New year, new goals – and why not include your dog in the mix? From ways to spend more time together to making changes in your dog's daily routines, here are nine resolutions for you and your four-legged sidekick.
1. Mix Up Your Dog's Daily Meals
A new year is the perfect time to start your dog on a new rotational diet. Introducing your dog to a variety of foods exposes them to new ingredients that can build a better, stronger stomach. Our Family of Foods include high-quality Dry Dog Food, delicious Rolled Food, Stews, and Air Dried Food, including Gut Health formulas. Mix and match our recipes to keep your dog looking forward to their everyday meals!
2. Get Your Dog a New Friend
Have you been thinking about adding a new dog to your family? This may be the year! While an additional dog means additional responsibility, the positives heavily outweigh the negatives. Not only does a new dog provide you with more companionship, but your dog gains a new friend too. They can keep each other company while you're out of the house, play together in the backyard, and help each other build their socialization skills. Sure, you'll be outnumbered, but you got this!
3. Bring Your Dog on More Outings
Spending more time with your dog doesn't always have to include planned excursions or dog-themed events. It could be as simple as finding a dog-friendly coffee shop (ask if they have a pup cup!), visiting a friend, or working on your laptop from a nearby park. Getting your dog out of the house more often exposes them to new environments, which can reduce anxiety for dogs not used to leaving the house and help build their confidence.
4. Stop Giving Your Dog "Human Food"
As pet parents, it's up to us to help maintain our dog's health. Having a chubby dog may seem cute, but the extra pounds can take a toll on their joints and organs over time. One reason dogs gain extra weight is from eating food from our plates, or as most pet parents call it, "human food." While a slice of cheese may not contain a lot of calories for humans, a dog's body absorbs calories differently, making that slice of cheese a high-calorie food. View the chart below from borrowmydoggy.com to see the calorie differences between humans and dogs.
5. Start a Dental Routine
80% of dogs three years and over have some form of dental disease. Veterinarians highly recommend brushing your dog's teeth to keep them clean and healthy all year round, avoiding dangerous dental diseases that can create one large vet bill.
Dental treats are a great way to support your dog's dental health in between brushings! Our variety of Chew-A-Bulls Dental Treats are made with just nine all-natural ingredients and are specifically designed to help scrape plaque and tartar off your dog's teeth.
6. Create Your Dog an Instagram Account
Creating an Instagram account for your dog is a fun way to show off your pup, meet other pet parents, and journal the fun experiences you share together. If you're like any other pet parent, you already have hundreds (if not thousands) of photos of your dog on your phone anyway! Oh, and don't forget to follow us @ redbarninc!
7. Teach Your Dog New Tricks
Sit and stay are two tricks most dogs know, but what about speak? Roll over? Shake? Do my taxes? Okay, that last one would be difficult, but other tricks can be quick to learn. Make it a task this year to teach your dog some new tricks - it's a great way to spend quality time together! Check out our Air Dried Training Treats as excellent rewards for training.
8. Go on More Walks
It's no secret that walking is great for your cardiovascular health, but it's also beneficial for your mental health and your relationship with your pup! A walk after lunch can help aid digestion and fight midday drowsiness, so bring your pup along and keep each other company. Already taking your dog on multiple daily walks? Then we encourage you to try new routes in your area to expose your pup to new environments.
9. Host Doggy Play Dates
Socializing your dog with both humans and other canines is an important part of their life and training. It helps them feel more comfortable in public places and teaches them how to interact with other dogs. Hosting doggy play dates is a great way for your dog to meet new people and develop their social skills with dogs while letting them feel comfortable in their own environment.
Have New Year resolutions you're doing with your dog? Share them in the comments!
