7 Life Improving Tips for A Healthier, Happier Dog | Pupford

Our goal as pup parents seems pretty simple: give our dogs a healthy, happy life.

Seems simple, but really isn’t. There’s a lot that goes into raising a well-behaved pup, but there’s good news -- you don’t have to do it alone!

We get asked all the time for tips on how to give your dog an overall better life. So we thought we’d take the time to give a few simple tips to make life better for your dog.

Here’s what we’ll be covering:

1. Feed your dog high-quality food
2. The same goes for dog treats!
3. Regularly check in on your dog’s weight
4. Take your dog in for check-ups regularly
5. Make training a priority
6. Care for every part of your dog
7. Set yourself and your dog up for success with the right tools

Related Reading: Dog Health Tips

Before we get started with tips for improving your dog’s life, let’s find out how good of a life you are giving them now. Take this quiz:

7 TIPS FOR A HEALTHIER AND HAPPIER DOG

Let’s get into it -- here are seven simple life-improving tips for a healthier, happier dog:

1. FEED YOUR DOG HIGH-QUALITY FOOD

Dogs need a balanced diet made of high-quality food, just like people do. The right food keeps your dog healthy inside and out, from a shiny coat to a strong immune system.

For specific questions on your dog’s nutritional needs, you’ll want to consult your vet. But for a general guide, you want to look for foods that check these boxes:

• It’s appropriate for your dog’s developmental stage
• It balances meat, vegetable, grain, and fruit-derived ingredients
• Foods with a species-identified meat (deboned salmon vs. “ fish”) as the first ingredient
• Whole fruits and vegetables high on the ingredient list
• Organic ingredients when possible

Homeward Pet has a dog food score sheet you can use to assess the quality of your dog’s current food. View it here.

You also may be wondering if kibble, dehydrated food, or raw food is best for your dog. In an article, we broke down and compared kibble vs dehydrated vs raw diets.

2. THE SAME GOES FOR DOG TREATS!

You don’t want to make the mistake of carefully selecting your dog’s food, but not paying the same attention to their treats.

Some treats are high calorie, packed with fillers, and highly processed which removes the nutritional value. If you’re giving your dog multiple treats per day for training, unhealthy treats can really add up.

Check your training treats to see if they fit this description:

• The fewer the ingredients, the better
• Small enough for repetitive rewards
• Low calorie
• Natural ingredients

If not, it might be time to make a switch. Not to brag, but Pupford’s training treats fit the bill, and are the perfect high-value reward for your dog. Take a look at our low-calorie training treats here.

3. REGULARLY CHECK IN ON YOUR DOG’S WEIGHT

According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 54% of dogs in the United States are overweight or obese. Obesity can cause a lot of serious health issues like arthritis, urinary tract disease, liver disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, and more.

One of the common reasons is lack of awareness -- most dog parents don’t know what a healthy weight for their dog is or how to maintain a healthy weight.

At your dog’s next vet visit, ask for the healthy weight range for your dog’s breed and age. Also ask what daily calorie intake will support a healthy weight for your dog (there are online calculators that can help you get an idea, but it’s best to confirm with your vet).

It’s important to consistently monitor your dog’s weight to make sure they haven’t gained too much weight. You can usually do this at home with your bathroom scale, but if that’s difficult for your dog then bring them into the vet for a weigh-in and check up. You can also check your dog's body condition score!

Related Reading: Obese & Overweight Dogs Guide

4. TAKE YOUR DOG IN FOR CHECK-UPS REGULARLY

Speaking of check ups, don’t skip them! It’s really common for people to take their dogs to the vet consistently as a puppy when they need to keep up with their shots and growth tracking, but then stop as they reach adulthood.

The vet isn’t just there for when something is wrong, they’re there to make sure your dog is always healthy. Plan for (at least) yearly check ups to make sure your dog is healthy inside and out.

The more frequently you take your dog for a check-up, the more likely you are to catch any issues earlier and resolve them before they get serious.

5. MAKE TRAINING A PRIORITY

Training keeps your dog happy, safe, and mentally stimulated -- all of which lead to a longer, healthier life.

Make training a priority in your daily routine to strengthen your relationship, keep your dog active, and challenge their brain.

Keeping them busy and stimulated reduces the chances of them getting bored and potentially chewing/ingesting something they shouldn’t. Plus, certain behaviors like recall can help keep them safe in a dangerous or stressful situation.

We have a ton of resources for training your dog, but you can start with one of the most fundamental principles: being consistent. Read more about the importance of consistency in dog training here.

6. CARE FOR EVERY PART OF YOUR DOG

Health and happiness for your dog requires a holistic approach. Often there are areas of a dog’s health that get overlooked, the most common being the skin/coat and teeth.

If you’re slacking in those areas, we’ve got your back! We put together detailed guides for caring for both your dog’s skin and coat, and their teeth.

Read the 10 ways to improve your dog’s skin and coat

Read the how to guide for caring for your dog’s teeth

7. SET YOURSELF AND YOUR DOG UP FOR SUCCESS WITH THE RIGHT TOOLS

Having the right tools available will set you and your dog up for a long, healthy, happy life. These may seem like simple purchases but they do make a big difference. For example:

• A crate keeps your dog safe when unsupervised and can be a tool for reducing stress and anxiety
• High quality chews give your dog a positive outlet for chewing while keeping their teeth clean
• A supplement like Super Pup to keep skin, coat, joints, and digestive system healthy.

Any other tips for improving your dog’s life and keeping them healthy and happy? Let us know in the comments!