As the calendar turns over to a new year, it’s time to start thinking about your New Year’s resolutions. Are you looking for ways to stay active and improve yourself in 2023? We suggest including your four-legged family member in the plan, too! From finding more outdoor activities to making healthier nutrition choices and providing plenty of love, here’s our guide on how you can start the new year off with enthusiastic strides alongside your pup.
Walk Every Day
Daily dog walking is an excellent way to stay fit and healthy, both mentally and physically - and makes for a great New Year’s Resolution. It not only provides your dog with the exercise they need to stay fit and active but also gives yourself a fun way to get out of the house, explore the outdoors, and challenge yourself. Dog walking can help you build muscles, reduce stress levels, improve your overall mood and even increase productivity. Not only that, you never know how often your dog might need to poop!
It’s a mindful form of exercise that strengthens your bond with your canine companion while helping you stay active at the same time. Make sure to take into account any special considerations your dog may have when planning walks - pick routes that are appropriate for their age, size and petite level. Dog walking is an enjoyable experience for both of you - so toss on some comfy clothes, strap on that lead and start out on your daily adventures today!
Walk a little further
If you already walk your dog every day without fail, why not try and walk a little further? While going the extra mile can be difficult, it pays off - as walking further each day provides extra exercise and stimulation for you and your furry friend.
By introducing a certain degree of challenge to your daily routine, you not only get more active but also ensure that basic needs like socialisation and exploration are met. Keep in mind that with any change, slow and steady is the way to go - make small changes to your daily walk rate until your pup gets used to it.
Go for walks in new places
Visiting new walking spots is a great way for both you and your pup to have fun and explore the world in the new year! Taking the time to invest in visiting different local parks, trails, or even beaches can be very beneficial for your canine companion. It provides an opportunity for dogs to experience an array of different sights, smells and sounds that will keep them active and stimulated long after you get home. Visiting new places is a guaranteed way to kick-off a fun filled adventure with your pup!
30 minutes of mental stimulation every day
A perfect resolution to make for both you and your pet could be giving them 30 minutes of solid mental stimulation every day. This can include bringing out the toys, teaching them new tricks, or filling a snuffle mat with their favourite treats which they can then search out and uncover - stimulating both their mind and senses, ensuring they feel more fulfilled and content. This is an excellent New Year’s Resolution that everyone should try, as it will benefit both you and your furry companion in more ways than one!
Find new treats for them to try or switch to natural treats
New year's resolutions are the perfect time to think about changing up your pet's diet in a positive direction. This can be as simple as switching away from heavily processed treats and towards naturally occurring alternatives for your four-legged friend. Natural treats support whole body nutrition that is plain, easy to digest and promotes good health both inside and out. High quality ingredients & some Human foods also lead to happy tails on New Year's day, giving you something to feel good about while celebrating the start of a fresh New Year!
Make the change to eco poo bags
Making the change to biodegradable or compostable dog poop bags as part of your new year's resolution is an excellent choice. Not only can you minimize your carbon footprint by reducing the amount of plastic traditionally used for pet waste, but you can also reduce negative environmental impacts associated with land filling pet waste.
By making this simple adjustment, you are taking proactive steps towards reducing negative environmental outcomes and providing a healthier and cleaner environment for our pets to enjoy. With helpful composting instructions included on the packages, moving away from traditional dog poop bags is easy and achievable.
Make new friends for your dog
Making new friends is a classic New Year’s resolution, and that’s no different for dogs! As pack animals by nature, dogs are happiest when they can bond with a new pal and romp around with them. If you want to make 2023 the year your pup has plenty of new friends to play with, organising more walks and playtimes is a great resolution to stick to. You don’t need complicated plans - just setting up a regular meeting schedule with other friendly pooches will do the trick!
Go on a camping trip
With new year's resolution in mind and the need to get away from it all, camping with your dog is a great idea. Many campsites are pet friendly, allowing you to take your four-legged friend along for an outdoor adventure. With beautiful landscapes for you both to explore and new smells for your pup to sniff around, camping really does provide new experiences on every holiday. And after a long day of venturing further afield, there's nothing like putting up the tent snuggled up with your furry companion - making it one of the best holidays that you can enjoy together!
Do some training
Why not make your resolution to become a better pet owner and take time to sharpen up your dog's obedience skills? Clicker training is an effective way to train your dog, as it involves using a distinct sound - produced by a small clicker device - to associate reward with good behaviour.
This type of training encourages a positive relationship between you and your pup as they work hard together to make new strides in their learning journey. Why not give it a try this new year?
Help your pooch become a dogfluencer!
Every dog has the capacity to become a social media star these days. If you're looking for a new year's resolution that also rewards you with cuteness overload, why not make it a goal to start an Instagram page for your pup?
Not only will it keep all of your friends and family up to date on the latest new looks and adventures of your dog, but it can even become a full-fledged "dogfluencer" with lots of likes, comments and shares! Featuring your furry companion by taking fun and creative photos - like posing them in funny costumes or snapping shots while they snooze - is sure to bring smiles all around.
Most of all - Appreciate your pup!
Start the new year off right with a new resolution – appreciating your furry friend by your side. Not only will your dog love you unconditionally, but they’ll bring out the laughter with their silly antics and curious behaviour. It’s easy to get wrapped up in our daily stress, so take a moment to appreciate the little things that your pup brings into your life. Their goofy habits will remind you to find joy in the simple things that can often be overlooked. Make 2023 a better year by showing more love and attention to your loyal companion and enjoy new experiences together!
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