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How to Be a Good Dog Owner

November 7, 2016 by Mary Telesz

When you decide to become a dog owner, you also accept all the responsibilities that come along with caring for your new furry companion. These daily responsibilities are the foundation to providing a happy, healthy life for your pup. The following is the basics on how to be a good dog owner.

Prioritizing Your Pet’s Health

small dog with vetIf you wouldn’t skip taking your kid to their physician, don’t do it to your dog! Dogs need to be routinely checked every year to ensure their good health or catch any potential health issues.

Although vets can be expensive, it is critical you take your pup for a yearly checkup and shots. You don’t necessarily have to buy the expensive meds the vedas prescribed. There are online outlets, like Petmeds, where you can get generic brands from. All you need to do is ask your vet for your pet’s medical script.

In addition, many breeds of male dogs live a substantially shorter life span if they are not neutered. Fixing your pet is one of the most important tasks you can ever accomplish for their health. Unless you plan to breed, there is no reason why your dog cannot be spayed/neutered.

Licensing Your Dog

Many towns and counties have varying laws regarding licensing and reporting your dog. Some cities have separate regulations depending on the breed. If you fail to properly license your dog in some states, it can result in hundreds of dollars in fines– so be sure to check with your local authorities!

If you don’t plan on chipping your dog, getting them tags and a collar is the next best thing. Tags should include information like their name, address, phone number, and any shots they may have had. The idea is to always equip your pet with information that will get them back to you as soon as possible.

Routine Grooming

Just like going to the vet, if your dog has a style of fur that is prone to matting, part of being a good dog owner is making sure they are properly groomed. The following are three grooming tasks you should always be performing with your dog:

    dog getting nails trimmed by groomer

  • Bathing: Make sure your dog is free from fleas and ticks. Use a specific shampoo intended for animals (human shampoo can irritate), and rinse thoroughly. Dogs should have a bath at the very minimum of once every three months.
  • Brushing: It doesn’t matter the length or consistency of your dog’s fur. Brushing will keep their hair from matting—but it will also create a comfortable connection with your pet. Brushing is a soothing activity, and something your dog will truly enjoy. So whether they need it or not, get the brush out and be a good owner!
  • Nails: Perhaps the most important part of any dog’s hygiene is making sure their nails are a healthy length. Overgrown nails can actually pierce the pad of a dog’s paw. If you can buy clippers and do it yourself, that works. Most people prefer to ask a groomer or their vet to do it. Clipping is usually a pretty cheap rate. It only takes minutes to accomplish, and your dog will thank you.

Providing Healthy Nutrition

Don’t just feed your dog anything, and certainly never feed them table scraps. Dogs can be very allergic to human food (such as chocolate). If you really love your doggy, you’ll feed them a filling, nutritious diet so they can live a long life!

Puppies usually need to be fed up to 4 times a day. The amount an adult dog should be given is based on their weight. Check with your vet on the exact portioning, and any dietary requirements your pet may have, to keep them safe and healthy.

Caring For Your Pet When You’re Away

pet sitting hugging yawning dogWhile these new responsibilities may initially appear daunting to a new pet owner, the joys and rewards of being a good dog owner far outweigh the tasks. Dogs offer unwavering loyalty and companionship in return of you just caring for them!

When you must leave them for work or vacation, it’s important that you leave them in the care of someone who will care for them just as you do. If you are in need of high-quality pet sitting services in the Northern Virginia area, please get touch with Paw Pals. We offer a wide array of pet care services including dog walking, overnight pet sitting and even cat sitting!

Filed Under: Pet Care

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Office Location

Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Office Hours

Monday
9am - 5pm
Tuesday
9am - 5pm
Wednesday
9am - 5pm
Thursday
9am - 5pm
Friday
9am - 5pm
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed

Areas Served

Centreville – 20120, 20121
Chantilly – 20151
Clifton – 20124
Fairfax – 22030, 22033
Fairfax Station – 22039
Manassas – 20109, 20110, 20111
Reston – 20191, 20190

Google Rating
4.9
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
4.9
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
21:22 03 Oct 21
I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!
Michæl Silva
Michæl Silva
21:38 01 Jul 22
Mary at Paw Pals Pet Sitting is the greatest! She has helped me train my pooch Chico how play nice with other dogs and for that I am extremely grateful! A+A+A+A+A+A
Kwi Kim
Kwi Kim
22:37 17 Jun 22
I hired Paw Pals based on my sister’s referral. Meet & greet was very thorough and detailed. I was surprised that my finicky cat came to check the sitter out. Subsequently, a sitter watched my cat over several separate visits, and it was clear through the visit reports that my cat loved the sitter. All the visits were completed having followed my directions & with professionalism.I would highly recommend Paw Pals to anyone who’s looking for a dependable, personable, & professional sitter.
Joseph Walter
Joseph Walter
19:55 13 Jun 22
Paw Pals provided a large number of photos of our pets along with a personalized message on how our pets were doing with every single visit. I would highly recommend using Paw Pals, we'll be continuing to use them whenever we go on vacation.
Ashley Manning
Ashley Manning
09:50 11 Jun 22
Highly recommend as pet sitters!Initially, a sitter from the company will visit the house to meet the pets and learn where everything is. Tatiana took careful notes and we got her some spare keys.While we are away, Paw Pals sends sitters to come and look after our boys. They feed them, scoop litter, bring in mail and packages, and they will even manage trash, recycling, blinds and lights so that everything is comfortable for our kitties. Each time they check in, we receive an email message with updates and pictures, which is so comforting when we are on the road.Also, if you don’t let Paw Pals know when you are home, they assume something has happened and will continue to care for your babies. If something were to happen, I know they would be okay.Five stars for Paw Pals!
Brian Wood
Brian Wood
04:08 22 May 22
We have used Paw Pals for a number of years now and would highly recommend to anyone looking for help with their pets. Great communication from owner Mary and flexibility to make adjustments in schedule as life changes over time. Have had a consistent set of walkers who have gotten to know our pup and the various walking routes around our neighborhood quite well.
Lesley Bush
Lesley Bush
13:58 18 Mar 22
We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.
Sebastian Barnes
Sebastian Barnes
01:06 17 Jan 22
I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.
Julie Shildt
Julie Shildt
17:45 14 Nov 21
It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Katie McCune
Katie McCune
19:19 15 Jul 21
I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!
Alexandra Hill
Alexandra Hill
22:43 23 May 21
I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
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