The saying that dogs are man’s best friend may be a bit of a cliche, but it’s a cliche because it’s true. Dogs are wonderfully loyal companions who bring joy to their owners every day. Conscientious dog owners know this, and try to offer the best of the best to their pets at all times. Improving your dog’s quality of life should be at the top of your list, and there are specific ways for you to do that. The following are a few tips to help you improve things for your pet, and an explainer for why it’s important. As more and more people have adopted dogs and puppies during the pandemic to help keep them company and offer emotional support, it’s now time to find ways to “give back,” and take better care of them.
Play Dates
Well, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you should encourage your dog to play with other dogs, although that’s definitely a nice idea. The vast majority of dogs are sociable and love to lavish attention on others. So, it helps for you to take them out and have them play with new people in the neighborhood every other day, or however often you can. It’s also nice to take your pet to the local dog park and have them interact with other dogs. This makes them so happy, and a well-socialized dog is a happy one. If you want to bring good cheer into their life, then arranging playdates is one important way of doing so.
Offer Attention
Another cliche is that dogs crave attention far more than their feline counterparts. Well, part of that is definitely true. While some breeds are perhaps a bit more independent as shown at WoofBarkGrowl.co.uk, they still love to be the center of their owner’s focus. Be sure to pet and groom your dog as often as possible. Dogs are affectionate animals and respond well to lots of love and care. By that same token, cruel or indifferent behavior tends to scar them in different ways, and affect them behaviorally. Circumvent that by treating your dog with the utmost kindness.
If you live in a home with more than one pet, you’ll need to make sure that you devote some quality time to each one. If you don’t take the time and care to do that, you also risk adversely affecting your dog’s mental and emotional wellbeing by not being more generous with your attention. There are also many studies showing the mental health benefits of owning a dog.
Regular Exercise
Dogs love being active, and need a lot of exercise to keep them happy and healthy. Beyond arranging for the occasional playdate, you need to take them out for a walk every day. Besides walking them for the more obvious reasons, you should also make sure to exercise with them for at least thirty minutes. You can also take your pet out for a hiking expedition, or any other place where they can enjoy a run or walk safely without a leash on. A happy dog is one that gets to move around a lot with its owner, and can get plenty of fresh air.
Ditch the Outfits
There is a famous scene in Friends in which one of the character’s pet peeves is dogs dressed as humans. Maybe this isn’t your pet peeve, and you enjoy dressing up your dog. This is fine, but one thing to keep in mind is that dogs really prefer to be comfortable. They will feel miserable if their sparkly collar is too tight, or if you make them wear lots of complicated outfits for no particular reason. Of course, a dog sweater and some booties in the midst of some frigid weather are helpful, but be careful to overdo it with pieces of clothing that are not just cumbersome, but will make them feel hot and uncomfortable.
Regular Grooming
Dogs, unlike cats, can’t really groom themselves. It is the responsibility of the dog owner to brush their pet’s fur, and keep it in excellent condition. They also need regular baths, so finding a good shampoo that doesn’t irritate their skin or bring about allergies is very important. If a dog isn’t clean, it will suffer through a multitude of skin rashes that will make them uncomfortable and affect its emotional health. It’s important for their owner to do what they can to take care of their pet.
A happy dog with a good quality of life will also have a positive impact on the owner’s quality of life. Dogs that feel good and enjoy being with their owners are deeply affectionate, loyal, and bring joy to everyone around them. They give so much of themselves that it’s important – and a moral imperative – for owners to do right by them.
