Did you die? Sadly, yes. But I lived!

My "real" first post is still in the making (it's pretty long), but I didn't want anyone to think I had died, so I'm going to write a shorter post about basic dog care.

Train the dog, feed the dog, love the dog.  Not necessarily in that order.

And that just about sums it up.

Just kidding.

But, seriously, dogs are pretty easy.  Yes, you need to be responsible, but that goes for any pet.  Dogs thrive on food and love.  Training is a good addition not only for you, but also for your dog.  I would stop here, but my fellow bloggers might get mad and then I'd be in the dog house.


You should be laughing at my not very funny joke.

Okay, let's get started.  Training your dog should began when he is still a puppy.  Some dogs don't need as much training as others.  A Chihuahua isn't going to need as much learning in heel as a German Shepherd would.  The five necessary commands you need to teach your dog are the following:  sit, stay, come, lie down, and heel.  Now, I just want to say something on teaching these:  you don't need to use these exact same words when you are teaching your dog these commands.  I once met a guy who taught his dog to sit when he said "banana".  That's right, banana.  I always thought it would be funny if someone taught his dog to sit when he said "lie down" or stay when he said "come".  That would be awesome.

For feeding, well, it's feeding.  Find a dog food brand that you like and give it to your dog.  This is the brand I use for my dog:

It's Natural Choice.  We've never had any problems with it.  I believe Rachel uses Iams.

Rachel, you'll have to leave a comment and tell me if you do use Iams and what you think of it if you do.

A lot of people use Beneful, but I don't know anyone personally who uses it, and I've never used it.




















Also, don't forget to include human food along with your dog's main food.  Eggs help to keep their coat nice and shiny.  Frozen vegetables are a good choice for a healthy snack for you and the dog.  And how can anyone forget meat?  Dogs are carnivores, after all.  Oh, and also dog treats.  Just like we need our candy, dogs need their treats.  Peanut butter flavored dog treats are a big thing for dogs. At least, my dog loves them.  I suggest feeding your dog about 3 times a day.  Two bigger meals at breakfast and dinner and smaller one at lunch.  If you have a dog like mine, you'll end up feeding him way more than three types.  But if you want a dog with a small mid-section, try keeping to three types.  Fill in the in between times with frozen vegetables

And finally, love your dog.  Dogs are like humans in that they need love.  Could you live and life where nobody cared about you?  I know I couldn't.  Well, dogs can't either.  They may be animals, but that doesn't mean they are emotionless.

Other people might go into more details about dog care, but each dog is different and each owner is different.  Raising a dog is much like raising a child.  I know my parents have used different forms of discipline for each child, because each child is different.  So is each dog.  Every owner has his own preference on how to raise a dog just as every parent has his own preference on how to raise a child.  I only ask that you always remember to show a little kindness to your dog, because they will always show kindness to us.

Thank you so much for reading this!  I know I can be repetitive, I'm sorry for that, but I hope it wasn't too bad.  Have a wonderful day and give your canine friend a good pat on the head.

~Emma~