12 Harmful Things You Do To Your Dogs Without Realizing It

As dog owners, we only always say we only want what’s best for our dogs. We only want them to healthy as a horse and as happy as they can be. But did you know that there are things we do that can potentially harm our dogs, without us knowing it?

I found a video that really opened my eye to some things related to pet caring. I wanted to share this with you to share awareness, so please bear with me. Shall we begin? Let’s go.

Choosing the wrong collar for your dog.

Choosing a collar for your dog is both personal and important. Every dog owner would want to choose the right type of collar, the right size and the right one that would fit your dog’s character.

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But what are the different types of collars? Let’s check them out.

Flat Collar – the most common type found in all pet stores. It has a buckle that allows you to adjust the length of the collar as needed.

Breakaway Collar – created for dogs that spend most of their time outside. It comes undone whenever the threat of a choking hazard is present.

Special Collars for Dog Training – usually used in behavioral training

Harness – is perfect for dogs who are pullers or likes to explore as far as it can reach.

Once you found the right harness or collar, choose the right size. If it’s too big, your dog can easily escape. If it is too small, it can choke the dog. For small and medium-sized dogs, if you can slip 1 finger between the collar or harness, then that would be the perfect fit. For larger dogs, it should be two fingers. Adjust as needed every once in a while.

Leaving dogs unattended in a car

Unknown to many, the temperature in cars can increase up to 20 degrees in just 10 minutes even if you park the car under a shade. Even if the temperature outside is cool (60 degrees Fahrenheit) inside the car, it can go for as high as 110 degrees.

Since dogs don’t sweat like us, they have no ability to cool themselves off. If left inside a car, the consequences can be fatal. Signs of overheating are drooling, agitation and excessive panting. If you see vomiting, lethargy, and diarrhea, these already act as warning signs for a life-threatening emergency. Take your dog to his vet ASAP.

Neglecting your dog’s dental health

Most dog owners neglect their dog’s dental health, but like humans, we need to keep them clean always. Start as soon as you take your pup home, to make it get used to it. Start with three times a week until you can do it every day.

Chew toys and chew stick treats are also good, but nothing can replace minty toothpaste so make sure to brush as often as possible. Only use dog toothpaste as these are specially formulated for canines. Also, don’t forget twice a year professional teeth cleaning form their vets.

Special plastic bones are also great as these do not only cleans your dog’s teeth but also satisfies your dog’s need to chew as well s discouraging destructive chewing.

Letting your dog eat everything

Human foods are way too salty, spicy and fatty for dogs. There are human foods that are good for your dog, while there are some that are harmful to them. One of the most harmful foods for dogs is those with xylitol.

If dogs ingest xylitol, their blood sugar can drop and lead to liver failure. Avocado, on the other hand, can cause vomiting and diarrhea because of the Persin found in it. Alcohol is also a big no-no for it affects their brain and liver much easier than us. It can also lead to diarrhea, vomiting, coordination and breathing troubles, or worse, coma or death.

While there are other foods harmful to your dog, the main ones are the following:

• coffee, tea, caffeinated drinks
• grapes and raisins
• milk and other dairy products
• fatty bones and trimmings
• peaches, persimmons
• raw eggs, milk, and fish
• salty and sugary foods
• chocolate
• table scraps

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Bringing pups to a dog park

Even if it could be fun for your dog to play at the dog park, pups are at risk of acquiring diseases from other dogs who could be carriers. Also, bigger and adult dogs can be rough when playing and running around so it might not be safe for your pup to play around them. They can also scare your little furry friend.

Using physical punishment to train dogs

Hurting dogs is never okay. It is already considered animal abuse and doesn’t actually work. What it does is make dogs scared of you.

Stick to rewards training as this is much more effective. It helps build trust, not fear. It also encourages your dog to learn and behave in a more desirable way. If you punish your dog by hurting them, they will start hiding from, urinate uncontrollably and even freeze because of its fear for its life.  

You can try enrolling your dog to an obedience school while it is still young to have better chances of instilling positive habits and behaviors.

Providing too little stimulation

Dogs need constant physical and mental stimulation. Working breeds especially needs constant stimulation and you can do this by regular walking.

If you’re thinking about owning a dog, make sure you’re ready to adopt. Walks are important not only because it is a form of exercise, but because it helps expose your dog with different smells and sounds. This helps sensory stimulation to help their brain work better.

If you fail to give them enough stimulation, dogs will find other ways to do so, and more often than not, it leads to destructive behaviors like excessive chewing and barking.

Not securing your dog in the car

You use seatbelts and young children have car seats, so why not prioritize your dog’s car safety too? Accidents can happen anytime, and it would be best to be ready than sorry.

There are lots of options to choose from like harnesses, zip-line harnesses, carrier types and ejection seats made especially for dogs.

Yelling when your dog does something wrong

Yelling doesn’t work as dogs don’t understand what you’re trying to say. Your dog will only get confused and scared

Skipping worm, tick and flea treatments

Preventive parasite treatments are crucial and a must in order to help your dog not to have ticks, fleas, and worms. Always seek advice from your vet and follow their instructions to prevent these pests.

Leaving harmful objects around

Dogs don’t understand objects that can harm them, and it is our duty as pet owners to make sure they don’t get near harmful things to dogs. Some of these are coins, batteries, screws, nails, magnets, and medication. Socks are a dog’s favorite, but they can choke on it if it gets stuck in their throat.

Neglecting breed-specific health issues

Not all dogs are the same. One dog breed will have a different grooming, food and exercise requirements and even predisposition to health issues. Before getting a pet, make sure to do your research on how to give the best care for them and what problems you should anticipate in the future.

Thanks to the Bright Side for making a video about this, as I’ve learned many things from the 13-minute video. Hope you enjoy learning as much as I did!

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