As a dog owner, you no doubt want to do right by your dog and ensure they’re happy and healthy at all times. Balancing those two things can sometimes be challenging for pet owners though. Keeping your dog happy might mean giving them treats, but too often, those treats are not particularly healthy and not great for your dog over the long term.
That’s why it’s so important to find the right ways to treat your dog and show them your love for them without damaging their health in the process. It should be easy, but a lot of people aren’t sure where to start or which approaches are the best ones to take.
We’re going to talk about that today, so read on and find healthy ways to your dog. This guide should give you all of the information necessary to get started on the right track.
Treat Them with a New Adventure
One of the best things you can do when it comes to treating your dog is take them on adventures. They want to get out there and explore the world, and it’s up to you to find new locations that they can enjoy and get excited by exploring. That could be a walk in the mountains or a new lake that they haven’t been to. It’s about spicing things up and offering some variety rather than only walking around your neighborhood a couple of times a day. That’s what most dogs want and crave.
Use Dog Toys
Dog toys are a great way to stimulate your dog and offer them an activity that’s fun and enjoyable for them. Obviously, there are all kinds of dog toys out there, and there are options that are suited to all kinds of different dogs. Again, this is about variety and offering them something different. A new dog can provide them with hours of entertainment and fun, and it can also be something that the bonding time between you and your dog is based around, which is important too. It’s definitely something to give some thought to.
Invest in a Comfortable New Bed
The comfort of your dog is definitely not something that should be overlooked either. If you want to make sure they’re happy and content at all times, you definitely need to think about investing in a new bed, especially if it’s something that you haven’t done for a long time. The bed should offer them the comfort they need, and they should have ownership over that space so that it feels like a safe space for them. That’s something that’s definitely very important. It’ll aid their sleep and relaxation too, which is vital for good health.
Show Them Affection
Simply taking the time to show your dog affection is much more important than you might realize too. This is something that the vast majority of dogs crave from their owners, and it’s certainly not something that should be overlooked. If you want to make your dog feel loved and appreciated by you and the rest of your family, you definitely need to give them that one on one time that emphasizes to them the way in which they’re appreciated and loved. It’s not something that you should ever overlook as a dog owner.
Provide Regular Grooming
Providing your dog with regular grooming is definitely something that matters a lot too. It’s something that dogs generally enjoy, but that all depends on the individual dog. It’s important either way, but if it’s something that you know they appreciate and enjoy, you can take a little extra time on it and give them the grooming sessions that you know they’re going to get something out of in terms of relaxation and comfort. You can do this yourself or you can take them to a professional groomer if you prefer to.
Take a Trip to the Dog Park
Taking a trip to your local dog park is certainly something you might want to consider as well. When you take the time to do things like that, you can make sure that they’re properly socialized and know how to behave around other dogs, not just humans. This is something that can be massively beneficial to them, and it’s something that lots of dogs enjoy a lot. Of course, you should take care and do it safely as some dogs, especially smaller ones, can be fearful of other dogs, to begin with when they’re not well socialized.
Find the Best Healthy and Nutritious Treats
Of course, giving your dog some food-based treats is not something that has to be left completely off the table. It can be very good for them and can give them what they need in terms of nutrition when the right treats are chosen. You might want to look at the kinds of treats on offer at places like https://www.puppytrainedright.com/site/old-dawg-treats if you’re looking for treats that your dog will love, while also offering the health benefits that they require too. It’s definitely something that you should give some thought and consideration to.
Try Making Your Own Treats
If you can’t find the dog treats that offer what you’re looking for in terms of nutrition and health benefits, there’s nothing stopping you from making your own. Just as many people make their own meals to ensure they offer the health benefits needed, you might also want to make your own dog treats so that you know exactly what’s going into them. When you have control over what goes into the treats, you can make sure that all of the nutritional benefits that you’re looking for are properly present and in place.
Give Your Dog a Massage
Tough and physical interaction are two things that are very important for many dogs, and giving your dog massages can therefore offer the physical and mental benefits you want to deliver for your dog. It’s definitely something to think about. If you don’t know how to massage your dog, there are plenty of tutorials out there. You can take them to a professional if you prefer, but it’s often better to do this yourself because then it also creates a bonding time between you and your dog which is so important for you both.
Give Them the Chance to Stop and Smell When Out Walking
When your dog is out and about, you want to make sure that they have the chance to stop and sniff their surroundings. It might seem like something that shouldn’t matter all that much, but giving them that opportunity can be highly beneficial and something that you want to consider. When you do, you’ll find that they enjoy their walks much more. So instead of pulling them along and being impatient when you’re out on a walk, you can treat them by giving them that extra opportunity to stop and smell what’s around them
Improve Their Day to Day Nutrition
We’ve talked about the extra treats that you can give your dog, but what’s even more important from a health and wellbeing point of view is their day to day nutrition. This is when your dog really gets what he or she needs. And it’s up to you to make sure they’re getting all of that. Think about the quality of the food you’re giving them. You’ll want to make sure they’re really enjoying it while also getting what they need from it in terms of the content and nutrition it offers.
Beat the Boredom with Interesting Activities
The last thing you want for your dog is for them to become bored. The engagement that’s so important to your dog is not always easy to come by. If their routines are dull and you’re not really doing much to engage them in terms of creative activities, that can actually be very bad for them and it’s obviously not what you want. So be sure to think about how you can come up with creative and interesting activities for them to spend some time on each day.
Improve Your Evening Routine
The evening routine you have in place matters a lot too. You should think about how you can make them more comfortable and encourage a healthy night’s rest for your dog. Even little things can make such a big difference. For example, you might want to think about taking their collar off and making their bed a little more padded and comfortable. These things can have a pretty big impact on your dog, so start giving them some extra thought.
As you can see, there are plenty of great ways to start improving the way in which you treat your dog and show them the love you have for them. Each of the ideas we’ve talked about above will allow you to show them that love and care, while also keeping them healthy and happy moving forward, and that’s vital for them.
