Puppies are some of the most precious animals you’ll ever encounter and many owners will do anything to keep them healthy and happy. Some pet owners are overprotective and avoid off-leash dog parks.
While it’s certainly understandable why you want to keep your puppy isolated and away from any potential dangers, living a life alone is just not what dogs are used to. Every now and then, they need the company of their fellow hounds, which is why dog parks exist.
Regular visits to the dog park will be good for both you and your puppy. Check out the tips included in this article regarding how to ensure those trips to the dog park go smoothly.
Teach Your Puppy the Basic Commands
It’s important to manage your expectations when it comes to your puppy. Everything is still new to them so getting them to remember all the commands is not going to be easy.
For now, you should just focus your energy on drilling the most basic of the basic commands. Preventive Vet suggests teaching the essentials such as “come,” “leave it,” “look here,” and “sit.” As long as your puppy has a good grasp on those commands, you should feel more comfortable about heading off to the dog park.
Start Socializing before the Trip to the Dog Park
The goal for the upcoming trip to the park is to get your puppy used to being around other dogs, but that doesn’t mean that it has to be the first experience of that kind for your pet. It’s even recommended that you start socializing your puppy well before going to the park.
Ask some friends with dogs to come over or take your puppy to meet the neighbor’s dog. This type of dog training can be very beneficial before your visit to the park.
You run the risk of scaring your dog if the park serves as the first place where they get to socialize with others so make sure you get that out of the way first.
Protect Your Puppy against Ticks
It’s always better to be safe than sorry. With that in mind, you should strongly consider purchasing some preventive medication against ticks before taking your puppy to the park.
WebMD notes that you can purchase preventive tick medication in either pill form or a liquid that you can apply to the fur. Go with the one your pup is more comfortable with to keep him/her better protected prior to the big day.
Visiting dog parks can be intimidating for your puppy and for you too. It doesn’t have to be though. By prepping your pup the right way, you can significantly increase the chances that the trip to the park will be memorable for all the right reasons.
Do you want to further increase the odds of your puppy’s first trip to the dog park turning out well? We can help with that! Allow TAILored Pet Services to help by calling/texting 425-923-7791.
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