How to Give Dogs What They Need
To give your dog what it needs, make sure it has the necessities, like a collar, leash, and ID tags, to keep it safe. Additionally, provide your dog with a quality dog food that has real meat rather than fillers to keep it healthy. You'll also want to give your dog some toys, like rubber bones, rawhides, or stuffed animals, to keep it entertained. Your dog will feel more secure if it has a dedicated space to sleep, so give it a soft bed that will fit its entire body. In order to keep your dog happy, healthy, and calm, give it 30 to 60 minutes of exercise a day, including walks and playtime. Yearly vet visits are also essential for your dog's health, so make sure to keep your dog up to date on wellness exams and vaccines.
Purchase a dog collar and leash. Your dog needs a collar, so you can attach an ID tag that will help identify your dog if it ever gets lost. This is a preventative measure that is necessary for the safety and well-being of your dog. The collar also allows you to easily attach a leash so that you can take your dog on walks. Getting your dog used to a collar early (around 6 weeks or so) will be good training that makes walks and taking your dog places easier later on. Remember that leashes are necessary any time you take your dog out of the house – for walks, trips to the vet, outings to the dog park, etc. This will help keep your dog safe by minimizing the chance it will be able to run away. Buy your dog an ID tag. You should buy a personalized identification tag with the dog's name and address on it at a local pet store or veterinarian's office. Most pet stores have machines that allow you to insert the information you want engraved on the ID tag and have it personalized as you watch. On the ID tag, you should include your pet's name, your phone number, and (optionally) your home address. Give your dog some toys. Dogs typically have a lot of energy. They need things to keep themselves occupied so they don't become restless or destructive towards your furniture or other things in your home. Purchase size- and age-appropriate toys for your dog. Let it play with them and keep them in a place where the dog can access the toys when it wants. Your dog needs to stay active and healthy, so buying toys for your pup like boomerangs, frisbees, and tennis balls can help them stay active. Make sure you find out the dog's favorite types of toys from the previous owner if you acquired your dog at an older age. Some dogs like soft toys (like plush teddy bears) whereas others may like toys that they can chew and work their teeth into (like rubber bones, Kongs, or rawhide bones). Buy your dog a bed. Your dog will need a dedicated space in your home that it knows belongs to it and that it can feel comfortable in, especially if the dog sleeps in the house at night. Purchase a comfortable dog bed for your pup and put it in the room where you spend the most time. Make sure that the bed is comfortable enough and not too hard for the dog. Just like us, dogs need a bed too. They need a regular place to sleep, so they know where to go when they want to sleep. You can even purchase several dog beds – like 1 for the living room for during the day and 1 for your bedroom for the dog to sleep in at night. Be certain that you are buying the right size. If it is too small, the dog may sleep somewhere else and it may develop a habit of sleeping there. If that happens, it can be hard to get the dog to sleep where you want it to afterwards. Consider crate training. If you plan on leaving your dog home alone for longer periods of time – like when you go to work or school – you may want to consider crate training your dog. Purchase a crate for your dog that is big enough for it to stand up and turn around in. Dogs can get bored or anxious when they are home alone and often expend this extra energy by chewing on your furniture or other things in your house. This destructive behavior can be frustrating, but dogs usually grow out of it after the first couple of years, especially if you begin crate training them. Be sure not to leave your dog in the crate unattended for more than a few hours at a time. Ask your veterinarian for a recommendation on dog food. There are many varieties and types of dog food available, so it's best to get a recommendation from your vet on the best brand for your specific breed of dog. They'll suggest a dog food that has quality ingredients listed first on the label – like real meat products rather than cornmeal, grains, or other fillers. Typically it's not necessary to purchase the most expensive brands of dog food, as they usually cater to fad diets and have little to no scientific backing for the health benefits to justify the additional cost.  on a regular schedule. Feed your dog Most dogs need to be fed several times each day. How much you feed your dog depends on the dog's age, size, weight, breed, and overall health. You should consult with your veterinarian about how much is the right amount to feed your particular dog, but you can begin by consulting the package the food comes in for a chart on approximately how much to feed your dog. Typically, an average sized dog should be fed around 1 cup of food twice per day. You should give your pup smaller portions of food two or three times per day instead of one big meal. A larger meal will make them too full and then leave them hungry later. Dogs also typically can't self-regulate their food, meaning that you can't just refill their bowl as it empties and expect them to eat only as much as they need throughout the day. Instead, you need to actually measure out the correct amount at each individual feeding. Provide a constant supply of clean water. One of the most vital things your dog needs access to is clean, potable water. Just like humans, dogs need to drink clean water every day in order to survive. Make sure your dog has a bowl of water in the same place every day so that it can always locate the water when it is thirsty. You may want to consider a backup source of water in cases where you'll be gone for several hours in case your dog accidentally knocks over one of the bowls. Thoroughly wash the bowl with mild soap and hot water each time you refill it to remove bacteria. Rinse it completely, then refill it with room-temperature water. Provide healthy treats. In addition to the food that you choose, you'll need to give your dog some