New Year, New Goals!
Ahh…it’s that time of year again. The time of year where we reflect on the year that has passed. And when we resolve to achieve new goals for the year ahead.
While you may have goals specific to you, there is no reason why you can’t find a way to include your dog in those goals as well! To help inspire you with your goal setting, here are some New Year’s resolution goal ideas for you and you dog.
Get active
I think this goal is on most New Year’s resolution lists- and for good reason! Fitness is an incredibly important part of your health, and has proven benefits to overall health throughout life. But, we aren’t the only ones that benefit from fitness. Dogs are also in need of regular exercise. So, why not look for ways to include them in your workouts?
There are tons of fun exercises you can do with your dogs, including running, power walking, cycling, cross-country skiing, swimming and more. You can get creative and enjoy some quality time with your pup too!
Eat well
If fitness isn’t the first goal on someone’s list after holiday feasting, then eating well certainly is! I too am feeling the effects of one too many cookies. While holiday food is undeniably delicious, one can’t help but feel the need to gorge on salads for the next three months after the holidays.
As you begin planning meals and making breakfast smoothies, you can look to create healthy snacks or meals for your dogs too.
For those of you that feed kibble to your dogs, you can focus on healthier snacks. Try swapping peanut butter with the healthier all natural peanut butter for snacks. Instead of Milk Bones or cookies, you can give your dog freeze dried liver treats (in small portions). For more ideas, check out my Fun Fall Leftovers blog post.
For those of you who feed raw, you can look to incorporate a greater variety of foods into your dog’s diet. Dogs Naturally Magazine is a great resource for feeding raw and recently posted on their blog 15 Tips for Improving Your Dog’s Diet Today.
Clean out the closet
I don’t know about you, but I sure have a lot of dog stuff that Isla and Harley don’t use. Whether it’s puppy-sized clothing, or toys that have seen better days, a clean out of the dog’s closet is warranted on a yearly basis.
A great way to put outgrown items from puppyhood to good use is to donate them to a local dog or animal charity. Some charities are particular about items they will take. So, just make sure to ask them before dropping off everything at their door! Some things that are commonly accepted include: crates, leashes, collars, sweaters, boots and food.
Work on training
Just as we may have goals for our own behaviour, we can set goals for our dogs as well. Perhaps your dog is great on leash, but pulls when he/she sees a squirrel. Or maybe your dog is great on leash, but isn’t as responsive when it comes to recall. One of my goals for Isla this year is to continue to improve her confidence on leash.
When approaching any training situation, try to determine the source of your dog’s behaviour. You want to work with them to help teach them how you would like them to behave. You should always approach training with patience and kindness.
If you do not feel comfortable training your dog yourself, you can always work with a trainer. Trainers are excellent resources and can help provide insight into your dog’s behaviour to determine your dog’s individual training needs. They can help build your confidence to work effectively in training your dog.
However you choose to approach training, it is always rewarding to spend time working with your dog and learning more about them!
Spend more time with those you love
I think setting time aside for those you love is as important as any other goals on this list. If nothing else, set a goal to spend more time with your dog.
If you’re home with your dog often, you can set a goal to play with your dog an hour a day. If you work long hours, you can set a goal to spend every Saturday morning taking your dog for a long walk. If you’re in and out of the house all day, set a goal to try and incorporate your dog into the trips you take so they can come along for the ride.
Whatever goals you set for the year, setting goals to include your dogs will only make your goals more fun to work on! And who wouldn’t want that?
And with that, I’d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year!