4 tips for living well with your dog

Published on 05/02/2024 18:59

That's it, our dog has landed at home! But educating a dog is not always easy especially when it's the first time that you become a pet master. The mistake is human ... and our dogs sometimes pay the price. To avoid gaffes, a small recap of false good ideas.

- I put his nose in his needs so he does not start in the house
The dog does not pick up the message and does not make the link of cause and effect. To wet his boogers for him is not disgusting. Far from being a punishment, it's almost a reward since he spends his time sniffing those of his peers, his way to get info on his friends dogs. His recoil will be just a reaction to the brutality of our gesture.
Our advice: scold the dog in a loud voice so that he understands our discontent. And if he has not yet learned to "dunk out", we watch for the warning signs of his needs (he wobbles, sniffs everywhere ...) and it's out!

- I just adopted a puppy and I avoid to leave it alone the first month
Perverse effect of this desire to mother this baby dog: he develops a hyper attachment during this period. The first 4 months are crucial, they are the ones where the bases of the future behavior of our dog are set up. The separation may seem brutal, a source of anxiety that pushes the puppy to do damage in the house in our absence. And it would be a pity.
Our advice: get the puppy from the beginning to stay alone for longer or shorter periods. And when we leave him, we do it naturally, without lavishing on him a thousand loves, it would insecure him. We also remain rather neutral during reunions.

- I wash my dog with my shampoo
Our shampoos are too aggressive for the skin of our dogs. They dry it and remove the sebum, which under the hair protects it from cold and rain. And then our shampoos are too scented and prevent the dog from recognizing his fellow creatures to their smell and to spot them. What disturb him. He will have only one desire: to roll in the mud to make disappear this perfume.
Our advice: a special shampoo dog or in solution of troubleshooting soap Marseille.

- I use the same antipuce for my yorkshire and for my cat
If the cat's antipuce does not hurt a dog, it's not reciprocal. Many dog fleas contain permethrin, a toxic substance for felines as it can damage their nervous system. If we made this mistake, we give illico a shower his cat.
Our advice: do not mix genres and buy two pest control, one adapted to his dog, the other to his cat.

Thanks to Isabelle Collin for her advice. Author of I educate my dog in 1 weekend at First Editions