Seven New Year’s resolutions for you and your pup to help you both have the best year yet

What would the New Year be without resolutions? Goal-setting with a clean slate is a great way to dive headfirst into the New Year. However, while most of us have the best intentions, it is often hard to stick with resolutions – no matter how helpful they may be. A buddy is a great way to be held accountable. With this in mind, why not involve your pup as your buddy and create New Year’s goals that allow both of you to reap the benefits?

Whether it’s making a new friend, eating healthier, or getting more exercise, we’re sharing seven ideas that you and your pooch can do together to inspire a happier and healthier year in 2020!

Get active

Incorporate exercise – even if it’s just 15 minutes – into your daily routine for a great way to increase your heart rates and spend some quality time together. Whether it’s going for a brisk walk or quick run with your pup or leashing up your cat for an outdoor adventure around the block, the change of scenery is guaranteed to be a boredom buster. Both you and your dog will be thankful for the fresh air, and new memories made outdoors!

Learn a new trick

Your dog may have already mastered things like ‘sit’ and ‘stay,’ but what about ‘rolling over’ or ‘wave hello/goodbye’? Teaching your dog (or cat!) a new trick is a great way to keep their brains active, challenge your patience, and the accomplishment of mastering a new skill together will be an excellent confidence booster for both of you.

Eat healthy

On that note, teaching a new trick likely involves treats, so in the interest of helping you and your pup shed any extra holiday weight, commit to snacking on healthy alternatives whenever you can. Healthy and tasty treats can include fruits and veggies such as carrots, blueberries or apples, and proteins such as cooked eggs, cooked lean meats, and even some fish! When in doubt, check with your vet.

Keep in mind that these treats are meant to be just that – treats – and shouldn’t replace a specially formulated, well-balanced, and nutritious diet for your dog. Petcurean’s NOWFRESH wet food recipes are packed in reclosable Tetra Pak cartons and made with 100% fresh ingredients, featuring zero rendered meats, by-products, or artificial flavors, making it the perfect treat, meal topper or a convenient complete and balanced meal.

Say goodbye to bad habits

Make a list of habits that you want to kick for both you and your pup and tackle them together! This might include you leaving your shoes lying around at the door and your pup chewing them or portion sizes that are too generous and your dog begging for the table scraps. Keeping your dog accountable for their bad habits might be just the motivation you need to say goodbye to your own. Whatever they might be, there’s no better time than a new year to get a fresh start.

Make a new friend

Whether it’s visiting the dog park or enrolling in an obedience class (yes, there are cat training classes, too!), make a point to visit new places where both you and your dog are likely to encounter other dog lovers! Socialization for your pup is an essential part of behavior development, and we promise he’ll thank you for the playdates and new adventures to come. Who knows? You might even have some luck expanding your social circle thanks to your friendly pooch.

Go green

Organic and sustainable aren’t just buzz words. Taking steps to minimize your carbon footprint (and pawprint!) is something we can all do to contribute to preserving our earth and oceans. Consider purchasing products that use less plastic packaging, upcycling old clothes and toys to make new toys, and doing your research so you can make the most earth-friendly choices possible when sourcing things like food, gear, bedding, or new toys.

For instance, the packaging for Petcurean’s GATHER recipes uses plant-based material, which is produced from sugarcane, a sustainably-produced and renewable raw material. Using plant-based material reduces the use of petroleum-based resources by 30%.

Invest in self-care

Schedule a day of pampering and relaxation regularly, whether it’s once a month or once a week. For your pup, treat him/her to a gentle massage followed by a special treat, and once they’ve settled in for a nice long nap, take some time for yourself and indulge in an activity that lets you unwind and recharge for the busy week ahead. Intentional quality time for both you and your furry best friend is an investment worth making!

A new year is a perfect time to get started on tackling new goals or re-attempting goals you’ve put on the back burner. We all know how hard it can be to stick to those resolutions throughout the year, however, so we hope that setting and achieving goals for your dog, too, will be just the inspiration you need to make this year your best one yet!

If you are looking for more health and nutrition tips for your dog moving into 2020, learn more on Petcurean’s nutrition page.

Make a New Year’s resolution to spend more time with your dog