When you keep a dog you must be willing to give it some care and attention. Look, everyone needs to be cared for and dogs are not excluded. Once you bring your dog home, the journey of life with your dog begins. From making sure they get the love they need, to feeding them with the best food you can find, for example, from a company like Badlands Ranch.

In this article, we look at 5 ways you can take care of your dog and ensure that you are both living peacefully and enjoying life together.

1. Groom your dog

Clean dogs are happy and healthy dogs. Dogs require grooming but thankfully not as intensely on a daily basis as human beings. With a good schedule, you can develop a nice routine to groom your dog.

For instance, dental care is very important for dogs’ gums to prevent them from catching gum disease. Brushing your dog’s teeth every 3-4 days is great to prevent plaque from building up leading to tooth decay, bad breath or gum disease.

In addition to that, you need to cut your dog’s nails often. Once or twice a month should be fine. Also, washing your dog and using medically approved shampoos ensures that your dog’s skin is free of pests and healthy, and leads to sustained fur development to prevent excessive dog shedding. Talking of shedding, part of grooming is ensuring you brush your dog’s hair often to catch the loose hair before it falls on your fabrics and furniture at home.

2. Take your dog for a walk often

Dogs love walks. If you are not taking your dog for a walk you are not a very loving dog parent. Dogs like human beings and most animals, hate to stay at home all the time. They love to explore their environments, especially in their new neighborhoods.

Therefore, you need to get your dog the best dog harness to stop pulling so that when you are walking your dog, it cannot pull forward. Once you have the harness, begin taking your dog for a walk at least twice a week.

While on the walk, let your dog sniff because that is how they are able to enhance their sense of smell. It is also how they get stimulated and excited making them enjoy their walks more.

You may want to consider using a dog coat for your pet on colder days, or if your dog is particularly thin-coated, to ensure they stay warm and comfortable on your walks. A quick search online for "medium sized dogs apparel" or something similar should find you a good selection of pet wear to choose from. 

3. Medical checkups by your vet

We all know what happens when you don't go for a medical checkup for a long time. You start to feel uncomfortable in various parts of your body. The best part is that for a human being you can tackle that discomfort as soon as it begins.

For a dog, they will just appear uncomfortable but will never say what the problem is. As a dog parent, it is your responsibility to take your dog for medical checkup often in order to catch any disease or medical conditions before they become worse.

You might notice that your dog is shedding excessive hair or always biting their paws, limping, or anything else that doesn’t look normal. These are signs of a medical problem that you should get your dog checked for by a vet.

4. Play and let your dog play

Play is an important part of a dog’s development. Any dog loves play that is why it will never stop going to get the ball when you throw. And that is also part of caring for your dog. Run around your yard with it, kick a ball together, let it sweat a bit and have some fun.

Additionally, get your dog some dog toys so that it can play with them when you are not around or busy with work. Dogs that play often are quite fit physically, keep a good weight, and definitely keep lifestyle conditions like obesity away from reach. That saves you lots of healthcare money too.

For dog parents who don’t have a yard, then walk your dog more than twice a week.

5. Dog proof your home

There is nothing better than knowing your dog is well prepared for. Before you bring your new dog home, ensure your home is ready for the dog. Set aside a place for the dog to sleep, an area for it to play and where it should be free to access.

This is because you don’t want a dog on your furniture. But it will go onto your furniture if you don’t have any other place specifically set aside for it. Therefore, prepare your home for your dog’s arrival.