The New Year is a great way to reflect on areas of your life that you wish to improve and what intentions you have for the year coming. Making new year's resolutions should not only just involve yourself but also your four-legged friend. Incorporating them into your lifestyle changes; is a great way to ensure that you’re both on the right path to get the best out of your new year and personnel changes.
As a pet owner myself, I’m evaluating what I feel to be important aspects of my life and being a parent to my beloved dog I enlisting 9 New Year's Resolutions to be a better parent and companion.
Exercise
Exercise is vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle for you and your pet. If you’re setting yourself fitness goals for the year ahead, then why not incorporate your dog into your workouts. Not only will this help work towards the goals you’ve set, you’ll also spend the time strengthen your bond.
There are various ways you can exercise with your dog. You can try riding your bike and have your dog run alongside you. Playing fetch in the park and encouraging your dog to run for their toy is another great way to exercise together.
Microchip
Statistics show that 1 in 3 pets will become lost in their lifetime. For any pet owner, the thought of losing your beloved dog is unthinkable. Microchipping is law and if you haven't got round to microchipping your dog, then this should be a priority when it comes to the care for your dog. Microchipping doesn't hurt your dog and can be done by your vets under anaesthetic. Having this layer of protection will help ease the anxiety of locating your dog should they become lost.
Ensuring your personal information is up-to-date
If you have updated your phone number, address or email address; it is very important that you keep this information up-to-date. If your information is not kept up-to-date, it makes the job of the microchip very hard. There have been lots of instances when a pet has become lost and the owners have been unable to locate them as their information is out of date.
Bond over grooming
Grooming your pet allows time for you both to bond. Grooming is an important aspect of your dog's daily life. Grooming should start from an early age so the dog becomes used to the idea. Grooming should involve regular brushing of the coat and teeth, bath when needed and trimming of nails. Getting your dog used to the idea of grooming from an early age will make visits to the dog groomers or vets, much easier.
If you’re struggling to brush their teeth, then you might want to try a doggie toothpaste that has a chicken or beef flavour. This will hopefully entice your dog to open their mouth and allow you to brush their teeth. Dental care is extremely important to prevent gum disease which can have a profound effect on their health and well-being.
Dogs health care
Protecting your dog from fleas, ticks and worming should be incorporated into their regular health care. As a responsible owner, you must ensure that you protect your dog from anything that can cause harm to their health and well-being. Some diseases contracted from lungworm can be potentially fatal for your dog. To give yourself peace of mind and protect your best friend, you should speak to your vet regarding monthly protection for your dog.
Food intake
Pet obesity is a big problem, globally. To prevent your pet from becoming overweight, you will need to accurately measure their food intake. Measuring their food intake will help you keep an eye on what they're eating and prevent overeating. You must also avoid feeding them from your plate.
Increase brain activity
Increasing your dog’s brain activity will help prevent boredom. Dogs that become bored not only become destructive in their behaviour but are also subject to depression. Keeping your dog's mind enriched will also lead to a stronger bond between you both and increase the happiness for your beloved pet dog.
Regular visits to the vets
To ensure your pet leads a healthy life, you need to take your dog to the vets for regular check-ups, vaccinations and yearly examinations (more if your dog is older) Prevention is better than cure, this is why you should be aware if your dog isn't themselves and make sure to get them to the vets ASAP. Regular blood tests can also indicate whether there is anything going on that is serious and hopefully catch anything sinister, quickly.
Pet insurance
Insuring your pet is part of being a responsible pet owner. There are many options and websites dedicated to providing you with a valuable, trustworthy service. Pet insurance will cover you should your pet become unwell or involved in an accident. You can decide on a policy that fits within your budget. It worth shopping around for the right cover and if you’re unsure of what policy to go for, you can speak to your vets for expert advice.
