How to Make a Dog Happy

We're sure everyone who's lucky enough to enjoy the company of these four-legged furry ones always does what they can to keep them happy. But.... do we really know how to make our dog happy, or is it just what we believe, or... want to believe?

Although it may seem odd how simple it is, making them happy is very easy. You just need to follow a few basic guidelines and treat them with the respect they deserve. Let's go over each of those guidelines and how to follow them.

Nutrition

We've all heard of the classic "village dogs" of old, which survived on leftovers and little else. But having survived doesn't mean they were properly fed, which is why we need to dedicate time to their nutrition.

Without a doubt, a high-quality dog kibble is an excellent option, formulated and made specifically for each stage of their life (puppy, adult, or senior). It's a simple way to feed them properly and, at the same time, easy for us.

We should choose the right kibble for our dog's needs, depending on its age, size (large, medium, or small breed), and of course its daily physical activity.

A well-fed dog is a strong, healthy dog, while a poorly-fed dog is very prone to getting sick and having a worse quality of life.

Anyone with the time and resources to feed them natural products can do so too. This is known as the "BARF Diet," and it's a healthy alternative consisting of feeding the dog raw or lightly cooked products, but always natural (unprocessed) ones.

Choosing good food is just as important as respecting their mealtimes and always keeping a bowl of clean, fresh water available to them. We should create a daily routine with meals and always feed them at the same time. This way our dog will know when it's time to eat, and it will get used to it, as will its body.

Health and Hygiene

Dogs are generally quite impulsive animals and love playing or running wherever, including puddles, rivers, mud, sand, trash, dirt...... So we could say that they largely depend on us to keep up a hygiene level that we're both comfortable with.

Bathing our dog at home with lukewarm water once a month is usually enough to maintain proper hygiene. Obviously excluding cases where, out of greater need, they must be bathed more often, such as when they roll around in something filthy.

Using a special dog shampoo with an appropriate pH is very important so their skin doesn't suffer. A low-quality shampoo will cause dandruff, skin irritation, excess dryness, itching.... The water shouldn't be too hot — it shouldn't burn us, nor should we feel it's almost burning.

On the other hand, keeping it up to date on all its vaccines and taking it to the vet whenever it's sick is completely mandatory for our dog to be healthy.

Frequently using pipettes and anti-parasite collars is highly recommended, since parasites can transmit various diseases.

Exercise and Respect

Taking our dog out at least three times a day to relieve itself is simply mandatory — if it can be more times, even better. But exercising with our dog is something that generally isn't seen much...

Many people might say that just going for a walk around the block or the park with it is enough for all its daily exercise. But the truth is that only works for adult dogs over 8 years old — younger dogs need a bit more.

Obviously, use a bit of common sense — a small breed dog or a puppy don't need exercise the way we've described it, they just need to play or walk a little. But healthy adult dogs really appreciate going out for a run at a suitable pace. And if they can't play running with other dogs... the best option is to take them out with us to run, bike, skate, or however you like, but give them a bit of exercise.

Respect is also essential — you should never physically hurt them, and we should respect them the way we'd respect any member of our family. And that also means letting them enjoy being dogs and not over-humanizing them.

Love

They're not just animals, they have feelings. Give them the love they deserve and you'll be rewarded a million times over. Play with them, give them affection, even talk to them. Remember that to them, you are their family, their parent, the person to trust, love, and protect. Don't let them down — be the person your dog believes you are.

As you can see, there's nothing strange in everything we've discussed — they're extremely simple guidelines we should all follow to keep our dog happy and healthy. And if you have extra ideas, put them into practice: take it out for a day in the countryside or the woods, go enjoy a day at the beach, enjoy simple games like fetching the ball, meet up with other dog friends and play, etc....