It’s the new year (a new decade, actually!) and odds are you’ve probably got a personal list of resolutions you want to achieve. Whether it’s planning healthier meals, reading one book a month or heading back to the gym, these resolutions are meant to better your life and keep you happy and healthy. And if you’re a pet parent you want to make sure your furry friend starts their new year off right, too. So why not achieve your goals together? After all, when planning out your year you might just find that your resolutions and your dog’s are not so different after all!
Here are five New Year’s resolutions that you and your dog can achieve together!
1. Be More Active
Whether it’s heading our for a hike, walking around the neighborhood, or jogging up and down the beach, getting more active is definitely a resolution you and your dog can tackle together! Both parent and pup will benefit from the physical activity as well as the mental stimulation. Plus, it’s a great way for you and your dog to bond! And if you ever experience a day where you just don’t want to put in the effort, your dog can be a great motivator and coach because, let’s face it, dogs are always excited to go for walkies!
2. Give Back to Your Community
A great New Year’s resolution to have is one that benefits not only yourself but your community as well. You and your dog can accomplish this together by doing rather simple things like picking up trash as you go about your daily walk or donating items to an animal shelter. If your dog has the temperament for it, consider enrolling them to be a therapy dog and then donating your time to hospitals, schools or nursing homes. You’ll be amazed at how good you’ll both feel after doing something positive for others!
3. Schedule a Wellness Exam
You and your dog’s health is no joke, but sometimes it can be hard to find the time to schedule a visit to the doctor or the veterinary office. Plus, if you’re both eating well, getting plenty of exercise and have a good sleep routine, it may seem unnecessary to get a check up for no reason. However, a good resolution to have for both you and your furry friend is to make the time to see a health professional because it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Our dogs can’t always tell us when something might be wrong, so it’s important to have regular vet check ups and to use that motivation to schedule a doctor’s appointment for yourself. After all, it can be hard to care for your dog if you don’t feel well!
4. Try Something New
It’s easy to get into a regular day-to-day routine with your dog and in some ways, this is good. However, resolving to add something new to that routine can be a great way to spice things up and give you both something to look forward to. This can be as easy as taking a different path during your afternoon walks or visiting a dog park in a different town. If you really want to be adventurous, consider signing your dog up for agility or learning a new dog-friendly sport like snowshoeing, dock diving, or fly-ball. With such a wide variety of activities and experiences, it shouldn’t be hard to find something both you and your dog can enjoy together!
5. Take Time to Relax
A popular resolution on many people’s lists, finding the time to relax can, ironically, be stressful. However, with such busy lives, crazy workloads and all those squirrels to chase, it’s important for both you and your dog to put some time aside to just be present and enjoy some relaxation. Take 30 minutes or so out of every day to just sit with your dog and meditate. Maybe give him a gentle, relaxing massage while you enjoy some calming music or an interesting podcast. During walks, allow your dog to sniff as long as he wants while you take some deep breaths and enjoy your surroundings. You’ll be amazed at how rejuvenated and better you feel after sharing some relaxing downtime with your dog!
Resolutions can be great for improving your health and keeping you happy, and luckily there are so many you can share with your dog! We hope this list kicks off your new year right and helps pave the way for you and your dog to have a fulfilling year! Happy 2020!