Ensuring Your Dog is Healthy and Happy | All Year Round

We're literally in the midst of dog days of summer friends, but it doesn't mean our dogs are all that happy about it. In fact the summer is the most crucial time of year in keeping dogs or any pets healthy and caring for them a little extra. But its definitely important to keeping your dogs healthy all year round. Today I'm sharing a few things we do to keep our dogs happy and healthy.

Your dog will give you lots of love and always be a loyal friend as long as they are healthy and happy.  There are some things that are more vital than others to keep your dog this way. You will find tons of information online about training and health, some of which are for specific breeds. There are a few basic things that apply to all dogs though, no matter how old they are or whether they are a thoroughbred or a mixed breed.

Feed Them Correctly

Having the right diet is crucial to your dogs well being. The food they eat can affect their weight, their teeth, their fur, their eyes and even their moods. Dogs need a well-balanced, nutritious diet that they can easily digest.  If they have allergies try them with grain free dog foods, which will also help to maintain a healthy weight, as they tend to be lower in carbohydrates. When we finally changed both our dogs diet to grain-free, it made all the difference in their weight and health overall. They are much happier especially their digestive system will thank you and you'll be much happier too.

As you can see from these grain free dog food blog posts it works for lots of dogs. If it doesn’t work for your pooch, well you haven’t lost anything by trying.

Do not be tempted to give them human treats, as some of them are very bad for dogs. For instance, chocolate, caffeine, citrus fruits, grapes, raisins and macadamia nuts are just a few of the things you might enjoy that could make your dog ill. You should also avoid giving them anything that contains onion, alcohol, coconut, and avocado.

Raw food diets can be good for them but if you buy dog foods, make sure they the right one for their size and age. Adult dog food, for instance, would be very hard for a puppy to digest.

Make Sure They Exercise

There are two very important elements to keeping your dog fit and happy. One is their food and the other is exercise. It can be great if you have a large back yard where they can run around, but for dog owners who don't have this luxury you must be prepared to take the dog for some walks every day.

Apart from walks, they can be exercised through play. Throwing a ball for them to fetch is a good way to get them on their feet. Dogs have lots of energy and using it up with plenty of exercise will make it easier for them to settle.

Of course, the bonus is that all the walking and playing with the dog it's good for your health as well.

Find A Vet You Are Happy With

Don’t wait until your dog isn't feeling well to find a vet. Do your research about the ones that are local to you. Talk to other people for referrals, and find out their experience and of course their fees.

Even a healthy dog should see a vet at least once a year. They will be able to spot anything that is developing before it gets too bad and keep them up to date on their shots. Preventing an illness is always cheaper than treating one, so find a vet you and your dog will be happy with.

It's great for your dog to pay a visit to have their yearly vaccinations as needed. They're less likely to build up any distrust towards the vet and will be happier to go there if familiar.

Vet fees can get very expensive very fast if there is something seriously wrong with your dog. Look into pet insurance as that could save you some money.

Learn To Read Their Body Language

There is no doubt it would be much easier if your dog could talk and tell you they are not feeling well. However, they can’t so you need to learn their body language. Often, you will know by their demeanor if they are not feeling 100%, and just like us humans, they can have an off day that's okay too.

If it lasts more than one day, that means a visit to the vet is necessary, just in case there is something wrong and they need medication to treat it. If your dog is normally full of life and is just lying around, if they are not eating or they keep needing to go to outside to do their business, they could have an infection of some sort and may need the help from the vet sooner than later. This is usually more crucial as your pet gets older too, speaking from experience.

Tax Their Brains

Dogs are clever, which is why they can be trained and be such loyal pets. Their brain's need stimulation and though you may not be able to give them a crossword to do, you can still teach them simple tricks that they have to think about.

Engaging in new activities will help to keep them alert and the more varied they are the better. They just need simple things like not always taking the same route for their walks or hiding their toys so they have to find them. Nowhere to difficult of course because then they will get frustrated, but hide them somewhere where it will not take many minutes for them to be found.

Give Them Love

Dogs love affection and you should give them plenty of it. Let them sit next to you or on your lap while you are watching the TV, or fuss them when they have done something good. They will give you love in return, and no one will make as much fuss as they do when you return home after a hard day at work. That's the best time to show them how much you've missed them too!

Remember though, you can sometimes overdo it. A dog should have their own space, usually their bed, where they go and settle down in there they should not be disturbed, and its okay if this is just during the day. And if they sleep with you at night. They should know that that is their haven, their own space, so that if young children start to mess with them, for instance, and they do not want to play, they can go and get in their place of peace and quietness. Everyone in the family should know this especially visitors so that they realize not to approach the dog if they have gone there on their own will. Check with the pet owner first of course. Dogs can be different in different scenarios.

Consider all of these things when it comes to your own dogs and you will have a healthy and happy dog that will stay and remain that way for a very long time. Dogs really can be humanly and they have feelings and a much bigger heart than we do, therefore caring for them and loving them is important every day.

This might not be much of news to most of you dog owners but its always nice to have a refreshing reminder or resource to fall back on if ever needed.

As always, thank you for stopping by and visiting my blog today! Means a ton and if you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave them!