Pet Basics

As a new pet owner there are some basic rules and principals that need to be observed. These pet basics are the staples of well taken care of pets. You must abide by these basics as a pet owner to achieve an environment that breeds love and trust. When you have your pets love and trust good training becomes fun for both of you. Without these basic supplies and principals you can become overwhelmed by the arrival of your new pet. You can be ready for your new pet to come home if you follow these simple steps.

Choosing a pet for your family can be a hard decision and should never be made in haste. Deciding whether to get a puppy, a kitten, full grown dog or cat can be a hard question. What your lifestyle is like will predict what animal and breed will work for you. Your lifestyle has a major role in choosing the right pet. If you are an active person whom likes the outdoors then a dog with lots of energy to burn would be perfect for you. If you are elderly and rarely go for long walks outside an adult cat may be right for you. If you are a family with children then a sturdy well tempered cat or dog would be good. If you live in an apartment or small house, a large dog may not be the best choice. As long as you and your family do research before attempting to adopt a pet of any type it’s bound to help with training.

Once you have found a pet and breed that seems to fit with your lifestyle you can start to look more seriously at adopting a new pet. Visiting a shelter will help in the decision making process also. Whatever you do, do not adopt a pet because they are “cute”. I have made this mistake and felt like a bad person when I had to find my dog a new home. I did no research on my first dog and bought him at pet shop because he was cute and on sale. This dog turned out to need constant attention and grooming that I could not give him at the time. Because he came from a pet shop, this was another reason he needed more attention and was much harder to train. Pet shops in places like a mall are the worst place to purchase an animal for many reasons. The main reason is the problematic training process. Some of these animals have been treated poorly and have aggression issues already. This hinders the training further.

You should have a quiet place set aside in your home that your animal can be alone and content. I like to use a baby gate in my laundry room. When the animal gets too excited or needs a timeout, they can go to this area and not feel abandoned. You will also want to make sure that you have an area that you can go to get away also. Your pet shouldn’t follow you everywhere; this could become bothersome later when the pet is bigger and even can be dangerous in places such as stairs.

You should also give the animal their own bed. If your pet sleeps with you as a puppy or kitten they will sleep with you as an adult also. It seems alright in the beginning but the animal is like your baby and if you don’t teach them right from wrong you may have to re-train your pet later. Sleeping with a puppy in bed is no big deal but sleeping with a full sized dog is another. This goes especially for the single pet owner whom may acquire a family later on in life and the pet may no longer be welcome in the bed anymore. If this was allowed to happen the animal may get confused and act out in many ways.

The next thing to be concerned about is the accessibility to fresh water and nutritious food. Always have a fresh bowl of water for your pet at all times. If you travel a lot this is important because the animal can’t ask for a drink. Even if you are a homebody you must remember to refill the bowl every day. Animals that drink out of the toilet can get diseases so this is not an acceptable substitute. Making sure that the pet does not have access to poisonous things such as plants and cleaning products is also very key. A good rule is that if you wouldn’t let a human baby have something don’t let your pet have it either.

Nutritious food is a very important pet basic. You should talk to a breeder or expert about the needs and requirements for your particular pet before deciding on a pet food. The main thing for pet owners to know about their pet’s food is whether it meets the requirements of the pet’s nutritional needs and the cost effectiveness. Never switch your pet’s food without doing so gradually this can be bad for the digestive system. Some cats are very susceptible to this because of sensitive urinary tracts and the results can be painful for the pet and costly for the owner at the vet.

Last but not least you should never get a pet of any kind if you can’t take care of it physically or have the monetary ability to give the animal all of the requirements and vet checks that they need. You as the pet owner are the main source of life and well being for this animal. You have to be able to take necessary responsibility of scheduled shots, checkups and physical requirements that the pet may have. You can’t expect to live in a tiny apartment with a Rottweiler and be happy ever after. I’m not saying that this can’t be done, but shouldn’t for the sake of the pet. This doesn’t usually make for a happy pet or owner. You should also be prepared to have a kennel or friend that is willing and able to take care of your pet if you are out of town. Never leave your pet alone for an extended period of time. Cats and dogs require a lot of maintenance and love.

These are just the basics and skim the tip of the basic care and needs of pets. Depending on the pet their breed and many other individual needs depicts your pet’s routine and maintenance. If you follow these basics for new pets you are sure to do a great job training your pet with our help and caring. When you are ready to go more in depth on preparing for a pet and the most effective, fool-proof way to train your dog, check out Secrets to Dog Training by Daniel Stevens. This is the guide we have used and highly recommend it. For the cat owners out there, we recommend Cat Secrets Reveled. This eBook will help you train your new cat very quickly.

Remember your animal is your responsibility and by adopting a pet, you agree to this basic care and needs. Never ever strike a pet. These are just babies and the can be hurt very easily. Striking your pet will also promote violent behavior and aggression that may be taken out by chewing or scratching.