10 Best Dog Preventive Care Tips For A Healthy Hound

Written by Tim Rhodes Last Updated: Dec 1 2024

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Dog preventive care tips have always been a concerning topic, for pet lovers.

As the world is progressing day by day, the research and analysis in every field of life are also growing.

So is the case with pet care, especially dog preventive care tips.

Occasionally, pet lovers have problems maintaining the health of the pets.

People with a pet dog confront numerous problems and are unaware of preventive care tips.

10 Best Dog Preventive Care Tips For A Healthy Hound

By the end of this article, you’ll be fully educated about dog preventive care tips and will apply them practically, obtaining the best results.

Therefore, let’s take a closer look at the 10 best preventive tips for your loved ones.

1. Nutrition/Diet

A healthy diet for your dog contributes a handsome percentage to a dog’s overall health.

Always use the best canned or kibble diet.

Especially cooked veggies, dog snacks, lightly cooked chicken or beef, eggs, green leafy vegetables, and coconut oil.

For individual details check the nutritional requirements and related diseases of small animals.

The aforementioned diet for your dog contains a balanced ratio of calcium, vitamins, carbohydrates, and protein.

You must avoid inappropriate foods that are seriously dangerous for your pet dog.

There is a list of foods that could be dangerous even poisonous for your dog.

The list includes chocolate, alcoholic drinks, coffee, fatty foods, grapes, raw meat, and raw eggs.

You should take care of your dog’s diet as if it’s yours, like a person’s improper diet and diet timings affect his or her health in several ways.

It causes them to gain unnecessary weight and can cause a serious problem in sleeping too.

The matter is the same as your canine, keep the diet simple and straight, also, do not perform any experiments as your pet dog is a living creature too.

A good diet plays a pivotal role in the proper growth of a dog’s height, teeth, nourishes the skin, and adds beauty to the coat, turning it shiny.

A long-heightened dog is always loved even by strangers, allowing the dog to get into and out of the car easily.

One of the most important aspects is calcium intake, it will enhance your dog’s teeth and bones, which will add approximately five extra years to your dog’s life.

As strong teeth will allow you to eat properly and strong bones will enable your pet dog to play and exercise well.

Probiotics, which are naturally good bacteria found in your pets, are encouraged by a good and balanced diet.

So, it keeps your pet’s stomach fine and digestive system strong.

It also helps to recover from a minor illness, making the immune system strong.

2. Vaccination

Dog vaccination plays a critical part in protecting your pet dog from numerous lethal and even long-term sicknesses.

Your dog should be regularly vaccinated for rabies.

Many other vaccinations that can save your dog from dangerous infections are not much costly.

You should be fully educated about your dog’s vaccination as it is a lot beneficial.

Vaccines help a dog’s immune system to protect itself from any intervention of disease.

These vaccines contain antigens, which lowers or even finishes the disease-causing bacteria.

So, if your dog is exposed to a minor disease, which is not detectable by you, he will be eliminated by vaccines or at least reduces its effects.

There is a list of diseases that are common to most dogs like rabies, influenza, food poisoning, etc.

There is also a risk of transmission of diseases to other dogs, including human beings, so, it is really dangerous to avoid vaccination.

Therefore, some vaccination like rabies vaccination is required by law in most states.

Puppies are mostly on the verge of getting infected by rabies.

So, a puppy should be vaccinated at a 12-weeks age and then repeated 12-14 months after the first vaccine, then after 3 years.

For example, your puppy would be vaccinated at 12-weeks, 1 year, and then at the age of 4 years.

If you wish to continue your dog’s generation then the vaccination will prove itself also in the old age of the dog and its offspring too.

Vaccination will prevent parents’ disease from entering the offspring, therefore, the vaccination is important as any other care tip for a healthy hound.

So, the puppy will be the owner of a stronger immune system and will be less exposed to major diseases that his parents faced.

3. Medication With Seasonal Change

Your dog can be infected from seasonal allergies just like human beings.

Seasonal change can cause your dog numerous allergies and illnesses like itchy skin, acting a bit off, running nose, and sneezing.

You can identify seasonal illness or allergy in your dog by simple anticipations.

The itchiness can vary from intense to mild and is more likely to be infectious in the muzzle, paw, groin, or armpits.

A fact that a minority of the pet dog keepers know is that your dog can seriously damage his skin by itching.

So, if you ever notice your dog scratching or rubbing on his matt or chewing the body more than usual, it’s urgent taking them to a veterinarian.

This action can cause serious painful infections,  some of the other signs are stinky smells from the dog.

So, you should be vigilant in analyzing any of the above-mentioned changes to your dog, the after-effects of the seasonal illness are really serious.

Even if your dog has fully recovered from an illness like skin itchiness, it can cause permanent baldness to the affected area.

Also, the area may suffer from black or red scars, making your dog look ugly.

