Dog Bathing Tips - Use a conditioner especially made for dogs. This will add nutrients to their coat and detangle it, making it softer and easier to brush.

Do not overfeed your dog! This will do nothing but make the dog obese and shorten his life span. Don't leave food out, only water. Schedule times of the day to serve them. This will become a routine.

Make sure your dog gets enough exercise. Let him run in the yard or take him on frequent walks or runs in the park. Play with your dog and make it feel a part of the family.

Be sure to praise your dog when it goes potty in the right spot or performs a task that is admirable. Your dog needs to indentify your praise with good behavior and this will lead to a happier more obedient dog.

When walking your dog, keep it on a leash at all times. This is not only for your control, but for the safety of others.

Don't forget to brush your dog's teeth. This surprises some new dog owners but your dog's dental health is just as important as yours. Ask your vet about occasional professional cleaning.

Dog Bathing / Grooming Tips - If you brush your dog before his bath, his tangles will be a lot easier to get out.

Make sure your dog has a collar and ID tag with its name, and your name and address information, including telephone number. There's always a chance your dog may become lost and you want to ensure it can be returned to you.

Be sure that your dog is spayed or neutered. This not only helps you to have a kinder dog that will most likely live longer, but it helps keep our pet population from getting out of hand.

Check your local licensing laws concerning dog tags and vaccinations. Be sure your pet's records are all up to date.

When you get a new puppy, socialize it. This is the most important thing you can do. Keep putting the puppy in new situations where it meets new people, other dogs and things that can be very scary like bikes and strollers. If you do this while they are young you will have a dog that will know that these things are ok and not to be scared of them. The more you do this the easier it will be to take your dog places where dogs are allowed.

When you get a new puppy - sign up for puppy classes. Not only will you learn basic commands like sit and stay that are essential to having a well behaved dog, but it is a great way to meet other dog owners and potential dog fiends for your dog to have play dates with at the dog park.

Also - talk to your vet about microchipping your dog. This way if they get out and their collar comes off they can still be identified.

If you're considering a dog as a companion animal, check out your local animal shelter. Many large cities (and quite a few small ones) have Humane Society and/or ASPCA shelters with many breeds available. Some may be purebred, others may be a "Heinz 57" mix, but the cost of adopting a shelter animals is often much less than buying a puppy from a pet shop.

Some cities even have volunteer-run animal shelters that offer not only adoption, but opportunities to "foster" rescued animals and acclimate them to home life. Check your phone directory or the Internet!

This also prevents your dog from becoming a picky eater. When your pet is given too much freedom to their mealtime, servings, etc., they will be more inclined to lose interest in what they know is always readily available to them at any given time. This is most important when you are raising a puppy-changing your pup's food, just so that they will eat, leads to irregular stool.

Find a job for your pooch! One of the most important aspects of human life is having a job as it should be for your dog as well. Wether their job is to retrieve a ball in the backyard, run laps around the track with you, etc., the purpose is for them to have a daily physical routine. This allows him/her to look forward to something and feel a sense of accomplishment, happiness, pride, etc. This also develops a more obedient dog!

When looking for the right leash/collar to walk your dog, DO NOT use a choker collar. This is cruel. Choker collars do exactly what they say -- they cut off all your dog's air supply! Needless to say, it's a health hazard and you can do serious damage to your dog's esophagus!

Before you decide to adopt/buy a dog, it is helpful to research on different breeds so that you choose one that may be more compatible to your lifestyle. For example: Some dogs by nature are very physically active while others are more laid back. Some are territorial, shed more, and even drool more! But don't let these generalized characteristics deter you from any particular breed - there are always exceptions. Many of the negative behavioral characterisits can be corrected by enrolling your dog in obedient school as a puppy. By doing this you will see immediate results!

If you have to give your dog a medication in pill form, here are two suggestions to make it easier. First there are pill pocket treats that you can purchase to put the pill in. Second you can give the treat mixed in to some peanut butter. My dog loves peanut butter so I crush his pills and mix it into a ball of peanut butter for him. He thinks he’s just getting a special treat, and I know he got his medication.

A great treat for dogs during the summer is flavored ice cubes. Mix either chicken or beef broth with about 1 and ½ cups of water and poor them into ice trays. You can then give your dog the ice to lick and eat. It’s probably best to put them in an empty food bowl so you don’t end up with a wet sticky mess on your floor.

During the summer, make sure that your dog is not outside during the hottest part of the day. Just like humans, dogs can suffer from a form of heat stroke. If your dog stays outside make sure they are well shaded and have fresh clean water all day long.

Never ever leave a dog in a vehicle! Even on cooler days the temperature in there get very dangerously hot – so hot that a dog can die from the heat.

If you are going to feed you dog a diet with homemade food using “people” foods (ie: chicken, rice, etc.) make sure you train your dog what is theirs and what is yours so that they are not begging at the table or stealing your dinner off the countertop. Feeding them at a time separate from when you are eating your meals will help with this.

If you love dogs, but are unable to have one – because your parents say no, you live in an apartment that does not allow them, or you live with someone who is allergic – you can still spend time around dogs. Volunteer at your local animal shelter by offering to help with adoptions, walking dogs, cleaning cages, or just spending time with the dogs so that they get some interaction with a human.

Make sure that you keep your dog protected from fleas and ticks all year round. While these pests are more common during the summer months, you need to continue protection all year long. The two most common methods for prevention are flea collars and monthly flea and tick medication.