Large dogs: Be prepared for big needs, lots of food, exercise

Great Dane puppy tilts his head in confusion. Large dogs have big needs. These gentle giants need lots of food and exercise, and they need to be trained early. — Big dogs have big needs. These gentle giants need lots of food and exercise, and they need to be trained early.

Everyone loves large dogs.

A survey shows people have a preference, but owning a large dog comes with certain issues.

The following are five tips that’ll help you care for your big, beautiful dog.

1. A big appetite

One thing some new big dog owners are confronted with is a dog with a large appetite. You love your new dog. You want to give them everything they want, but try to resist this.

Too much food could lead to rapid growth, and that could end up causing joint issues later on. You don’t want to put yourself in that position. The amount of food your dog needs depends on how big he or she is. Go ahead and talk to your vet to find out how much your pet needs and get the right kind of food for your dog’s size.

2. Rethink the leash

A leash is adequate when you have a relatively small dog, but if your dog is on the larger side, you might want to consider something else. You want a dog pulling harness that’ll help you control your dog more effectively when you are out walking or running.

A leash is not only uncomfortable for your dog, especially when you pull, but he or she could end up yanking you. Big dogs are quite strong, so you probably won’t win with a leash. With a good harness, keeping your dog under control should be much easier. The right harness won’t pull on your dog’s fur either, which is another plus.

3. Use your dog’s energy

Bernese Mountain dog runs through a backyard obstacle course. Large dogs need exercise. Consider creating a backyard obstacle course. — Large dogs need exercise. Consider creating a backyard obstacle course.

Big dogs have so much energy. If you’ve only had smaller dogs, you might not be prepared for how active a large dog is. You need to make sure he or she gets enough exercise each day. A good way to do this is to run with your pet, but that might not be enough.

A dog park could work, but it might be ideal to create an obstacle course in your backyard so that your dog gets all the exercise he or she needs throughout the day. Reward your dog when the day is over so that your pet continues to exercise every day. You can have an obstacle course installed, or you can simply make a DIY one with things you have at home.

4. Training is absolutely vital for large dogs

You may love your dog, and you know your pet is quite sweet, but the public doesn’t know that. Big dogs are scarier to regular folks than smaller dogs. You need to make sure you can control your dog when you are out and about. To do this, you’ll need to get your dog trained early.

This can be done at home with a few DIY videos online, but it’s better to talk to a professional. It may be a little pricey to work with a professional, but at least you’ll know your dog will listen to you.

On top of that, these dogs don’t know their own strength, so if you teach them early, it means he or she will be gentle with you, your kids, and others.

5. It’s important to budget

Bigger dogs are expensive, and that’s something you have to keep in mind. They’ll need big furniture, more food, and trips to the vets are going to be pricey. Sometimes, folks have to buy a whole new vehicle that could accommodate a growing dog, which is a pretty big change.

Big dogs also can face health conditions like joint pain from osteoarthritis. One option to help manage that disease is to give your pet CBD oil for dogs to help ease the pain.

If you haven’t thought about this, start budgeting now, and continue to adjust your budget as the expenses start to pile up. You can put some money aside to take care of pet emergencies or other things that come up. This way you won’t touch your regular savings. The last thing you want is to feel financially strained because of your pet. Being a pet owner should be enjoyable, but if you don’t plan, things might become challenging.

These are some things you should keep in mind. Talk to your vet to see if there’s anything else you should know about your big, beautiful dog.

Regina Thomas is a Southern California native who spends her time as a freelance writer and loves cooking at home when she can find the time. Regina loves reading, music, hanging with her friends and family along with her Golden Retriever, Sadie. She loves adventure and living every day to the fullest.