All paw-rents want their pup to feel like the luckiest dog in the world. While belly rubs and squeaky toys are certainly part of the formula, the true definition of a lucky dog starts with health. A healthy dog has more energy, better mobility, improved digestion, a shinier coat, increased longevity, and a happier life.
From balanced nutrition and mindful treats to enrichment, exercise, and quality time, here are our top tips for canine health to help your dog thrive every single day.
Nutrition is the foundation of canine health and wellness. Every cell, muscle, organ, and system in your dog’s body depends on the nutrients he consumes on a daily basis. Feeding a complete and balanced diet isn’t just about filling the bowl – it’s about ensuring what’s in the bowl meets your dog’s specific caloric and macronutrient needs.
Portion Control Matters
Even high-quality food can cause weight gain if overfed. Like in humans, obesity in pets increases the risk of joint disease, diabetes, heart disease, and reduced lifespan. Planning out meals, adjusting for activity level, and accounting for treats in the total daily calorie count are essential to getting feeding right!
Choose Low-Fat, Low-Calorie Options
Instead of high-fat, heavily processed snacks, opt for simple, single-ingredient treats like Pasture Pet that are nutritious and made on our regenerative farm in Vermont with pasture raised chicken at Maple Wind Farm.
Made from 100% animal protein sources and only minimally processed via dehydration with zero artificial additives, our healthy dog treats are easy to digest and nutrient-rich. Because many Pasture Pet treats are breakable, they’re ideal for training sessions where you need multiple small rewards without adding excessive calories.
Using Treats Strategically
While many of us love to shower our pets with foods they love – and feeding is a bonding activity – moderation is key. Luckily, healthy rewards also have many other benefits to pet health and wellbeing, such as:
- Positive reinforcement training
- Crate training
- Recall practice
- Desensitization exercises
- Confidence building
Breaking treats into pea-sized pieces extends their use while maintaining caloric control.
Helpful fact: dogs respond to frequency of reward more than size of reward.
There’s no magic charm that guarantees canine health, but thoughtful daily choices can certainly go a long way. Proper nutrition with balanced macronutrients, thoughtful use of healthy treats, mentally stimulating enrichment, consistent physical exercise, and loving quiet time all combine to create the ultimate recipe for canine wellbeing.
The truth is simple: the luckiest dog isn’t the one with the most toys or the fanciest bed.
The luckiest dog is the one whose health is nurtured every single day by loving paw-rents like you!
