The Bond that can come between a person and a dog can be extremely strong and cherished.  This is especially true if that bond had been strengthened while living with each other for many years.  I know about this bond first hand.  I have personally cried after losing our family dog; he was a best friend to me for over ten years.

One of the things I remember about him was the dog training vest that he wore.  We both had one.  His notified others that he was in training.  Mine was more like a vest that a fisherman’s or photographer’s vest.  It had many functional pockets to keep training tools in.  Of course, the good behavior reward treats were in there, ready to give out.

Dogs serve many different needs for people. Some people get a dog because they are lonely and need a loyal friend or because they want a dog to protect the home. Ours was for a family pet and of course protection.  A dog that is taken good care of and given attention to regularly will give his life to help protect his home and his owner. For the blind a dog can be a pair of eyes to help them get around and for the police a dog can be an important tool and a loyal partner, with a nose that nothing can beat.  They can be trained to do many skills and tasks.  Of course their keen sense of smell makes them great at jobs we humans simply can’t do.

When training your dog the first thing you need to remember is that dogs need lots of exercise. This is true for both large dogs and small dogs.  All dogs need to be let out at least once every 8 hours and should be taken for a walk (at least for 20 minutes) at a time.  This gives the dog some fresh air, exercise and a chance to relieve themselves.

It is also important to play with your dog on a regular basis. Some examples of play include going to the park on a weekend or day off and having a good game of fetch.  Other forms of play include tossing the ball around in your back yard or just wrestling on the ground with the dog.  It is important to make sure if you are ruff housing with a little dog that you don’t accidentally hurt the dog. Playing with the dog for a half hour a day, is good for the dog’s physical health.  Playing with your dog regularly helps them to be mentally healthier and less likely to become a depressed dog.  Exercising with your dog also lowers your blood pressure as well and it will help form that unbreakable bond between you and your doggie.

Don’t forget to feed your dog quality food.  It is very important to the dogs continued good health. The better dog foods will be marked and labeled according to the group the food is appropriate for. For example, puppies need certain vitamins and minerals in larger amounts then an adult dog, and the same goes for an elderly dog.  The digestive system changes over the years, and they need more calcium in their food to help protect their bones and joints. Feeding your dog the wrong food can stunt the puppy’s growth and can expose the dog to health problems and potentially a larger risk of surgery when they are older.

Giving your dog proper veterinary care is really important and a must do for any responsible pet owner.  They will need well care and get their scheduled shots.  When they are under the weather they should go to receive proper care to get well.  So make sure your dog gets their scheduled checkups and vaccinations to help assure that your dog grows to be an old happy dog.