Note: This is a sponsored guest post from Pete Boucher and the dog supplies company VioVet.
With 2014 fast approaching, the new year provides us all with an opportunity to reflect on the past 12 months and plan for the future. But as pet owners, we need to not only consider our own futures, but those of our animals as well. This of course means ensuring our pets have the best possible chance at a happy and healthy life.
If you make New Year’s resolutions, they don’t have to be complicated. In fact, the easier the resolution, the more likely you will be to stick with it.
The following are some simple ways to make 2014 a good year for your dog.
A balanced and nutritious diet
If you choose one resolution for your, how about committing to feeding him a healthy brand of food?
A natural diet goes a long way to ensuring a healthy dog. And while some pet food companies would have you believe your dog can exist solely on one type of dog food, this simply isn’t the case. To start with, dogs need real nutrition from a variety of real foods. Natural dog food brands such as Taste of the Wild and Orijen are available through VioVet. These foods come in a variety of flavors, and they contain essential nutrients without disgusting by-products, sugar or toxic chemicals.
Regular exercise
Sure, we’re all busy. But finding time to exercise your dog at least once a day is absolutely essential as far as his wellbeing is concerned. We all know exercising our dogs is important, but do we really make the commitment? How about making that your goal for 2014?
Some easy ways to include more exercise into your dog’s day could be simply heading out for a 20-minute walk every morning and again right after work. Or, perhaps you could commit to a 30-minute walk every morning and 10 minutes of fetch in the evenings.
A happy hound is a healthy hound
Health isn’t all about fitness and diet. Emotional health is equally important. And as far as your dog is concerned, this means giving him plenty of attention. Unlike cats, dogs are generally very social animals. They love interaction and crave attention, so we should give them our time every day. If you ignore your dog or fail to give him the attention he needs, he may start to feel neglected or bored. This can in turn have a very negative effect on his general wellbeing.
Some easy ways to give your dog more attention could be tossing him a treat every minute or so as he lies calmly by your feet while you work. This is a great way to work on obedience commands such as down and stay. Or, how about cuddling on the floor (or the couch!) with your dog while you watch TV?
Simple steps
None of the above steps are complex or even out of the ordinary. It’s all about making the commitment and following through. Caring for your dog isn’t a complicated procedure. All it requires is some dedication and a willingness to occasionally prioritize your dog’s needs over your own.
What are your dog-related goals for 2014?
Pete Boucher is from the UK and has a 4-year-old Japanese Akita named Jack. The two spend their spare time hiking around their local national parks.
Dawn
Thursday 19th of December 2013
Exquisitely simple. I may add more training to my list. I work with them regularly on the no leash pulling, no jumping, and the basic stuff. But they haven't learned any new tricks lately.
Lindsay Stordahl
Thursday 19th of December 2013
Ace hasn't learned any new tricks lately either.