13 Ways Your Dog Can Help with New Year Resolutions

A new year comes with New Year’s Resolutions! Did you know, your canine companion help you keep those resolutions?

Take a look at some common resolutions and how your furry friend can help you achieve them.

Spending More Time Outdoors With Nature

Not only will your dog encourage you to get in more cardio, but he will also help you spend more time with nature. Spending time in nature hiking, camping, biking, etc. is a great way to unwind and your pup will love it!

Dogs love the great outdoors! Even if your pooch is older or too small to keep up for the entire hike, you could get a backpack or carrier that will hold your small dog when their little legs get too tired.

Keeping Up With Cardio

Perhaps the most obvious resolution that your doggie can help you with is keeping up with your cardio exercise by going on walks. Your dog needs to go for walks to stay healthy and so do you!

This is excellent news for most people, especially those who struggle to find time or motivation to exercise. Depending on your dog’s age, breed, and health, you can take this cardio to the next level and start jogging together.

Best of all, walking with your dog instead of doing cardio alone is significantly more fun and a great bonding opportunity.

Meeting New People

It is notoriously hard to make new friends as an adult, but your dog will make this process significantly easier. One study found that 40 percent of dog owners find it easier to make friends.

Even if you are just taking your pooch for a walk around the neighborhood, he will be an excellent conversation starter.

Having a dog encourages you to go new places, such as the dog park, training classes or a pet store! You are likely to start talking to the owners of other dogs, and you may even become friends.

Eating Healthier

More than 45 percent of Americans make a resolution to focus on eating healthier. But how does your dog help you with this?

You want to take care of your dog but also indulge them by occasionally giving them a bite of your food. But you don’t want the food you give him to effect his health negatively. This means giving him more unprocessed treats like carrots. In this case, wanting to give your pup some of your food automatically means that you will be eating healthier. (Remember that dogs can’t eat everything that’s healthy for humans, like onions.)

Or They Help by Begging

Another way dogs can help you eat healthier is with their begging. Most dogs are more likely to beg for something unhealthy because it seems more special. You may find yourself eating healthier just so your dog begs less and lets you enjoy your meal in peace.

Getting a Date 

The more people you interact with, the more likely you are to find someone you click with. Research shows that people are more likely to click on a dating profile or consider someone attractive if they have a dog. Studies also show that people tend to think those in photos with dogs look more relaxed and happier than those without canines.

Trying Something New

One of the common themes among the above resolutions is that they involve trying new things. This, in itself, is another common resolution. We already mentioned that your dog can encourage you to try new outdoor adventures and encourage you in to social situations.

Try new things with your dog like swimming at a dog-friendly beach or jogging. You may find unexpected new activities that you love! Maybe you discover a love for softball through a game of fetch!

Pampering Yourself

This frequently goes hand-in-hand with reducing stress. It may seem odd at first, but you can actually pamper yourself and your dog at the same time. There are plenty of dog spas available. You can get in the habit of booking appointments so that you can drop your pooch off at one of these spas, then head to your own appointment at your favorite spa.

You could also get in the habit of doing at-home human-dog spa days. On top of that you can do a “self-care” day for your dog including, giving them a haircut, trimming their nails, and a nice bath. Give your pooch a massage or another at-home treatment, then apply a facemask and relax together.

Keeping Your Stress Under Control

Most people live incredibly stressful lives, and the current state of the world has only made that worse for many people. Hundreds of studies show our dog fights stress and helps us stay relaxed.

We all know the joy of coming home from a long day and snuggling up with our dog! A study from Washington State University found that you only need to spend 10 minutes petting a dog to reduce your stress levels. Imagine how helpful that can be for stress reduction on a regular basis!

When you spend time with your pooch, you may notice a drop in blood pressure and anxiety. You are also likely to notice your dopamine and serotonin levels increase. These are neurochemicals important to your well-being and calmness.

Research into dogs’ abilities to reduce stress show that they can ease tensions in marriage and at the office. They can also improve your performance at a stressful task.

Being More Present 

In today’s digital world, it is incredibly easy to get sucked into our screens and spend our time glued to our devices. Because of this, resolve to reduce their screen time and be more present in their daily lives. This means having more interpersonal interactions that do not involve screens.

Your dog is an excellent resource for helping you with this particular resolution, mainly because they tend to have almost no concept of engaging with screens. Some dogs may be interested in video chatting with a loved one, but this doesn’t last for long. Your dog prefers to be more present and enjoy life. It becomes significantly easier to put down your smartphone or tablet if your dog is begging for petting.

Keeping Your House Clean

If your New Year’s resolution was to keep your home cleaner or more organized, then your dog can help with this as well. In this case, your dog will motivate you to keep the place clean because that is good for your pup’s health. No matter how old your dog is or its breed, you don’t want it to accidentally swallow something that it shouldn’t.

Your dog may even require emergency surgery in some cases leading to high vet bills. Save money and keep your dog safe by staying organized!

Sticking to a Routine

A New Year is as an opportunity to stick to a routine. This is good for humans and even better for pets. Your dog likes to have a predictable schedule. After all, your dog likely asks for breakfast, dinner, walks and playtime at the same time every day.

Use this as an opportunity to follow a routine for the rest of your life, not just the parts that revolve around your dog. For example, you can stick to a breakfast routine for yourself by feeding your pooch after you eat. Since your dog wants to eat at the same time every day, this forces you to do so as well. Another example is your dog’s first walk or bathroom break of the day. If you choose a time for him to go to the bathroom and stick to that routine, then you have to be up by then.

You’ll notice that your dog’s ability to help you stick to a routine can also help you achieve other goals, depending on the routine you choose. It can help with related resolutions like:

·      Eating breakfast every day.

·      Eating breakfast at the same time.

·      Waking up at the same time.

·      Going to sleep at the same time.

And any other schedule-related goal. For more information on anything else your dog needs to live a happy and healthy life check out Top Dog Tips!

Drinking More Water

How can your dog help with this? You need to keep your dog’s water bowl full and fresh. Every time you fill up his water bowl, get in the habit of having a glass of water yourself. You will soon find that you drank a few extra glasses a day without trying. Leave a glass for yourself somewhere near their bowl to remind you!

Making Healthcare Appointments

If you are like over 30 percent of Americans you delay or cancel healthcare appointments regularly. Your dog can help you with this as well!

You can get in the habit of scheduling your pup’s vet appointment when you schedule your doctor’s appointment. Obviously, you should schedule them for different times, but you can call to make the appointments one after another. You could even schedule them for the same day, so you only have to take a single day off work.