The vets went to school to learn how to care for animals. Here are the mistakes with pets that they wouldn’t make, but we probably do every day.
Surely we all think we love and care for our pets, but unfortunately we don’t always have the skills to realize that something we do is one of the common mistakes with pets. Maybe nothing serious, maybe we don’t even notice a lack of ours because our dog or cat doesn’t show any sign of discomfort, but surely once we know where to improve, we will be ready to change our habits to give even more affection to our friends four paws.
The most common mistakes: love is not enough
Vets know what to do and what not to do with cats and dogs, unlike most of us. Even the most loving owners make a few small mistakes with their furry, feathered or finned friends. We don’t know where we’re wrong? So let’s see the most common mistakes with pets, the ones to avoid, often with very small changes to our daily habits.
We don’t train our puppy right away
Training dogs from the start not only gives guidelines for appropriate behavior, but gives them the stability to live with certain limits. In fact, training is also essential to develop communication tools between us and them.
The ideal time to train our puppy, in fact, is before adoption. Let’s learn what to do before the puppy even arrives home, so that we are ready for their arrival and not find ourselves blown away. Many of us may have already had animals previously, and we think we already have enough experience like this, but this is not always true.
Never too old for training
Even an old dog can learn new tricks and games, just use positive reinforcement training methods all the time. If we keep dog busy with positive tasks and rewards, it won’t have time to misbehave. This kind of encouraging response will create communication methods that will help our dog feel loved.
We overeat
Among the mistakes with pets this is extremely common. Just like in humans, obesity can cause or amplify health problems in animals, and shorten their lifespan. We need to establish with our veterinarian the right weight of our animal, with a balanced diet and the necessary exercise.
We let it bite us
Puppy or kitten clamps certainly don’t hurt, but this behavior needs to be kept in check so that our little wad of hair doesn’t grow into an adult animal that bites too much. We need to see this behavior as a potential problem, and train our pet not to bite.
One way to do this is to make sure our dog or cat has plenty of chewable toys on hand so that they are the ones who get bitten by our friends. Kittens respond positively to anti-bite training, just like puppy dogs.
They don’t play a role
Pets, like people, need to know what their role is in the family and what is expected of them. Often we owners do not understand how important a structure is for animals. In a new family, a newly adopted pet tries to figure out where their place is, and what the house rules are.
Dogs, above all, need habits, limits and stability and safety. We need to be consistent in training, help animals understand what behaviors we want from them, and provide them with a solid routine that is good for the animals.
In the cold in winter
If we live in cold places, it is vital that our pets are safe from hypothermia by keeping them warm. In fact, pets feel cold long before the temperature is freezing for us humans. Despite having the hair, if it is wet or tangled, it loses the ability to protect them.
Animals tell us that they are cold by shivering, but only after they have been in the cold for far too long. In case of snow, the use of snow boots and dog coats is recommended when the animals stay in temperatures below 0 ° for more than twenty minutes.
Late with vaccines
Vet appointments for vaccines often slip our minds, but we must never be late! Vaccines keep our pets safe from disease and health problems. And this is not only true for dogs and cats, for example rabbits need specific vaccines such as those for the calyx virus. In any case, we confirm with the veterinarian which vaccines to do.
We ignore their oral hygiene
If your dog or cat has bad breath, it may have a buildup of plaque or some problem with their gums or teeth. Brushing your pet’s teeth can help eliminate buildup in the teeth, as well as infections that could spread to other parts of the body.
Not only is this a necessary habit for your health, it can also help prevent the need for expensive surgical cleanings in the future. If we get used to them from an early age, it will be easy to clean the teeth of our pets. But be careful to use the right products, specific for them.
We underestimate the economic aspect
Before adopting a puppy, sometimes we don’t realize the economic impact of giving them everything he needs, making one of the most common mistakes with pets.
In general, we must estimate the costs necessary for vaccinations and pesticide treatments, obviously without talking about any emergency care. And obviously these needs can vary, be it for age, race, health condition and so on.
We don’t regularly cut our nails
Sometimes we underestimate having to regularly shorten our cat’s nails. But even in dogs this practice is important. Too long nails can make it difficult for our pets to walk on some surfaces, or they can grow too large and hurt.
We get used to our pet to have their nails trimmed regularly from an early age, so that it is more likely to do it throughout their life.
Our house is not safe
Before bringing a pet home, we need to thoroughly examine our home for any possible hidden dangers. We check for any points from which he could escape and all the dangers to their health (dangerous foods or plants, drugs, chemicals). Let’s not forget that animals are just as curious as children, and as such they must be protected from the dangers of the home.
We don’t make them socialize
Even though our pet needs us more than anything, and loves spending time with us, time spent socializing with other animals and people is still important. This is even more true for kittens and puppies.
In fact, they need to socialize with other animals – provided they have already been vaccinated – to learn to have fun with others, and not feel threatened or have the constant need to protect their owner. If we have a dog, let’s take them where it can find other dogs that are leashed and friendly. If we have a cat, and are about to bring a new pet home, let’s first try to get them acclimatised and accustomed to their respective smells before they have real contact.
The more we make our pet feel comfortable with other people, places and objects, the safer it will feel in various situations. It will certainly be easier if we leave it with other people, for example when we go on vacation. Let’s try to introduce it to some news without pushing it beyond its limits.
We change food for no reason
We humans tend to get bored if we always eat the same things, but animals don’t. One of the common mistakes with pets is that we owners always tend to see human behavior and thoughts in our friends.
Of course, there are times when it is necessary to change their diet for health reasons , but for other reasons it is totally useless for cats and dogs to change what they eat. Indeed, this repetition is actually good for their body, because it can consistently digest what they eat. This prevents diarrhea and vomiting caused by something they are not used to.
We make them ashamed of need
Our dog or cat wants more than anything else to make us happy, and feels emotions such as sadness if they can’t. So let’s not shame him when he has little accidents around the house as a kid. This technique is not recommended and does not make our furry dog bond to us, indeed it is better to use positive reinforcement techniques.
Dogs want to satisfy us masters, so make them ashamed or punish them in every way does not make sense for them. They associate every type of bad, painful and negative behavior to the person who has them, while instead they respond to positive reinforcement, kindness and praise.
We believe that the cat knows how to use the litter box
Although it is true that cats are usually trained by their mothers for the needs, but if necessary we must be the ones to do it. If we notice that it does not know where or how to do the toilet, we must become their trainer of them. And just like with dogs, positive reinforcement is the best method.
We start putting our kitten in the litter box, and wait to see what happens. If it’s not digging and evacuating, let’s grab their front legs, and kindly get them to start digging. Kittens usually understand this behavior around the first month of age. Even for cats, it is worth noting to punish or shame them in case of accidents.
In a car without a belt
It is not fun to hold the dog or cat in your arms while driving: this behavior is very dangerous for them, us and other people on the street. Animals could jump out of the window, making them a possible target for other cars. So, make sure in the car to let them use the belt or other safety devices (such as a cage).
We do not recognize the malaise
Animals, young or old, can get sick. Before getting a pet, we learn what the typical diseases of its breed are, and we learn to recognize the symptoms that make us understand if it is not feeling well.
If our pet has any of these symptoms or seems sick, let’s not waste time and go to the vet. As with humans, any treatment done on time usually helps to avoid the worst.
We leave dog in charge
Dogs have a pack mentality, and each pack has a leader. If we don’t fill this role, our dog will feel the need to do it for us, and this will lead to a number of problems in our relationship.
We must establish limits, rules and remain calm but assertive when we relate to our hairy friend. These strategies will give them the stability it needs to relax and simply be our dog.
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