Dear Miss Behavin’: We are setting our New Year’s resolutions and thought it would be fun to bring our dog Trixie in on the fun. What are some ideas for dog-friendly resolutions?
It’s a great idea to include your pet in your goals or to set goals separately for your pet! We often are encouraged to do things we otherwise wouldn’t for our pet’s sake (taken any walks in the rain at 6am recently?), so making Trixie part of your plan may help you stay on track.
If you are setting the classic goal of more exercise, set the same goal for Trixie. You can simply turn her morning or evening walk into a jog, providing both of you with some extra activity. If your health is great but you’d like to improve Trixie’s, talk to your vet about a weight loss plan. Subbing a small portion of her meal for veggies can be a good way to keep her feeling full while cutting back calories
For the antsy pup, resolve to provide more cognitive exercise. Ditching the food bowls and feeding her meals out of puzzles toys is simple and fun way to put Trixie’s mind to work without much additional effort on your part.
Keep it fun, keep moving, and when you start losing inspiration, remember it’s all for the dog!