Are you a new dog owner and looking for some advice? Or are you simply looking to switch up your routine making your lives easier? Well we like to call ourselves the “dogsperts” here at Wafcol HQ. Whether it’s the more important hints and tips to keep your dog happy and healthy in their day-to-day lives or some playful ideas for your dogs’ playtime, grooming or feeding times, we’ve got you covered!
We’re here to make your new puppy training that bit easier, that might be toilet training tips or even advice for the summer months. Maybe you feel that your dog is mocking your pet-parent skills on a daily basis? Catch those doggies out with some playful tips, keeping both you and your dog entertained. Here’s Wafcol’s top 10 dog tips:
10. If you plan to travel with your dog throughout their lifetime it’s really important to get them used to the car at a young age.
Start off by letting your puppy sit in the back seat or boot of the car with a toy or treat. Don’t move the car at this early stage, just let them get used to the feel and environment of the car. Then build up to starting the engine but not moving; and eventually when the time comes to driving somewhere, getting in the car will seem like a fun event for your dog.
9. It’s important to save yourself the embarrassment of getting ‘caught short’ when it comes to your dogs’ toilet habits, especially in public.
Keep a stash of poop bags handy at all times for those desperate moments whilst out and about. We make sure to keep bags in our cars, coat pockets, rucksacks, handbags and of course in your drawers at home. Also, a great handy tip, if you’re going for a walk without your stash, is to attach a couple of poo bags to your dog’s lead – they’ll come in super handy if you ever forget when leaving the house!
8. If you have space at home – big or small – you can play gentle ball games, search and find games as well as doing basic training with your dog, whatever their age and whatever the weather.
If the weather is wet and your pooch isn’t keen on walking in the rain, try teaching them a basic trick, like a twirl or a bow, rewarding them for learning as they go. This will help to keep their minds active during bad weather.
7. Why not make the most of dry summer days whilst saving on those tumble drier bills?
It’s really important to keep the dogs bedding clean, so take advantage of those warm spring and summer months to get up to date with cleaning the dogs’ blankets, bedding and towels. These should have regular hot washes, so doing this during the warmer months will really make your life easier.
6. Get your dogs used to as much as possible when they are pups. Start by rubbing their body gently with a towel from a young age.
They don’t necessarily have to be wet for this, but if they get used to it early then it makes drying off muddy paws a lot easier for the rest of their lives. This is also applies for collars and leads. Get your dog used to wearing a collar as a puppy and walk them around the house on a lead a few times a week. This will get them ready for walkies once they’re old enough.
5. It’s hard to imagine the heartache we’d suffer and the stress they’d be under if our beloved furry friends escaped and couldn’t find their way home.
Not only that, it is now law to ensure that your dog is microchipped from the age of 8 weeks old. The breeder is responsible for the microchipping of puppies, so it’s important for you ensure that the breeder you are buying from has microchipped the puppy and recorded this onto a database before setting your heart on a pup.
4. Doggy travel sickness can cause a huge amount of distress not only for your dog, but for us pet parents too.
A great natural remedy for motion and travel sickness is ginger…if you give your dog a ginger biscuit 10 minutes before travelling it will help to relieve the symptoms. This means the car journey will be much more enjoyable for you, your dog and your family!
3. The hand touch trick is a fantastic way to train your dog.
As they’re naturally curious animals they will touch your hand with their nose when you hold your closed fist near them. The technique is fairly simple – hold out your hand near your dog and when they touch it with their nose say ‘yes’ and give them the treat with your other hand. Your dog will soon learn that as soon as you hold your hand out and they touch it, they will get a treat. You can then begin to advance this trick by either moving your hand higher or lower, or simply request that the dog touches your hand multiple times before getting rewarded.
2. Make sure to make the most of your vets!
Most veterinary surgeries offer free puppy socialisation and play classes which are invaluable for you and your dog when it comes to integration with other animals. Some also offer ‘Healthy Pet Clubs’ that help to spread the cost of routine treatments and give discounts on products which can save you hundreds of pounds over the year. We would recommend that you enquire on your next visit to the vet to understand if this is something they offer.
1. First and foremost taking care of your dogs’ health is the most important tip we can offer.
Therefore, it is absolutely vital that you keep your dog cool and hydrated on warmer days during the summer months. ALWAYS make sure that you have fresh water and a bowl available, especially when you’re out and about and whilst travelling in the car with your dog. We all know how much our fur babies love to chase balls on the beach and chase each other around the park, so keep an old squash or water bottle in the car to re-use for fresh and clean water when you’re out and about. It’s also very entertaining for us humans to give our dogs ice cubes or frozen veg in the garden, it keeps them busy as well as cool!
Looking for even more top tips and advice for taking care of your dog? Take a look at our Top Tips page. We’d also love to hear any tips you have to share with our Wafcol dogs and their owners. Send your tips to us for a chance to feature across Wafcol online.
