10 Common Mistakes Dog Owners Make

There is no denying that owning a dog is an amazing experience. After all, they are called man’s best friend for good reason. However, there is also no denying that adding a dog to the family can be stressful and full of ups and downs while you get used to the adjustment. With that being said, the more prepared you can get, the better. This blog post is here to help you with this. Below, you will learn about ten of the common mistakes that a lot of dog owners make so that you can avoid them.

1. A lack of socialization – The first error that a lot of dog owners make is not giving their pet enough socialization. There are many different reasons why such a scenario arises. For some people, it is simply because they lead busy lives and they do not seem to have the time to dedicate to this. For others, they may be worried about their dogs interacting with other dogs because they don’t want them to pick up germs. Nevertheless, dogs need to have interaction. They are social creatures after all. Think about how you would feel if you were never able to interact with another human. You would get lonely and depressed. Dogs are the same.
2. Allowing and encouraging bad behavior amongst puppies – Most dog owners do not have the intention to do this, but it is a trap they easily fall into. After all, it is hard to deny a cut puppy, isn’t it? Therefore, when they are stealing food or biting you, you may be very tempted to simply overlook what they have done or even laugh at them. But if you do this, you are simply encouraging their bad behavior. Once you do this, you start down a dangerous path, as they will feel that their actions are good rather than bad.

   

3. Not giving your pet’s health and wellness the attention it deserves – As humans, we know how important it is to really consider what we put in our bodies and to ensure we lead a healthy lifestyle. We need to have the same attitude when it comes to our dogs too. Your vet can advise you on the best diet for your breed and size of the dog. You may also want to look for a natural dog food supplier.
4. Not getting your vet’s approval for medication – This is not just a mistake, it is a big mistake. This is the sort of issue that could cause big health problems for your dog, so it really does need to be avoided at all costs. When your pet is not feeling very well, they do not respond to medication in the same manner as humans do. We aren’t made the same way, and so what works for us is not going to work for our pet. In fact, it could make them very ill. This is why you should never try to self-diagnosis your pet or medicate without any knowledge.
5. Failing to pet-proof your house –Do you have kids? If so, you will already know about having to adapt your property for a new arrival. The same goes for dogs. If you do not make some changes around the house, you could end up hurting your dog and you could end up with a wrecked house in the process too. It is a lose-lose situation. This is why it is critical to pet-proof your house. The last thing you want is for your dog to suffer from poisoning or a nasty illness or injury due to swallowing something they should not have. So, before you bring your new arrival home, make a checklist of all of the things you need to do to pet-proof your home.
6. Not taking your dog to the vet regularly – You do not need to take your dog to the vet every week. However, you do need to make sure that your dog has check-ups. You also need to make sure that you keep a close eye on your pet so that you can pick up on any potential issues at the earliest opportunity. Ailments and diseases are, sadly, on the increase, with more pets suffering from diabetes, arthritis, and kidney disease today. This highlights why it is important to get your dog checked out regularly.

   

7. Not learning about your dog’s DNA – There are so many cross-breeds of dogs today. It is important to find out genetic information about your pet, as this can help you in terms of knowing what sort of health problems to look out for, as well as giving you a solid platform to base well-being decisions on.
8. No rules – It does not matter what sort of dog you have, you need to make sure there is a regular routine in place and that you set rules. In fact, setting rules is often the easy part, but sticking to them is difficult. However, once you start to change the goal posts, this is when the problems begin. You will only confuse your dog, and then when you do tell them off, they will feel like they are being punished when they have not done anything wrong. This can cause bigger issues than a lot of pet owners realize, often causing dogs to retreat and go into their shell. 

   

9. Waiting to start training – There is no point in waiting to start training your pet. The longer you wait, the more difficult it is going to be. However, if you start to train your dog from an early age, they are going to be much more likely to adopt the behavior you want them to.
10. Assuming your dog is going to grow out of any bad behavior – This is what is known as wishful thinking! Bad behavior is not something that dogs suddenly wake up and grow out of one day. Dogs need to be trained in order to behave in the correct manner. This leads on from some of the points that were mentioned above, i.e. about not ignoring bad behavior and about having consistent rules. These are all pivotal points when it comes to making sure that your dog behaves well and does not adopt any unfavorable behavioral treats.

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding regarding some of the most common errors that dog owners make today. This should give you a good starting point when it comes to looking after your little pup. There is no denying that this is going to be a learning experience but the advice that has been provided should make it a lot easier. Plus, as is the case with anything in life, you will learn a lot as you go too.