Owning your very first dog can seem extremely daunting, whether you’ve purchased a puppy or you’ve adopted an adult dog from an animal shelter. You might not have ever looked after an animal before, let alone be responsible for a dog! However, there’s no need to worry. We’ve found four useful hacks for first-time dog owners so that you can enjoy the new journey that you’re embarking on and maximize the fun potential of owning a furry friend!

Become an Expert in Their Breed

If not just to impress your friends and give you fantastic quiz knowledge, knowing your dog’s breed inside out will allow you to make sure that you know what you are getting yourself into, as well as help you to understand why your dog may be behaving in a certain way.

Choose the Right Dog Food

Just like humans, a dog’s diet is going to help keep them healthy and active. Feeding your dog human scraps and leftovers will mean that your dog isn’t receiving the correct nutrients, nor portions, that are going to help your dog to function well. Since there are so many dog food brands available, it can seem overwhelming when deciding what will be best for your dog. To narrow down the list of dog foods, you should research online, check reviews from other dog owners and consult your vet. There are some websites that will test and compare dog foods across a range of categories, like Doggypedia who have an article on the best puppy dog food options for large breeds.

Training, Training, Training

Whether you are getting your dog to sit and roll over, or training them to stop chewing the carpet, it is essential that your dog knows how to behave well. If you are raising a puppy, the training process is a lot simpler, as you can instill and reward good behaviors easily with a reward system. However, if you have adopted a dog, it might take a little longer to teach your dog new tricks and get rid of their old naughty habits that they might have developed out of their neglect in the past. Their previous experience with humans will shape the way that they respond and learn new habits, so you should bear this in mind when getting frustrated with your dog who isn’t training well. You could consider working with a professional dog trainer, who has the experience and knowledge to help both you and your dog to learn to behave better.

Not on the Bed!

Although we dream of cuddling a puppy as we drift off to sleep, the reality is that once you let your dog sleep in your bed, you’re never going to be able to get them off again in the future! This can actually mean that your sleep is disrupted with early morning wake up calls in the form of face licking, and having to sleep in an awkward position so that your dog can sprawl out across the bed.

The best thing that you can do, for yourself and your dog, is to get them into a routine of sleeping in their own bed or crate that is located in a different room. This helps your dog to understand what happens at night time and lets them know that it is time to wind down for sleep.

Owning a dog is going to come with a whole host of new responsibilities that might mean you have to make some life adjustments, but don’t forget about the love, endless cuddles and friendship that you are going to gain from your furry pal.