You might already own a dog or are thinking about becoming an owner – either way you are aware that it’s a huge responsibility. You need to be prepared before you jump into it. Read through the following guide for some hints on how you can take better care of dogs.

It can be quite costly to own a dog. You will have to spend between $700 and $1000 a year to cover food and medical expenses. Also, should an emergency arise, this can cost thousands so you might consider pet health insurance.

Get your dog neutered. It is a known fact that doing this will lessen the probability of your dog getting cancer. Dogs who have been neutered or spayed are also less likely to run or wander away from home.

If you’re taking your pup on a vacation, make sure that you take a picture of him for on your phone. This way, should he get lost, you have a picture you can show others. You can also use the picture to hand our “lost” flyers.

When you are training your dog, you should practice in your home or in your yard. It is not good to teach them where there are distractions. Your dog could become distracted and will be tougher to teach.

Use hand signals when training your dog along with verbal commands. Your dog might learn commands more easily using this approach. Always associate the spoken command and the hand gesture at first and choose the system that works best later on.

Ask your vet the amount of food your dog needs daily. It is important to follow guidelines for the sake of your dog’s health. See what your vet recommends and adapt that to how your dog responds.

Don’t ever give your dog bones. Real bones can break into pieces that can then become dangerous due to how sharp and small they can be. It has been shown that rawhide bones are safe and great for their teeth, so be sure to not give your dog that ham bone next time.

Avoid pushing things that your dog dislikes onto him. If you’ve bought a treat that your dog doesn’t seem to interested in, don’t try to make your dog eat it. Learn what he likes and what he doesn’t.

Now that you are more educated about your dog’s needs, it should be a breeze to properly take care of him. Be patient, do your best and do not hesitate to get help if you need to. Try to learn as much as you can, and enjoy having a dog around.