New Years Resolutions for your Dog

Q. A Newsletter from Pet-Supermarket.co.uk to help you and your pet ease into the new year.

With holiday festivities coming to a close and a New Year beginning, this is a very common time to set new goals and resolve to accomplish them. For those of us lucky enough to have a pet, you may just have the best free motivator/trainer to help you stick to your New Year's Resolutions, and while you are making some for yourself, why not extend them to your dog….

1. Diet
At a time when up to 60% of our pets are overweight and 24-44% of dogs are obese, the serious risks to our pets’ health have to be addressed. Not only are our pets facing the prospect of being constantly lethargic and short of breath, there is increased risk of serious illnesses such as diabetes and heart conditions as well as these animals having a shorter life expectancy than pets of an ideal weight.

Many dog owners feed their dogs a variety of fatty foods that are just not good for them. The New Year is a time to readdress your dogs diet and feed them high quality foods and treats that are low in fat. Get your pet weighed and set out achievable goals for weight loss.

2. Exercise
Diet alone is not enough for either you or your dog to start the New Year with a healthy lifestyle - get your dog out on walks and spend quality time playing with them. If your dog is seriously unfit then build the number and length of walks up gradually. Another form of exercise, especially if your dog is overweight, is hydrotherapy - swimming is great exercise without putting too much strain on the joints.

3. Training and behaviour
With cooler temperatures outdoors this is a great time of year to focus on training your dog. Whether a new pet who just joined your family or an older dog who has some naughty habits, making a new year’s resolution to train your dog can lead to a happier and calmer relationship between you both.

If you have a puppy, focus on house training, socialisation and basic obedience. If you have an older puppy or adult dog, the behaviour problems may be more complex and harder to correct. Whether you work on training by yourself or you need a local trainer, the time and effort you put in should reap great rewards in the future.

If you have a ‘golden dog’ then there is still lots of training you can do to help improve your bond with them – teaching your dog tricks is great fun for you and helps relieve boredom for your dog.

4. Spend Quality time with your dog
This not helps build your bond with your dog but studies have showed that spending time relaxing and playing with your dog can help reduce your stress levels and lower your blood pressure.

5. Look after your dogs’ health and safety
The New Year is a fantastic opportunity to make the extra effort to ensure your dog is kept healthy and safe. Make sure your pet sees a vet at least once a year for an annual check up. This will include keeping their vaccine status up-to-date and checking for dental health, lumps and bumps, heart murmurs and other things you may not notice yourself.

At home, make sure your dog is regularly wormed with a veterinary recommended wormer such as Drontal or Panacur and deflead using a product such as Frontline. Fleas are a year round problem. Also, take the New Year to make a resolution to brush your dog’s teeth regularly and keep an eye on your dogs’ nails to ensure they do not grow too long. Learn to clip your pet's toenails by getting a professional to show you how.