‘I’m a vet and here are 3 things I wish all pet owners knew’

There is no shortage of advice out there for pet owners who want to keep their beloved companions as happy and healthy as possible. But now one vet with almost one million followers on TikTok has outlined what he says are the three most important things all dog owners should know.

Amir Anwary is well known for providing useful advice to owners of all pets of all shapes and sizes on caring for them and helping them live full, happy lives. In a recent clip on the social media platform he revealed three things he says all dog owners must know. Opening his video, Amir said: “These are three things that veterinarians wish dog owners knew.”

Physical and mental stimulation

“Dogs require both physical and mental stimulation to be happy,” he said. “So taking them out for a walk or a jog is important, yes.

“But allowing them to sniff or allowing them to interact with other dogs is equally as important, if not more important, for their mental health. So a combination of physical and mental stimulation is very important.”

Generalisation

Moving on to his second tip, Amir said: “Second, dogs don’t generalise well. What I mean by this is, just because your dog is well trained at home and they will sit for you at home, and they will listen to you at home, does not mean that behaviour will translate once they’ve left the house.

“So make sure you are training your dog in several different environments and different settings so they are trained everywhere and not just well-trained at home.”

Puppies are children

Amir’s third tip is to treat puppies the same way you would a human child. “Many people do not know how important training and exposure to a young puppy actually is, and how much it moulds the type of adult that they will be,” he said.

“So if your puppy is a naughty puppy, they will not simply grow out of their behaviour as most people think. They will often take that behaviour into adulthood.

“So make sure you are training and exposing your young puppies. It is so important, and it will determine what kind of adult they will be.”

People added their own tips and viewpoints in the comments. One said: “Please let your puppy sleep! They are babies and still need lots of sleep. Please teach your human children to leave them alone when they are sleeping.”

Another said: “My beagle didn’t really like other dogs. He didn’t enjoy going to the dog park. Happiest when there were no dogs in it. And loved his sniff safaris.”

Someone else said: “My husky was very challenging for the first year. He trained me to walk five miles/three hours a day and now he’s happy.”

Another owner replied: “I’ve started taking my dog to new places for his sniffing ventures and he loves it.” And a different user wrote: “My dog is well trained when we’re out and about but she still goes bananas when guests come over.”