With the arrival of a new year inevitably comes a variety of new year's "resolutions." We vow to better ourselves through losing weight, quitting smoking, stop procrastinating, and so on. But how may we improve ourselves as pet owners? What new year's resolutions should dog owners consider? Here are suggestions:
- Vow to provide your dog with the highest quality nutrition possible. This means researching the ingredients in dog food and often, thinking outside the grocery store kibble aisle. The Whole Dog Journal is a fantastic publication which publishes annual dog food reviews.
- Make it a point to ensure your dog's health through providing adequate and appropriate exercise.
- Be realistic about your dog's weight. It's scary how few people recognize weight problems in dogs and equally scary when people think their pet's obesity is funny or a joke. Obesity shortens longevity, both in dogs and people. If you can't feel your dog's ribs easily, he is too fat. Ask your vet for guidance in regulating his weight.
- Train your dog. Training is not a luxury, it is necessary not only will appropriate training make living with your dog more enjoyable for you, it will make life more enjoyable for your dog by providing him with the mental stimulation all dogs need and crave.
- Play with your dog. Play can take many forms - training, tug, fetch, food dispensing toys, nose-work games and exercises, off leash adventures in safe environments, etc.
- Keep your dog well-groomed and maintained. Mats in the fur, parasitic infestations, rotten teeth, overgrown toenails, embedded collars, yeasty ears, oozing or itchy eyes, hot spots, etc. are all unsightly and worse, uncomfortable for dogs. Routine care and maintenance can significantly improve your dog's quality of life.
- Make it easy for your dog to succeed. If your dog loves chewing on shoes, do not allow him unsupervised access to shoes. If your dog eliminates in the house, provide him with plenty of opportunities to eliminate outside by giving him frequent breaks. If your dog bites strange children, don't bring him to your daughter's soccer game!
- Vow not to get mad at your dog for your management failures. If your dog loves chewing toilet paper and you leave the bathroom door open, it's your fault, not his, that the toilet paper is now strewn throughout your house in 7,986,235 pieces. Simply clean up the mess and next time, close the bathroom door!
- Be appreciative of how wonderful your dog is. One of the biggest elements of successful training is looking for desirable behaviors and reinforcing them with something your dog likes and appreciates - a treat, a butt scratch, a game of tug, the opportunity to go for a walk. Never miss an opportunity to thank your dog for good behavior.
- Make time for your dog. This may mean rearranging your schedule. It may mean going out in the cold or rainy weather to give your dog a walk. It may mean spending less time on Facebook & more time playing, training, and exercising with your dog.
- Be a responsible - keep identification tags on your dog, make the annual veterinary appointment, clean up after your dog, respect leash laws, etc.
- Keep learning and improving as a pet owner. What does your dog love? What stresses him out? How does he communicate his emotions through body language?
- Help a less fortunate dog at least once this year. Remember that not all dogs are as lucky as yours. There are many ways you can help less fortunate dogs by making donations (leashes, collars, food, toys, etc. or cash) to a local shelter or rescue, volunteering at a local shelter or rescue, organize fundraisers, take pictures of adoptable pets for pet-finder listings, become a foster parent, etc. (Adopted From www.dogster.com)
