Caring for your dog is a joyful task, but there are many important aspects to consider to ensure that you are providing your pet with the care he needs. As a Los Angeles dog daycare provider, The Wags Club is ready to assist you with dog care information to enhance your relationship with your canine companion.
Bathtime Comfort
Although many dogs love water, some dogs prefer to keep their feet dry. Your dog may never enjoy swimming, it is important for him to be comfortable during a bath. Teaching your dog to tolerate this essential part of grooming is as simple as pairing it with food, creating a positive experience and rewarding him with playtime for a job well done. When more positive experiences occur than negative experiences, your dog will be eager to jump right into the tub for bath time.
Trimming Toenails
Trimming toenails is another essential part of grooming that many dogs and owners dread. If your dog is wiggly, nervous or doesn’t like his feet touched, trimming his toenails can be a difficult task. First, make sure the trimming tools you are using are comfortable for your dog. Second, make it a positive experience for your dog.
When your dog sees the toenail clippers, he should make a strong association with treats, play and positive things; it’s up to you to build that association. Professional groomers are very skilled at trimming nails efficiently, and a trip to your groomer is always a good option if trimming your dog’s toenails is difficult.
Optimum Nutrition
Your dog is what he eats, and there is a huge variety of food options available from which to choose. How do you select the correct diet for your dog? First, look at the ingredients. If the list starts with whole meat sources and sounds like a healthy grocery list, you’ve found a wonderful dietary option for your dog.
However, if the list contains primarily grains and ingredients that are unidentifiable, the food is likely not one you want in your dog’s bowl. Selecting dog food from your local pet supply center rather than a grocery store is the best way to ensure quality ingredients.
Healthy Treats
Although treats sound like a snack food, when selected with care, they should be as healthy as your dog’s primary food. Whole ingredients create a treat that is healthy for your dog and tastes great. Treats are an excellent way to help your dog feel more comfortable with training and for bonding with your dog. As scavengers, dogs depend on us for food, and reinforcing this connection with treats is easy to do.
Potty Training
Potty training is easy for some dogs, and more difficult for others; for example, small dogs are notorious for their issues with potty training. The best way to get started is when a puppy is very young; when pottying outdoors means special treats, praise and play, your pup will quickly learn to choose the outdoors for relieving himself. Consistency is the key to helping your dog or puppy learn when and where potty time should happen.
Reactivity
Reactivity is when a dog barks at many things in his environment, such as people or dogs passing by his yard or the mailman at the door. Although viewing this as normal is something most people do, barking that is aggressive or goes beyond one or two barks should be addressed with training and behavior modification.
A dog who is allowed to practice this behavior may escalate the barking into a more aggressive response, and helping your dog develop good manners at the door helps decrease anxiety and improve his comfort with visitors. Blocking his views with frosted glass and developing a controlled, calm routine for the approach of visitors will help your dog learn to alert you to the door without engaging in out-of-control behavior.
The Wags Club
At The Wags Club, we understand your bond with your dog, and we work to enhance your relationship by providing excellent doggie daycare services in Santa Monica, CA. Our dog boarding, dog grooming and daycare options allow us to care for your loyal pooch while you are at work or on vacation. Stop by today for a tour of the best dog daycare in Los Angeles.