you shouldn’t wait for it to happen. Instead, start teaching your dog early on what it is going to need to do in order to be a good boy or girl. This is going to help you avoid doing things like scolding your dog, which is obviously what no pet owner would want to do.

Conclusion

Now that you have educated yourself on the sort of challenges you are going to face as the owner of a puppy, you will end up getting a lot better at keeping your puppy safe and sound and training it to be as confident and well behaved as possible. With the tips mentioned above, you will be armed with all of the tools necessary to tackle this rather difficult task head on.

One final tip that you should consider is that adopting is always better than buying. Everyone wants a purebred dog, but the ones that are in homes are just as lovely as any dog you would buy. After all, you are getting yourself a friend and a companion, so buying one is just not morally right. Adopting can help make the world a much better place!

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