However, according to Bright Side, there are some potentially dangerous things you may be doing as often as everyday without even realizing it could harm your dog. Here are seven ways you may be unknowingly endangering your dog.
7- Rubbing Their Nose in It
Rubbing your dog’s nose in pee or poop when they’ve had an accident does not work. It’s an outdated idea, but unfortunately, many people still think this is appropriate. While it won’t teach your dog not to pee on your carpet, it will teach your dog to fear you. If you have a puppy, and the issue is housetraining, there are effective methods that will not hurt your dog’s feelings. If your dog goes in an inappropriate place in your home, there are only a few reasons: they needed to be walked and couldn’t wait, something scared them, or they have a health problem (notice I didn’t put “they are trying to get back at you” on this list). Dogs have “accidents” usually because they can’t hold it, which means you either need to walk your dog more frequently or you weren’t paying attention to your dog, knowing she was giving you signals to take her out. By rubbing their nose in the accident, you’re exposing them to bacteria, and you’re not correcting the problem. In fact, you are most likely making it worse because now your dog has anxiety around a natural physiological process.
6- LETTING YOUR DOG EAT EVERYTHING
Most dog owners give their dogs human food, thinking they are actually caring for it. In fact, giving dogs human food is hurting your dog. Your dog’s elementary canal is quite different from yours just as its nutritional requirements are different. Most times the food you eat are too spicy, too fatty or too salty for your dog. In fact, human food are way too toxic for your dog and you should avoid feeding them with it, even little crumbles from the table.
5- EXPOSING YOUR DOG TO STRONG SMELLS
You may feel irritated or probably nauseated when you are in the same room with someone wearing excessive perfume. This is the same to your dog. Actually, dogs have about a 1,000 to 10,000 of your ability to perceive sense. Your dog will feel nauseated when sprayed with a perfume or brought close to a particularly strong smelling substance, it wouldn’t feel pleasant at all. For this reason, you should protect your pet from perfume and any other strong smelling chemicals as much as possible.
4- Picking the wrong collar
Getting the right collar and leash helps both your dog and you. If a collar is too tight, it can rub against the skin and hurt them. Too loose and they can wiggle out and potentially run away and get into trouble. This happened once when Toby was in what I’d call his teen stage – 8 months old and not quite a little puppy but certainly not a mature adult. When I stopped to get gas, he jumped out of the car. I quickly grabbed his collar, but since I had just adjusted it for his growing body and it was far too loose, he wiggled out and started to run and dart around the gas station parking lot. He could have easily been hit by a car! It was terrifying. After that, I always made sure to do the trick vets teach: you should be able to fit one finger between the skin and the collar for small dogs and two for big dogs. Sometimes, however, a collar isn’t the best option. That’s where a harness comes in. A harness is a better option for dogs prone to tracheal collapse and those that frequently escape their collar.
3- Too Much or Too Little Exercise
As our dogs grow up and become well trained, we are able to do more with them. We can go for long hikes, play ball in a field, and even start training for a marathon together. Because your dog is older it is important to be aware of how much exercise you are giving him. If you walk him every day for several hours, your dog is probably getting too much exercise. There are some breeds that need this constant exercise, but for older dogs, they are better off resting or going on shorter excursions more often. Pushing your dog too hard or exercising in the extreme heat can be taxing on your dog’s body. On the other hand, there are instances when a dog does not get enough exercise. This can be due to the busy schedule of the owner who has little time to take the dog out. If your dog is not getting enough exercise, it can cause him to act out (chewing, digging, etc.) or worse, gain weight. When dog’s gain weight, the extra pounds put stress on his legs and joints and it can lead to joint pain that hurts your dog. Find that perfect balance. Once you have found that ideal amount, your dog will be happy and healthy!
2- Leaving a dog alone in the car
This one is fairly common knowledge at this point, but we wanted to include it because it’s so important to never leave your dog alone in a car! According to Bright Side, internal car temperatures go up by 20 degrees in 10 minutes, regardless of whether you’re parked directly in the sun or not. Dogs don’t sweat like us, so overheating is extremely easy, and it’s hard to tell when they’re getting too hot.
1- Neglecting your dog’s teeth
