Find creative ways to exercise!

Exercising a big dog is tough. I learned quickly that once the dog got some size to him that walking him was not going to work. We would go for a walk and I would get tired, we would get home and he is bouncing off the walls because he is only warmed up! So the trick is how do you work hard enough to get your dog good and exhausted? The answer, GET CREATIVE!!

Go for a bike ride, skating, running, playing fetch...... with a frisbee!, swimming is great (especially in the summer!)

Taking Care of Your Dog's Teeth

Taking care of your dog's teeth is just one of the four main thing to consider when it come to grooming your dog. This can be one of the easiest one to take care of though! There are a lot of ways to take care of your dog's teeth, but the first thing and base for it all is feeding them right. After that, like everything else, you just have to make sure you are paying attention to everything that is going on with your dog's mouth.

Taking Care of Your Dog's Body

Taking care of your dog's body is just one of the four main thing to consider when it come to grooming your dog.

Taking Care of Your Dog's Nails

Taking care of your dog's nails is just one of the four main thing to consider when it come to grooming your dog. This one can also be one of the hardest, simply because of nail trimming. This can be one of the hardest thing for most dog owners to deal with. That is also why it so hard though, because your already in a bad state of mind there's a cloud that hangs around the whole activity. A cloud that we have to get rid of!

Taking Care of Your Dog's Hair

Taking care of your dog's hair is just one of the four main thing to consider when it come to grooming your dog. Depending on your dog there could be many different things that this step entails. I, however, have a pitbull so it's not that intensive, but I do take great pride in doing a great job and making sure Max looks good all the time!

Grooming

Grooming is a very important for all dogs, and a grooming is a great way to develop your pet-owner relationship. Although there are some staple and basic needs, all dogs have very specific and very different needs when it comes to grooming. That can mean lots of time spent working with your dog to keep them beautiful! That's why I always stress that people look into everything that it takes to raise their specific breed of dog. Don't be upset when you have hair everywhere because you didn't research that your dog shed pounds of fur every year! You take showers, cut your hair, and trim your nails..... why can't your pup look as good!

That said, that's why I chose pitbulls. I am, believe it or not, allergic to dogs. So when I was looking for what type of dog I would get I was looking for short-haired, non-shedding dog (amongst other things). Pitbulls have fantastic smooth, short, soft hair and is very easy to take care of. That beautiful hair is easy to take care of but there are many things that encompass 'grooming' your dog. When it comes to dealing with some of the other facets of grooming, well... let's say they took some practice, and teamwork!

The four main things to consider when taking care of your dog:

• Hair
• Nails
• Body
• Teeth

Lay Down

Getting your dog to lay down is another command that should be in every dog owner's arsenal! It's also another easy one to teach and you'll find it comes in handy in many situations. This is also the base for many other tricks!

Shake & High 5

Two of the most common dog tricks in history; shake and high 5.  These two tricks are a lot of fun and a great starting place for new trainers and a new pup. Being able to complete some of these simple tricks as a team is a great way to build trust an understanding between you, important for future training and tougher tricks!