treats on occasion, especially during training sessions or as a reward for good behavior. Choose training treats that are small and irresistible to your pup, and offer them only during training sessions. Choose another, healthy treat for other instances. Many treats are specially formulated to also act as teeth cleaning agents. Try to find dog bones or hard biscuit treats that mention canine dental benefits as well. Avoid giving your dog human food unless it is something simple like rice or grilled chicken (which can actually be good for an upset doggy tummy). Give your dog plenty of exercise. Dogs typically have a lot of energy that they need to expend on a daily basis. So in order to have a happy, healthy life, your dog will need daily exercise. The amount of exercise necessary varies from breed to breed, but most dogs need between 30 to 60 minutes of exercise every day. You could take your dog on walks around the neighborhood, play with your dog in the backyard, or bring your dog to the dog park to run around with some other dogs. If you don't have much time for regular daily activity with your pup, you might want to consider taking your dog to a doggie daycare during the day while you're at work. That way your dog can run around and interact with other dogs while you're busy at work. Take your dog for yearly vet check ups. One of the most important things that your dog needs from you is regular medical attention, including preventative care. This means that you should take your dog to the vet for annual checkups. Even if your dog is not sick, this is still a recommended part of pet ownership. At an annual visit your vet will weigh your dog, listen to its heartbeat, ask you questions about its behavior, and administer vaccinations as appropriate. Get your dog vaccinated. Vaccinations are important for dogs, especially if they spend a lot of time outside or around other animals. They can protect your dog against dangerous infections and diseases like parvovirus, distemper, and hepatitis. In fact, a rabies vaccination is required by law in the U.S. Some vaccinations are performed annually, while others are administered once every 2 to 3 years. Provide proper shelter from weather. If your dog spends much time outside, you need to make sure it has something to protect itself from the elements. Your dog should have a place to go to get out of the rain or to cool off in the shade in the hot summer months. This is especially important during extreme heat and extreme cold weather. Purchase or build your dog a sturdy doghouse it can use as a retreat when it is outside. Or consider giving your dog access to the space under the deck in your yard, if you have one. Remove household dangers. Dogs have a tendency to get into things they shouldn't. If you want to keep your dog safe in your home, you need to spend some time getting rid of some of the normal household items you might have around that could harm it. This includes potentially poisonous household plants, chemicals (cleaning supplies, automotive supplies, hair products, etc.), and human foods that can be harmful to dogs. Some common household plants that are dangerous to dogs include azaleas, wisteria, holly, irises, daffodils, poinsettias, and Easter lilies. Human foods and beverages that your dog should not eat include coffee, alcohol, chocolate, grapes, raisins, nuts, onions, and garlic. Spend quality time with your dog. Another thing your dog needs from you is quality time. In order to build a lasting bond with your dog, you need to spend some time with it each day when possible. This will help your dog learn to trust you and rely on you for the things it needs in life. Spend time with your dog by playing with it, taking it with you places, and letting it sit next to you when you're relaxing at home. Praise your dog. Let your dog know that you love and care for it by praising it when it behaves the way you want it to. Shower your dog with praise so that it loves you instead of developing a sense of fear toward you. Say things like, “Good boy” or “Good girl” to your dog and pet it affectionately. Train your dog properly. Spend some time training your dog so that it learns to behave the way you expect it to. You'll need to practice some basic commands and focus on rewarding the dog with praise (and occasionally a small treat) whenever they get the behavior right. The most important thing to remember when training a dog is to always be consistent. If you don't want your dog to get on the furniture, don't give in and let it on the couch with you occasionally when you want to cuddle. This will be confusing to your dog. Use positive rewards instead of negative punishments. Negative reinforcement is using pain or other forms of punishment to get your dog to behave a certain way. But this builds relationships based on fear rather than love and a desire to please. When your dog does what you want it to do, praise it and give it a treat. This reinforces the behavior in a positive way. This is especially important when you are training your dog, teaching your dog new tricks, or trying to house train the dog. Watch for signs of unhappiness or illness. One of the most important parts of providing your dog with what it needs is being a mindful guardian and pet owner. This means that you should be diligent in monitoring your dog for any signs of discomfort, illness, or anxiety. If your dog starts vomiting, has diarrhea, or seems depressed for more than a couple of days, you should take it to the veterinarian for a checkup. If there is something that is making your dog anxious, you should try to lessen your dog's anxiety in any way you can. For example, if your dog has separation anxiety when you leave the house, you can try using desensitization training to make your dog more comfortable. 
Purchase a dog collar and leash. Buy your dog an ID tag. Give your dog some toys. Buy your dog a bed. Consider crate training. Ask your veterinarian for a recommendation on dog food.  on a regular schedule. Provide a constant supply of clean water. Provide healthy treats. Give your dog plenty of exercise. Take your dog for yearly vet check ups. Get your dog vaccinated. Provide proper shelter from weather. Remove household dangers. Spend quality time with your dog. Praise your dog. Train your dog properly. Use positive rewards instead of negative punishments. Watch for signs of unhappiness or illness. 