Similarly, in some cases, it becomes necessary to cut off some parts of the tailor ears of your dog.

Several safety precautions will keep your dog away from seasonal allergies and illnesses.

Firstly, you should use antibiotic sprays after every season change, especially in high humidity seasons, and keep your dog away from plants at night especially.

The dogs with long hair are more likely to catch insects, which further breed and may cause serious allergies.

The use of air conditioners in summers will keep your dog away from pimples and rashes.

Furthermore, prevent your dog from going out on winter mornings; this will keep your dog’s skin from extreme dryness.

4. Freedom

Companion dogs live highly mannered lives, and we can do a lot for them in terms of freedom and allow them to express their dog behavior.

As the dogs are much intelligent, so, allowing them freedom will be good for their mental health.

The first aspect that should be considered here is the dogs as captive beings.

Beginning with leashes become symbolic of your complicated relationship with your canine companions.

To people, the leash represents going out of your home with pet dogs and giving them proper time to sniff.

Also, play, chase, run, have fun, pee, poop, hump roll, and otherwise express themselves fully.

To a pet dog, the leash likely represents these things, but it is more likely a tether that constrains their freedom as the leash in our means of control.

It makes sure that dogs are only allowed to go where we want them, we say under our terms.

Leashing means a friendly way to let them have more freedom.

Despite human imposed compulsion, most of the people who choose to share their home and heart with a dog perform their level best to provide a good and easy life for their canine companion.

Everyone wants their pet dog to be happy and also to be a proper dog.

However, there is a minority of people who want their dog to perform undog-like and put away their original doggy natures.

For example, if a person imposes orders on the dog by telling him to sit inside alone for several hours, and to walk slowly instead of allowing them to dart everywhere.

Also deciding for themselves when to sniff and to explore.

Preventing them from barking, chasing, humping, and sniffing other dogs is like a prisoner’s behavior with them.

So, these kinds of acts hinder their freedom, if you have any of the above actions then this is the right time to overcome it.

5. Allow Your Dog To Meet Your Friends

Socialization is equally important for your pet dog as for yourself.

Your canine’s personality is enhanced when they meet more and more people, especially your close ones.

Your pet dog should meet and play with your friends and their children regularly, this will keep your dog’s mind calm and fresh.

Meeting with new people is considered mental therapy.

For a better understanding let’s assume a person living in solitariness, no socializing, and not expressing their temporary or permanent feelings to others.

This will demolish his or her personality.

Hiding emotions for a dog can be dangerous as the dog can be highly violent anytime, the dog can bite or scare anyone anytime, even with your anticipation.

So, to avoid any kind of mishap you should introduce your pet dog to all the people in your circle, even take your dog to the grocery store.

If you’ll let your dog meet others, it will benefit as your dog will make dog friends too only if your known ones have a dog.

In this way, your dog will understand the system of socialization.

People nowadays are very busy in their hectic routines and give less time to their pet dogs.

Guests should be acknowledged by you first, so your dog sees your interactions.

Whether you shake hands or hug each other, your dog will notice the positive interaction and will see that you’re relaxed and that may help him to relax.

Tell your guests if your dog jumps on them, they need to place their arms on their chest and turn their back to the dog.

Ask them not to look at your dog, say his name, or even say “down,” the act of turning back will dissuade the dog from jumping.

Once the guests have entered your home and your dog appears comfortable with them being there you may want to let him off his leash with them.

6. Proper Training

The word “training” is very significant.

The important thing is the actual method you’ll use to achieve the desired result, training is essential in every dog’s life.

It teaches some of the most important manners which make your pet gentle and attractive.

Too many people yell at their pet dogs to get obeyed, their hearing is much better than ours and a whisper is often enough to be heard.

It then remains to find the right motivation.

A dog must learn to stand without moving in a fixed position, it is very important for his safety and yours also.

One of the most important training is rappelling training, even if your dog is still on a leash, he must learn to come back to recall.

This will be useful if you let go of the leash or take it for a walk in the forest or the beach.

It is extremely cute when a dog jumps to a party but when he grows and weighs 40 kg, it gets less nice, so you have to teach him very quickly to curb his ardor.

For the safety of the dog, and to avoid regular conflicts, your dog must learn not to eat what a stranger gives him and to drop any object that has been taken in the mouth.

Similarly, you’re to teach your dog to do tricks, this training usually takes less time as it includes giving the paw, rolling, and jumping.

Calming signals are also very important in a dog’s proper training, this helps a lot while meeting other dogs.

The trainer also needs to know it to anticipate their reactions and preventing fights.

Most importantly, you are the first person who is most familiar with your dog.

So, you are the best trainer for the dog, although the training school is nice but is strict too.

7. Proper Pet House Structure

Your pet’s house structure is another important aspect of care tips for the healthy hound.

