As a responsible dog owner, have you ever wondered what new year resolutions you can make for your loyal dogs?
As we welcome with much eagerness the arrival of 2022, we find ourselves reflecting on precious moments of the past year.
Recounting these moments do well to build our expectations for the new year and bring to the fore aspects of our life where much improvement and expectation is required.
In line with custom and with the old sage, which goes “out with the old, in with the new,” resolutions for the new year will be made with the hope of a fruitful and wonderful 2022.
Most new year resolutions focus on individuals’ goals and prospects while overlooking loyal pets.
But taking a break from custom; numerous dog owners globally will make new year resolutions with their pets at the receiving end.
This article focuses on 12 amazing new year resolutions you can make for your furry partners.
The Best New Year Resolutions for Responsible Dog Owners
1. Get a pet insurance
Health Insurance is a fundamental part of our lives, but that isn’t the case for pets.
That begs the question, why?
Well, no concrete answer to that. Hence the reason why your pooches should get pet insurance just like your health insurance.
Health Insurance for your dogs can cost as low as $11 and as much as $100.
Irrespective of your dog’s age, gender, breed, or size, you can be sure to get a good insurance plan within your budget that suits your mutt’s healthcare needs.
Do well to check out some dog insurance healthcare providers.
2. Teach your dogs new tricks
Being one of the most intelligent and sociable creatures on the planet, dogs are capable of numerous activities that would leave you surprised.
However, to bring the best out of your pooch, teaching them tricks is often the best bet.
Learning new tricks on YouTube to teach your dogs is one way to go about teaching your mutt new trick.
Another better way to teach your dogs new tricks can be by recruiting the services of an experienced professional.
Enrolling your pets in canine training classes is also an option.
Teaching your pets other tricks aside from basic tricks such as surfing is also a good idea.
3. Engage in dog racing tournaments
That may sound odd, but dog racing tournaments? Yes, you and your furry best friend working as a team to outdo others is a thing.
This is the perfect activity for bonding as you two will get to spend more time together and work together to achieve success.
It would also serve as an avenue for your pooch to exercise.
If you and your mutt are really good at this, you may as well create a new world record in whatever tournament you choose to participate in.
That would be amazing, wouldn’t it?
Do well to check out a couple of dog racing events you may want to sign up for.
4. Visit the vet more often
Visiting the veterinarian is often reduced to emergencies or when pooches are down with severe ailments.
But depending on the age of your mutt, a visit to the veterinarian can be as low as two times yearly or more.
For puppies, frequent visit to the veterinarian is recommended so your pet would receive an updated dosage of every vaccine, which plays a significant role in healthy development.
Including this in your new year’s resolution would do wonders for your dog’s health.
5. Take your dog to a cozy restaurant
We all do visit restaurants for whatever reason, but even when our pooches are on their best behavior, we reward them with a wonderful treat at home at best.
While that is amazing, taking your dog out to eat at a restaurant can be an exhilarating experience for your dogs.
Making a resolution to take out your mutts to a restaurant for a fancy meal will definitely be welcomed by your dogs.
Do well to check out for restaurants that provide dog-friendly gourmet meals.
6. Update your dog microchip information
If your dog isn’t microchipped, including this in your new year’s resolution is a great idea.
In instances where you and your mutts are separated, reuniting with your pets would be very easy as their location would be known.
Having your pet microchipped is good but not good enough. Understanding how it works is knowledge that will come in handy.
Your local veterinarian can check if your dog’s microchip is universal.
Getting to know your dog’s microchip number is also a good idea. You can easily check for it here.
If you recently moved, updating your dog’s microchip information is recommended.
Also, do well to include your dog’s microchip information on the world’s first microchip registry, The Found Registry.
Achieving this resolution will help keep your pet safe.
7. Learn more about your dog’s body language
Your canine has feelings and a desire to bond with you. Those emotions propel it to communicate with you.
Though without words, you can do well to understand your dog’s communicative skill by taking time to understand its body language.
Body language communication is obvious if you pay enough attention to facial expressions, posture, tail wagging, and vocal sounds.
Each means different things, and understanding what each expression means will help you cater well to your dog.
Including this and achieving this resolution will go a long way in building your relationship with your pooches.
So do well to learn about how dogs communicate on the internet and how your dog does it.
8. Pay attention to your dog’s nutrition
The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) revealed that about 55.8% of the canine population in the United States are obese.
This most likely means your dog is obese or will be if its nutrition isn’t given the needed attention.
This is no good news, as obesity makes dogs susceptible to health challenges such as cancer and other diseases.
Paying attention to your dog’s nutrition will significantly help reduce obesity or prevent it.
Hence this should form a fundamental part of your 2022 new year resolution.
9. Have more play dates
As much as your dog benefits greatly from socialization with its owner, it would help even more when it socializes with other mutts, especially when they are young.
Playdates are an avenue to expose your pooch to other pooches and to socialize freely, thereby developing its personality.
Playdates can be hard to organize, but a few visits to the local dog park and interaction with a couple of dog owners can make it happen.
This resolution will greatly help your dog’s socialization skills, build its personality and expose it to its peers.
10. Learn more on dog first aid
Professional healthcare providers may not always be available to care for your dog, hence the need for every dog owner to understand basic first aid for pooches.
Getting a well-equipped first aid kit for your mutt is the first approach towards achieving this.
A bit of study on how to treat common wounds in dogs can make a difference in providing relief to your pooch when the veterinarian is away.
11. Engage your dog in new activities
Monotony never profits anyone. This is true for your mutts.
Adding a bit of flavor to their daily or weekly routine will increase the morale of your mutts considerably.
Instead of the usual dog walking, take your pooch for a kayaking adventure or surfing.
Taking them out to see sights much different from what they are used to can also be as rewarding as it is for humans.
So do well to take your canines to see that waterfall or the city from an overlooking mountain.
Engaging your mutts in such activities will make them anticipate exercises and see them in their best behavior.
Related:
Hiking With Dogs: How Do I Prepare My Dog for Hiking?
12. Devout More attention to Your Dog’s Grooming
An integral part of your mutts life, grooming is something you take really seriously with your dogs.
However, as much as it is taken seriously, lapses are made in different areas.
A new year resolution to avoid such lapses, pay extra attention to the grooming needs, and adhere strictly to your pooch’s grooming routine will definitely improve the well-being of your dog.
Grooming issues by just keeping your mutt clean serve as a means of bonding as pooches love getting groomed by their owners.
Conclusion
As a responsible dog owner, setting new year resolutions that directly benefits your canine buddy is the best you can do.
Setting these resolutions may be easy but achieving them, though challenging, will definitely bring an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction and also lead to significant improvements in all aspects of your dog’s life.
We hope you do and wish you and your furry partner a healthy and amazing new year.
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