A New Year's Checklist For Your Dog
Ipersonally don’t make resolutions, but I do make a checklist of things I try to achieve in the fresh, shiny New Year, and that can be exciting to think about. As always, when the New Year starts out, we all tend to think of ways to feel happier, healthier, get more exercise, and maybe even shed a few of those holiday pounds. And, when I had my beloved FiveSibes, I would plans ways of making their New Year healthier and happier, too.
"Let's all review our checklists, put our plans into action, and most importantly, remember to be grateful and enjoy every moment spent with our beloved dogs—the true gifts they are—all year through!"
Here are a few of my top tips to help put the Happy in your dog’s New Year:
Step
It Up!
Even
if you are an avid dog walker now, it’s fun to think about new and exciting
ways to get more steps in, for both pooch and parent! If you walk the
neighborhood, why not switch it up and go to a new neighborhood to take
in new sights and scents for your dog? Maybe your town has a new dog
park or a local branch of a social media dog walker’s club. Do you wear an
activity tracker? Be sure to have it on during your walks and compete with
yourself or friend on how many steps you and your dogs can get in each day
together and set a goal to reach X-number of steps by the end of each day,
week, and/or month. If you have a dog that loves to run, such as a Siberian
Husky, it’s another great way of helping them expend that energy in a fun
and positive manner!
Swap
the Treats
Christmas
season brought with it stockings hung by the chimney with care and full of
tasty treats for our dogs. So, January is the perfect time to start adding
in more wholesome snacks and food mix-ins, if you don’t already, such as
fat-free yogurt, organic peanut or almond butter, pumpkin puree, homemade
bone broth, healthy proteins like fish and chicken, and don’t forget the fruits
and veggies! Dogs love blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, green beans,
cranberries, and the occasional bite of an apple (never the seeds), banana, and
carrot nibs! *Note, before adding or changing anything to your dog’s diet,
always check with your vet first!*
Take
Stock of First Aid Kit
A
shiny New Year is the perfect time to give your dog’s First Aid Kit an
overhaul. Check all items you need are in the kit, update anything that is
expired, and replace any low-supply items. If your dog has special needs, such as epilepsy, be
sure to include any medications and medication schedules. Don’t forget to update
all contact information you include in your kit, (especially if you’ve
moved or changed vets), such as your vet, ER vet hospital, local municipality
for license tags, microchip agency, and emergency contact numbers. Be sure to
also update your ICE {In Case of Emergency} contact in your cell phone
as well.
Eliminate
Toxic Relationships
Yes,
dogs can have them, too! It’s our job as their caregivers to be sure the
company we keep is not only healthy for our own well-being and mental health, but also for our
dogs. For example: Does your visiting friend or relative always bring their dog, but
their dog’s presence stresses your dog out or instigates trouble with your dog? Then we
need to be clear to our guests that while we appreciate their love for their own dog, we also
love ours and must insist they make other arrangements for their dog while
visiting so as not to stress our own dogs out. After all, our dogs are
family and it is their home, too.
So, with 2026 now upon us, let’s re-evaluate things while resolving to be the best caregiver to our dogs and be the person our dogs think we are. So let's all 1) review our checklists, 2) put our plans into action, and 3) most importantly, remember to be grateful and enjoy every moment spent with our beloved dogs—the true gifts they are—all year through!
*This article was originally published in 4Knines.
About the Author
Dorothy Wills-Raftery is an award-winning
photojournalist and author of five canine books, as well as the award-winning international FiveSibes™ blog, an online
encyclopedia for the Siberian Husky breed based on her sharing life with her
five beloved Siberian Huskies, and its award-winning companion #LiveGibStrong Online
K-9 Epilepsy Resource Library, filled with vetted Canine Epilepsy
information inspired by her epileptic husky, Gibson. Her work has also appeared in Petful.com,
4Knines.com, AmericanPet Magazine, Ruff Drafts, Kings River
Life Magazine, The Sled Dogger, Hudson Valley Paw Print Magazine, and
many other publications. Dorothy was the writer and host of the award-winning
podcast "The Sibe Vibe” Dog Works Radio show from 2012 – 2019.
An official International Purple Day® for Epilepsy Ambassador since 2012 and a volunteer case manager for The Wally Foundation-Canine Epilepsy, Dorothy is the creator of the FiveSibes #LiveGibStrong K-9 Epilepsy Awareness campaign and partnered with The Anita Kaufmann Foundation/Purple Day® Every Day for her #Paws4Purple Project, both inspired by her own epileptic Husky, Gibson.
Comments
Post a Comment