Your dog’s only place where he is alone in his house, the dog’s house should be nearest to your room or portion.

When building a house for your dog, you must consider the proper size, design, building materials, construction, placement, and bedding.

To fulfill the need of your canine, the doghouse need not be complicated.

A doghouse purpose is to allow its occupant to be dry, out of the wind, cool in summer, warm in winter, and provide him with a place to feel safe everything

The main function of a doghouse is to keep your dog dry.

Nothing can stop him from tracking in some water on a rainy day, but that is not the main concern.

Assuming the house is waterproof, the major problem with water in a doghouse is humidity.

When humidity rises, bacteria and viruses can easily become airborne and carried in atmospheric droplets, so mostly use wood material, it keeps the hound dry.

Peoples often do not realize just how well their dog can fight with some problems.

Dogs, unlike humans, have their built-in insulation in the form of fur short-haired dogs that have the same ability to keep warm as longhaired dogs.

This is because their hair is different, so, winters aren’t a big problem but even then, care is a must when building a doghouse.

Try to keep the doghouse spacious, at least triple the size of your pet dog.

As a rough guideline, a 70-pound dog should have an opening about 12” wide by 14” high.

In really hot areas, it may be a good idea to make the opening larger to increase ventilations.

Also, have the bottom of the opening 4″ to 8” higher than the floor to keep bedding and newborn puppies inside.

Finally, the door on the side of the house opposite the direction of the prevailing winter winds.

If you think bedding is needed, use blankets or pads that can be washed and disinfected.

8. Spending Proper Time With Your Dog

Today our lives are busier than ever, and it seems like we have less time for important things.

Like spending quality time with our dogs.

On the other side, our dogs certainly aren’t lacking in material goods.

On the downside, however, they are lacking something important: quality time with their pup parent.

You likely spend more than 1 hour a day with your dog.

But if you’re a more friendly person than usual, then it is good for your canine companion, and there are signs that your dog likes you.

Unfortunately, there are 40 ways to add hours to the day.

But there are many certain ways you can carve out more time with your pup.

Instead of going for exercise, take a walk with your dog.

Or go visiting the dog park and include your dog on your run.

This kills two birds with one stone.

You get a good walk out and your dog gets some quality time with you.

Also, scheduled social dates involve your dog.

Catching up with a friend and taking your dog a walk is very important.

Between work, family obligations, chores, etc., you’ve got plenty of time for the dog, as cuddling your dog in front of others, play with your dog as your daily routine.

9. Provide Them What They Like

There are many things that are dog-like.

So, providing your dog what he likes will change his behavior more positively towards you.

For a proper sense of security of your dog keep noticing his likes and dislikes and note them on paper and try to understand them.

More than 90% of dogs like when their owners rub and cuddle them right.

This is also correct in terms of the psychology of your love for the dog.

There should be toys present for your dog all the time, even put some in the car in case you travel somewhere and forget to keep the toys with you.

So, it will help a lot.

The most common and simplest toy is a tennis ball or a football.

Dogs love to play with balls because they keep rolling and rolling every time and you also love to catch things!

There is an idea that dogs love when their chest is rubbed, and hate when their belly is rubbed.

So, keep yourself alert when rubbing your dog.

Another thing which mostly a dog loves is a peaceful and nice nap in day time.

This matter is the same with some people, so, why keep your dog away from this blessing?

Most dogs love to be consistent and follow a predictable routine, either for or a leash.

Make your schedule in such a way that benefits your dog too and not just walking and working around by ignoring your dog.

10. Your Behavior

There are a few things that we humans do that can be intimidating to many dogs.

You should behave to your dog as you behave with other people, which is by calling in complementary, seeing eye to eye, offering a handshake, and getting close.

You should make your dog addicted to your positive behavior even if you’re upset by any other business.

That is not the mistake of your dog, so if you’re upset about anything, leave it outside your home!

Always try to be informal with your dog.

Your dog is very intelligent, he can analyze your fake attention and will get upset from the core of his heart.

So, be cautious in your behavior.

Ask your neighbors also to be vigilant with your dog and give anything to eat when they meet your dog.

Your behavior also includes the behavior of your relatives, neighbors, and friends.

So, introduce your dog to them properly and make your dog learn to shake the paw with their hands, this will further enhance the personality of your dog.

Others will value your dog in the same way as you value him.

Final Thoughts

We hope that you’ve now fully understood the 10 best preventive care tips for a healthy hound.

If you’ve missed anything read it again properly or make some bullet points.

These care tips will be highly beneficial for your dog.

Everyone got their mind and opinions about keeping their hound healthy but properly searched and correct information benefits most.

After applying these tips you’ll be calm and satisfied.

It is because some research and articles like this one which fully covers every aspect, keeping up and downside also are beneficial.

Thank you for reading, take care.