Scientific evidence suggests that happiness can have positive effects on your health. If you’re happy and experience minimal stress then your immune system will be boosted and you will live a healthier lifestyle.
This is also true for our best friend – the pooch.
Happiness in dogs can contribute to positive behavior, health benefits and overall well being of the dog. This positivity can have a significant impact on the relationship between you and your dog. If your dog is happy then it makes you happy too. And with you being happy it can rub off on your dog and keep them happy – its an important virtuous cycle to maintain.
Happy dogs also tend to be more obedient which can make it easier for you to control and keep your dog safe. Dogs are an important part of our family right? So why wouldn’t we want to do all we can to provide safety and security for them?
Here is our list of expert tips to create happiness for your dog to keep them happy and safe.
1. Regular Excercise and Walking
Perhaps the most important thing you can do to make your dog happy and healthy is walking. Your dog’s breed will determine how much walking is required but generally adult dogs will need daily walks of atleast 30 minutes.
This advice may seem like an obvious and basic one however, recent studies show that under half of dog owners in the UK fail to walk their dogs daily.
We urge you all to get out and walk with your pooch to keep them healthy, happy and fit. Also throw in a game of fetch while your out and about to keep your dog mentally stimulated.
There are times however, when it may not be ideal for you and your dog to be outside walking. Especially for us Brits in the UK, where the weather isn’t always inviting therefore, we’ve featured a great video from Dog Psychology 101. It gives great tips on exercising your dog mentally and physically inside your own home.
If you’re still looking for more tips for exercising indoors, you can always try this –
2. Don't Pass Anger and Negativity
If you get upset with something bad that your dog has done, you should not shout or express anger at them. Passing on this type of negativity can only do harm to your dog by creating confusion and stress.
Remember that your dog, most likely, will not understand what it is they’ve done wrong, let alone understand the words coming from your mouth when you are telling them off. So scolding your dog without addressing the issue with them is not the way to treat bad behaviour.
Instead of letting loose your negative energy on their bad behaviour you should learn to ignore it. Then focus your positive energy on their good behaviour. Dogs love to please their owners and therefore, when you show your approval for their good behaviour by means of affection and rewards they will be more happy to repeat this type of behaviour.
3. Brush Your Dog's Teeth
Dental hygiene plays an important role in ensuring a dogs overall health. Our beloved pooches use their mouth and teeth to perform almost all everyday tasks – from eating and drinking to picking up things, playing with their toys and more. Therefore, bad dentures will not allow a dog to live a happy life.
Our guide and recommendations on brushing your dog’s teeth –
- Aim to brush atleast 3 times a week if your dog’s mouth is healthy. Increase this if needed.
- Try not to brush when your dog is excited. When they are dosing off for sleep at night or first thing in the morning is typically the best time but this depends on your dog’s personality.
- Always use toothpaste formulated for dogs and toothbrush designed for dogs.
- If your dog hates having their teeth brushed and struggles alot then you can try flavoured dog toothpaste. If they still struggle then you can try applying the toothpaste onto their favourite chew toy or chewing ropes.
Smile. It’s time to show off those sparkling teeth!
4. Avoid Foods That Are Harmful To Dogs
Although we all love to spoil our dogs with treats and snacks that we love, please remember that there are certain foods that should completely be avoided for dogs. Some of these can be extremely toxic and can cause severe harm to your pooch. Please keep your pooch healthy and happy by not feeding them these foods.
We advise you to print this A-Z list of foods and ingredients that can be bad for your dog and keep it visible in your kitchen.
- Alcohol
- Artificial sweeteners
- Avocado
- Cacao
- Caffeine
- Chives
- Chocolate
- Cocoa
- Currants
- Garlic
- Green tomatoes
- Grapes
- Nutmeg
- Nuts (Macadamia, Pecan, Pistachio, Walnut)
- Onions
- Rhubarb
- Raisins
- Sultanas
- Yeast
5. Foods That Are Good For Your Dog
Now that we’ve covered the bad foods, lets move onto the good stuff! Your pooch doesn’t always have to stick to dog food because some human foods are actually good for them. Be sure to treat them with your choice of goodies from this list and your dog will love you for it.
- Bone broth
- Coconut
- Carrot
- Apple
- Fish (salmon, tuna, shrimp)
- Egg and crushed shell
- Green beans
- White meat (chicken, turkey, pork)
- Cucumber
- Watermelon
- Blueberry
To conclude, just by following and sticking to these simple tips we’ve recommended you can be sure to enjoy a great happy environment for both you and your dog.
Remember a happy dog is a healthy dog.
Got any tips of your own? Be sure to comment and let us know.