12 Harmful Things You Do to Your Dog Without Realizing It
By: Jayden Yugie
Tags: Dogs, Animals, Pets, Dog Training, Pets And Animals

12 Harmful Things You Do to Your Dog Without Realizing It

Important things every dog owner should know!

Photo by Victor Grabarczyk on Unsplash

Dogs are man’s best friend, they make us feel less lonely, and bring happiness to our lives. To many people, Dogs are as important as any member of their family. But the unfortunate reality is that dog owners unintentionally harm their dogs. We all make mistakes; we only human.

However, when you don’t realize what the errors are, it’s hard to learn from them and make the environment a safe one for your pets. As a dog owner, you must stay vigilant as some things that seem benign are potentially fatal. What are they? Continue reading to find out more about the things you might be doing that you don’t realize are harmful.

Yelling when your dog does something wrong

Dogs don’t understand “NO”, so it only freaks your dog out, especially if you’re ticked off about something that happened a while ago.

Choosing the wrong collar

There are several types of collars, and you need to pick the one that best suits the needs and character of your pup, as well as a place to attach his license. Whether you’ve settled on a harness or gone for a collar, the second (and just as important!) step is making sure it’s the right size. If a collar or harness is too big, your pooch may escape.

Leaving a dog alone in the car

Dogs don’t sweat like people do, so they can overheat much faster than you’d think. And since they lack this crucial ability to cool themselves off, the consequences of staying in a locked car can turn out fatal.

Neglecting your dog’s teeth

A dog’s teeth need to be cleaned just like people’s teeth do. Don’t use toothpaste and toothbrushes designed for people. There are special ones made just for dogs, and they’re pretty different from the human kinds.

Letting your dog eat everything

Never feed human food to your dog! It’s way too salty, too spicy, and too fatty for them. In fact, most dishes you eat are severely toxic for them.

Bringing puppies to a dog park

To start with, dogs can sometimes be passive carriers of diseases. Secondly, grown-up dogs, especially large ones, can be incredibly rough when playing and running around.

Providing too little stimulation

Just like you, dogs need constant mental and physical stimulation-, especially working breeds, which is why regular walking is a must.

Not securing your dog in the car

If you don’t secure your dog in the car and you end up in an accident, your pet can get seriously injured or even killed.

Skipping flea, tick, and worming treatment

Some people say you can take a break from flea, tick, and heartworm medicine in winter if you live in a cold climate, but you really should discuss it with your veterinarian.

Using physical punishment

Physical punishment doesn’t work and actually does the opposite of what you want — it makes your dog scared of you. Reward-based training is much more effective than physical discipline.

Leaving harmful objects around

Dog-proof your house by putting away anything your pet can chew or swallow. Things like medications, screws and nails, magnets, coins, and batteries should never be within your pet’s reach.

Neglecting breed-specific health issues

Always do your research before you get a pet so that you’ll know how to best take care of it and what problems to look out for.

You need to take good care of your dog. Your dog will always be there for you, it will always have your back! It’s the only thing in the world that loves you more than you love yourself.