By just being their happy and adorable selves, a dog can help us feel loved and joyful. This can boost our mood, health and our quality of life. A dog can bring many benefits to you mentally and physically, while improving the feel and atmosphere of your home. When you think about everything a dog can bring to your life, you may sit down and question what you can do for them. Even though you provide them with shelter, love, food and treats, sometimes our loyal companions deserve more and as their owner, you should do everything you can in order to give them a fun and fulfilling life. If you want to increase your dog’s happiness and improve their health, here is how you can give your dog the best life possible.
Go for More Walks
Most dogs live for activity, which explains the over excitement and tail wags when you whisper the ‘W’ word and reach for their lead. Taking your dog out more often will make them much happier and healthier pets. As well as maintaining their weight, going for walks provides mental stimulation and allows you to spend quality time together. Finding new places and safe areas where they can be taken off the lead will improve your dog’s experience even more and will allow them to use up more energy.
Take Them on Adventures
As well as finding new places to go for walks, you should consider going on other adventures with your canine. This can include booking a holiday in your own country or abroad. If your dog doesn’t do well with travelling and feels unsettled in new places, then this may not be a good option for them. However, if your dog loves to go on adventures and see and discover new homes and places, then you should consider planning more adventures with your pooch and other people and dogs they also love.
Let Them Sniff Everything
Dogs love to stop and smell the world. Allowing them to explore and sniff new smells will make any walks better for your dog and will get their senses tingling. If your dog really loves sniffing new things, then you could even consider engaging them in scent work. Dogs will use their scent naturally, so playing scent games or fulfilling them for tracking a scent will give them the opportunity to do something that they love and get praised for it by their best friend. It can be rewarding for you too.
Teach Them New Commands
Teaching your dog new commands can be a great way to engage with them and make them feel good about themselves. Using positive reinforcement to teach them new skills and behaviours will keep their minds stimulated and improve their behaviour too. You could consider teaching them how to read visual signs when training or communicating with your dog, as they tend to pick up these signals faster. Giving your dog mind-engaging activities can also fight boredom and provide mental exercise.
Invest in Pet Insurance
If your dog is healthy and well looked after, then taking out pet insurance may not feel relevant. However, if your dog falls sick unexpectedly or is involved in an accident, then having pet insurance could literally save their life. Vet bills are expensive and if you end up not being able to afford the cost of a lifesaving treatment or something that will improve the quality of your dog’s life, then you will feel helpless. With pet insurance, your pet will be protected. Just make sure you read the policy first.
Start Giving Them Supplements
Nothing feels worse than dealing with a poorly dog. When they are not acting themselves, as their owner, you feel helpless and sad that you have to see them uncomfortable and unwell. To help support their health, especially as they start to age, you should consider giving them supplements. A great example of a recommended supplement is Yu Move. Yu Move is a form of joint care for dogs that contains glucosamine and chondroitin, which can reduce stiffness in older dogs with joint issues. The company has 10 years of experience and they only use sustainably sourced ingredients, so they are worth checking out.
Give Them a Massage
Just like people, dogs love and appreciate a good massage. There are many different pet massages that you can give to your dog. As well as making them feel comfortable, loved and relaxed, the right massage can relieve certain pain and discomfort. This is because it promotes healing, relaxation and you can target specific areas. Giving your dog a massage also allows you to feel for any unusual lumps, bumps or other changes. This could be an early sign of an illness and you can show it to your vet.
Feed Them Good Food
Feeding your dog good food is important throughout their lifetime. There is a lot of debate around canine nutrition, but there is no doubt that TV adverts and convenience can trick many of us into buying the wrong food for our pets. Instead, you should do research and find a healthy and tasty food to feed your dog. As your dog gets older, you will need to adjust their diet in order to meet their needs. Speaking to a pet nutritionist, your vet and doing your research can help you make the right choice.
Keep Them Well Groomed
One of the most effective ways to make your dog feel comfortable and improve their quality of life is to keep them well groomed. If you have a dog with a double coat, brushing it out during moulting season will make them feel light and fresh. If you have a dog with wool, silk or wire fur, taking them to the dog groomers for a trim will keep them clean, will reduce the risk of matting and will protect them from parasites. However, it is your responsibility to take care of their coat between grooms.
Arrange Puppy Play Dates
Arranging puppy play dates for your dog can be extremely fun and entertaining for your pooch, as long as they are well socialised. The same goes for the dogs invited to the play date. Most dogs love to run around and play with other canines, especially if they have similar energy levels and enjoy playing the same games. As well as arranging play dates for your pup, you should invest some time in adding more play into your own interactions with your pet. This will improve your bond and make them happy.
Spend Quality Time Together
Finally, dogs value any time they get to spend with their owner – especially the moments where we focus entirely on them. The easiest way to do this is to spend alone time with your dog. This quality time is especially important if you live in a large household with other pets. Improving the amount of quality time that you spend together will make your relationship stronger and will make your dog’s life better. This gift will keep on giving and has the ability to enhance both of your lives.
By following the steps above, you will be able to improve the health and happiness of your canine companion and make their life even better than it was before. It can also set them up for a healthy and happy future. With dogs, the little things mean a lot and it doesn’t take much to impress them.
