The new year is the time of resolutions. Usually, it is something from the “healthy lifestyle” collection, like “I will start going to the gym”, “I will not drink alcohol” or some other bold ideas.
How about to try some resolution which will be related to our life with the dog?
Something like “I will become better owner” is too general. Something more specific would be better. There are many possibilities. When choosing some, take dog’s age, health condition, and other relevant factors into consideration. In this article I will give you some tips for your inspiration:
- I will do something new with my dog every month – I will go for a trip to someplace my dog wasn´t yet; I will take my dog with me to some new dog-friendly restaurant/bar; I will take my dog for a trip with the train… Continuous socialization is very important.
- I will start to play some logic games/puzzles with my dog regularly. Those games have a positive impact on dog´s temperament. You can try to find something about the Hersenwerk method on the internet.
- I will start to improve my skills in reading the body language of my dog and in recognizing the signs of discomfort and stress so I can help my dog effectively if needed. My tip is the book from Turid Rugaas – Calming Signals.
I was inspired to write this by the article posted on Dog Star Daily – The Only Resolution A Dog Owner Needs, where you can find some other interesting ideas on new year resolutions.
And what about me? I decided to start to practice some nosework games and exercises with my dog systematically. Nosework has also lots of benefits for the dog.