We’re all guilty of saying ‘new year, new me’ as the 1st of January starts creeping up on us. You’ve probably got a whole bunch of New Year’s resolution ideas on your mind, whether it’s to join the gym, read more books, eat less chocolate, all of those usual things.
However, it’s not just humans that can feel the benefit of a fresh start, a few minor changes to your dog’s lifestyle can hugely benefit their overall health.
The New Year is just around the corner, so why not set some goals for you and your dog to make sure their health and wellbeing is the best it can be.
Out with the old and in with the new!
New Year's resolutions
Here are a few ideas for New Year’s resolutions that you might want to take up with your dog to give them a healthier lifestyle. After all, a healthy dog is a happy dog! Keep reading for some inspiration for what to put on yours and your four-legged friend’s goals for 2022.
Feed a healthy diet
It’s estimated that around 51% of dogs in the UK are obese, which is an alarming statistic. Obesity can have a seriously detrimental impact on your dog’s overall health and happiness. To combat this, you need to be giving your dog the best nutrition in portion sizes that are accurate for your dog.
For example, Pure is a natural, wholesome dog food that is packed full of goodness, made with ingredients that you recognise and would buy for yourself. Good food is at the forefront of keeping your dog’s health in tiptop shape.
Our plans are personalised to your dog so their food will be nutritionally appropriate for their breed, size, age and lifestyle, and any allergies and ailments will also be taken into consideration when tailoring the food to your dog.
Luckily, your dog’s Pure also comes with handy pre-measured scoops, ensuring that you get the serving size right every time!
Drink more water
Drinking more water is probably on most people’s New Year goals, proper hydration is key in keeping the body and mind healthy, and it’s the same for our dogs!
Our four-legged friends can often be too busy playing, racing and bouncing around to even remember to take a drink, meaning they often don’t take in enough water throughout the day.
There are a few ways to try and increase your dog’s water intake. Always make sure you take water with you on a walk, change the water in their bowl frequently and maybe even try giving them their water in a different dish.
Strangely, some dogs quite like to drink from random things, like the watering can, the hosepipe and even our glass of water from the table. If you think your dog needs some extra water, give it a go!
With a diet like Pure, you can increase your dog’s water intake through their food. Pure comes as a fine powder, because we chop up all our ingredients into tiny pieces and gently remove the moisture to preserve and lock in all the nutrients. When you’re ready to dish it up for your dog, all you need to do is add water and it’s ready in seconds.
If you think your dog needs to drink some more, add extra water to their Pure dinner and leave it to rehydrate for a little longer. This way, your dog is staying hydrated while tucking into a tasty meal at the same time.
Clean their teeth frequently
Although this isn’t the most glamorous of goals, it’s a very important one. Taking care of your dog’s dental hygiene is essential in keeping your dog healthy, helping to prevent severe problems like gum disease.
Your dog has one set of pearly whites for their entire life, so you must clean them on a regular basis. We clean our teeth twice a day so why shouldn’t we clean our canine’s canines?
Your dog might not like you brushing their teeth at first, but if you can find a really tasty dog-friendly toothpaste, like a beef-flavoured one, you’ll be brushing their gnashers in no time.
We’ve got a full guide on how best to maintain your dog’s oral hygiene here so you can keep those pearly whites in check.
Get into a grooming routine
Alongside cleaning your dog’s teeth, take more time for grooming your dog in the New Year.
Regular grooming not only keeps your dog looking great, but it’s also an important part of making sure your pet feels happy and healthy. An occasional bath paired with regular brushing helps to spread the natural oils in your dog’s fur, preventing them from getting matted to keep those long, silky coats looking clean and tangle-free.
However, don’t be fooled into thinking a short-haired dog won’t need frequent grooming too, short hair comes loose and needs pulling out with the brush.
When tending to your dog’s coat, check for strange lumps or bumps, alongside looking out for any pesky parasites that might be lurking on your dog’s skin. If your dog loves to run through the long grass on walkies, keep an eye out for ticks and fleas especially.
Grooming also gives you the chance to inspect your dog’s teeth, eyes and ears for any changes. Also, you can see if their claws are at a good length or if they need a trim.
Get into a good exercise routine
Going to the gym, taking up running, hitting 10,000 steps a day, these might sound familiar as they’re common New Year’s resolutions for us humans, and it’s a good idea to let your dog also enjoy the benefits of some extra exercise too.
A combination of a healthy diet and a daily exercise routine is a must in order for your dog to maintain or lose weight. If you think your dog is starting to look a little out of shape, try to figure out if they’re getting the right amount of exercise for their breed and age, and if not, you might need to up the intensity of their workout routine.
A daily run around the park should do the trick, but if you want to try something new, you could try something like dog agility training, swimming or even running alongside your dog so you can both feel the benefit, a daily step count goal isn’t just for humans!
Book in time for pooch playdates
We often set ourselves the goal of socialising more and making more time to see our friends and family, so it seems only fair that your dog gets the same treatment.
Some dogs don’t really like the company of other dogs, and if that sounds like your dog, this goal might not be the one for you.
However, plenty of dogs love to have other furry friends to play with, so get to work planning a pooch playdate! As a result, your dog’s mental health will improve, they will be getting more exercise from playing and hopefully for you, your dog will be more than happy to snooze the rest of the day away.
Planning playdates could also benefit you, allowing you to socialise with other dog owners and dog lovers.
Teach your old dog a new trick!
In the New Year, spend some extra time practicing your dog’s training so that you’ve got a well-behaved, well-trained pooch who will impress everyone they meet. Don’t be tricked by the myth that old dogs can’t learn new tricks, your four-legged friend can learn a new trick at any age!
Maintaining your dog’s training in important skills like recall, lie down, loose lead walking and stay will refresh their skills, making sure they’re consistently getting it right every time. Also, these tricks are fundamental for a dog to know, it makes them easier to manage, responsive and safer in potentially dangerous situations.
Training is also the perfect opportunity for some extra special pet and parent bonding time, which will have you both feeling happier as a result. Not to mention that training keeps your dog’s mind ticking and provides mental enrichment, which should help to tire them out for the rest of the day.
Improve your knowledge of pet first aid
Dogs get into all kinds of mischief, so it’s a really helpful skill for you to have a basic knowledge of pet first aid, just in case something happened to your dog and medical help isn’t available straight away.
Do some research about what to do in various common circumstances, for example, what to do if your dog is choking, has a cut, has heatstroke, has eaten a poisonous plant and so on.
Also, being aware of what human foods dogs can and can’t eat comes in especially handy. Many of the foods we eat can actually be poisonous to dogs if ingested, and it’s not unheard of for a dog to steal our dinner right from the plate.
Book in a vet check-up
Annual check-ups at the vet are essential, allowing you to detect any potential problems early so you can make sure that your four-legged friend stays happy and healthy. It poses the opportunity to ensure your dog is at a healthy weight, their vaccinations are up to date and the vet is happy with how your pooch is doing.
For the New Year, make sure you’ve got any appointments booked in already so that nothing goes amiss.
Check your dog's ID information
The New Year usually always calls for some admin work, so get the boring jobs over and done with straight away, such as making sure that your dog’s ID, dog tag and microchip information is accurate and up to date.
It’s the best way to keep your dog safe and make sure they make their way home safe and sound if they happen to take themselves for solo walkies!
Recap
The New Year is the perfect time to hit the restart button and get your dog’s health and wellbeing on track.
However, you don’t need to wait until the 1st of January to get your dog’s new healthy lifestyle started, you can make the commitment to your dog’s health at any time of the year.