Dog Education, Puppy Educating & Early Training

During the first months of a dog's life, he must be educated as well as cared for. Basic dog education implies several tasks that must be learned and exercised such as:

• A dog must have the opportunity to interact with other humans (besides yourself), as well as other animals in general. Remember that one day he might have to live with other animals or people in the future. Contact with his same species, as well as with other species is extremely important before the age of three months.
• As the owner of a dog, you must train (or have your dog trained) to obey commands, as well as fulfill simple orders like "sit", "come here", "out", etc.
• Your dog needs and requires of exercise such as walks and outings. Make sure though that before you take your dog out to a public place, that he has all the required vaccinations etc, and make sure that his health is optimal condition to reduce the risk of him getting diseases or sick. Your dog must also learn to wear his collar, leash and muzzle while in public.
• Some people have opted for their dogs participating in socialization classes. The objective of these classes is to educate the dog so that he learns how to be a good companion, obedient and tame, and to let him know the expected behavior of a puppy and adult dog. It's best to get your dog into these classes at an early age so that you will be able to detect behavior problems or problems that could arise, at a young age and deal with them quickly too.
• It's very important to also control those rough changes of temperature, especially in the winter season. This obviously would also depend on where the dog's living spaces are, whether he's inside the house more often or outside. If your dog is used to being inside or spends most of his time in your house, you will need to avoid exposing him directly and abruptly to the cold, as it can be harmful to his health. On the other hand if your dog lives outside, it's very important to provide a comfortable, safe and protected living space. Pay special attention to the weather whether it is too hot or too cold. Also make sure to always keep your dogs outside house slightly elevated from the ground to avoid humidity from penetrating.

Something else to keep in mind is that you should not only take your dog out for a ride with you when you are on your way to the veterinarian. It's important to get your dog used to riding in a car to avoid your dog from associating all his car rides as a trip to the veterinarian, which in some cases is not the best of experiences like having to get vaccinations etc. Get your dog, little by little, used to riding with you and increase the amount of time gradually as doing this will allow your dog to adapt to the car. Dog's that are trained this way can be some of the best companions in the car. It's recommended to leave a window of your car slightly open when traveling with the dog so that air will come through during the trip as well as when you have parked the car. If you need to at any point leave your dog alone in the car, make sure that you never leave him there for an extended amount of time and that he is not exposed to the sun as dog's can very quickly become dehydrated. Of course, it's best to just not leave your dog alone in the car. If at any moment you notice that your dog just simply does not fancy the movement of the car, you might have to think about leaving him home if you are to have family vacations, or of leaving him under the care of a friend or in a dog day care center. Some people opt for using crates or special harnesses.

Important: If you need to travel out of the country, it's always best and convenient to have the certification or the permits correspondent to the dog. Remember to check also if your dog gets carsick easily so that you can take all of the necessary precautions such as his medications. If you notice that your dog has this problem, you will need to talk to your veterinarian about it so he can prescribe the correspondent medication.