Your family dog is more than a pet – dogs are like furry children and they deserve to be spoiled. Here are 4 fantastic ways to make your pet feel healthy and loved.
1. Use paw balm regularly
Your dog will love getting paw balm rubbed into their paw pads. Paw pads tend to get dry and crack, especially in hot months or when dogs play on rough terrain.
Paw balm helps to soothe the pain by healing cracks in their pads. It’s like using lip balm for cracked lips – it feels wonderful.
You can get paw balm online from many different companies. Each brand is made with slightly different ingredients and they all have different textures, ranging from soft to hard.
If you’re new to paw balm, check out Bone and Yarn’s review of the 10 best dog paw balms. You’ll find all kinds of information, including the ingredients, where each product is made, the texture, and whether or not it’s scented or contains chemical ingredients.
2. Give your dog a bath
Your dog probably wouldn’t consider a bath to be any kind of royal treatment, but don’t let that stop you. While dogs don’t need frequent baths, they do need to be cleaned periodically, especially if they enjoy rolling around in things that stink.
Before you dunk your pup, consider using bath time to teach your kids how to bathe your dog. Picking up poop is a good way to teach responsibility, but it’s not fun.
Bathing a dog, however, can be really fun for your little ones. There’s something exciting about getting soaked and full of soap while trying to bathe a giant beast that doesn’t want to sit still.
If you do let your kids bathe the family dog, you’ll definitely want to supervise, especially if you have a big dog. If your bathtub or shower can’t fully contain your dog, consider bathing them outside in a kiddie pool.
So, how does giving your dog a bath work in their favor? When your dog is clean and smells good, they’ll get more attention from everyone in the family.
3. Trim your dog’s nails
Grooming is important, but nail trimming is vital to your dog’s health. Overgrown nails cause dogs to walk on their paws sideways, and dew claws can become ingrown. If your dog develops an ingrown dew claw, it’s best to have a vet clip their nails.
It’s actually easy to clip your dog’s nails when you know all the right tricks. For example, placing your dog on their back, between your legs, facing away from you will give you the best view for clipping. This position makes the quick easily visible, since you’ll have a direct view into their nails from this angle.
You’ll also need to get familiar with what a quick looks like inside of a nail. Dark or black nails make it harder to see the quick, but there is a way to make it easy. For dark nails, wear a headlamp and shine the light directly into your dog’s claws and you’ll be able to see the quick start to appear as you clip.
If you’re a first-time nail clipper, be aware that your dog’s quick will grow with the nail, so you don’t want to cut your dog’s nails all the way in one clip.
Rather than clipping off large chunks, start small and check for the quick after each clip. If your dog isn’t afraid of noise, you can also use a Dremel or a similar tool made specifically for dog nails. However, be careful when grinding nails, as you can still hit the quick.
Last, don’t forget the Quick Stop – it’s a blood clotting agent that will stop the bleeding if you nick your dog’s quick. It comes as a powder and a gel in a tube.
4. Let your dog dig
Dogs love to dig, but most dogs don’t get to dig because they’ll ruin the yard. Consider creating a section in your backyard just for your dog. In that area, let them dig all they want. With some effort, you can train your dog to only dig and play in that area.
Give your dog the best life
Dogs just want to play and spend time with their humans. Your family dog deserves to enjoy living their best life. Give them all the love, time, and attention they crave.
