*This is a collaborative post
If you have a dog, or you are thinking of getting one soon, then you might well find yourself wondering how you can ensure that they are going to have the best possible life of all. The truth is that this can be easier than you might think, and as long as you work at it you should be able to ensure that your dog is truly happy and fulfilled, and that they enjoy their life as much as possible.
In this article, we are going to discuss some of the things that you can do to make sure of this. As long as you are doing the following, you can be sure that you are giving your dog the best possible life, and that they are going to be as happy as possible as a result.
Feed Them Well
Food is quite obviously a major concern when you have a dog. You need to make sure that you are feeding them as well as possible if they are going to be healthy and happy. But how can you ensure this, and what does it actually mean to feed your dog well? There are a few things that you can bear in mind here. First of all, feeding well is not about over-feeding, as some dog owners often seem to think, but rather about feeding them the right amount.
But it goes beyond that, too. Feeding your dog well also means that you are buying them the highest-quality dog food you can afford. The higher quality the food is, the healthier and happier the dog is going to be, for a few reasons. First of all, better dog food generally actually has more nutrients and minerals in it, meaning that the dog is going to be a lot healthier in general. It’s also a way of showing them you love them, which is really important for dogs.
Show Them Love
In fact, that is something that needs to be discussed in its own right, because it is just that important. The more love you can show to your dog, the happier they are going to be. It really does matter to them – they need to feel that their owner loves them and that they are an important and appreciated part of the family and the home. As long as they feel this way, it’s the kind of thing that helps to make them considerably happier all in all, so that is absolutely the approach that you need to take.
Of course, you can show love in many ways. It might mean patting and petting them, taking them for long walks, feeding them well (as above) or simply telling them – your dog can pick up certain words and it’s certainly true that they will know when you tell them you love them. So that’s something that you are going to want to make sure of if you are trying to give your dog the best possible life on the whole.
Treat Them To A Luxury Bed
Your dog, just like you, needs a comfortable and cozy place to sleep. The nicer their sleeping place is, the happier they are going to feel, and the better looked after they will be in general. To this end, it’s a good idea to make sure that you are treating them to a luxury bed, one that they can really enjoy and which is as comfortable and enjoyable to spend time in as possible. That’s the kind of thing that can really make a world of difference to how they feel in general.
If you are wondering where to go to find a decent bed, there are quite a few places. A good example would be Creatures of Comfort, where you can find a full range of luxury dog beds of many sizes, shapes and styles. There is sure to be something there that your dog will love, so it’s definitely worth taking a look there, or at a similar store at least.
Keep Them Entertained
What is the right kind of entertainment for a dog? They obviously like to run around and play, and that’s one reason that you need to make sure you are taking them for regular walks every single day. But you will also need to know how to entertain them at home, which is another matter altogether. There are quite a few ways you can approach this, and it’s all about allowing your imagination to come into the process so that you can figure out how they are going to have the most fun.
That can be as simple as playing with their toys with them, for example, or making sure that you are rolling around with them a little. If you have kids, they will probably naturally play with the dog, and you’ll just need to make sure that they do so gently enough and with the right kind of approach. All in all, however, playing with the dog and keeping them entertained is going to be a really important thing to do.
Take Them On Regular Walks
As we have mentioned a couple of times already, you need to take your dog on many regular walks if they are going to feel looked after and have the best possible life with you and your family. How much to walk them will depend on the breed of dog you have, and what kind of size they are too, so it’s not a blanket rule that you can follow. However, pretty much every dog needs walking at least once a day, and sometimes even twice or thrice a day. So you need to make sure that you are able to do that, and willing too.
It’s not just the regularity, but the places you go with them too. Your dog can quickly become bored of going to the same old places, and it is therefore a really good idea to make sure that you are taking them to new places from time to time. If you look around your local area, you should find some new dog parks that you haven’t tried before, new walks and so on. So those are well worth going for if you want to make sure that their walking is as good for them as possible.
Provide Them With Plenty Of Space
A dog of any kind is always going to need a lot of space, so you need to make sure that you are providing them with this if you want them to be well looked after and truly happy. In fact, this is something that you need to look into long before you actually buy the dog, because if you don’t think you have enough space to look after a dog, then you should simply not get one. And once you have them, you need to ensure that you can stick to providing them with the space that they need as best as you can.
How? Well, try not to overrun the home. Keep it clutter-free and clear, and make sure that everyone is tidying up after themselves. You should also carve out a space that belongs to the dog entirely, where you place their bed. That is one of the strongest ways to make them aware of just how much you love them, and you’ll be amazed at how much this helps them to feel at home as well, and to feel more comfortable and cozy.
So make sure that you are providing them with as much space as you can in the home.
Teach Them
Dogs actually love to learn, and there is much to be said for spending a little time each week, or even each day, teaching them new tricks. You can do this at any age, whether you are teaching them a simple command or something more complex. It’s all about consistency and patience; as long as you demonstrate those, you are going to find that your dog is much more likely to learn the tricks in question, and the more they are learning, the more active their brain is going to be.
Over time, that makes for a happier pooch, and you’ll find that they are going to feel so much more like a real dog and the kind of dog that you are going to love having too. So this can be a really important thing to bear in mind.
Get Another One
Finally, a dog is often going to enjoy having company, so it’s a good idea to think about getting another one if you think that they might be getting lonely. This is the kind of thing that can really make a huge difference to how happy they are going to be, and of course their happiness is the main thing that we are trying to achieve here. All in all, getting two dogs can prove to be easier in keeping them both happy than just getting one dog and hoping it will be happy.