COLLABORATION: Be the Best Dog Mom Ever!

Hi there! I am bringing you another collaborative post, for full disclosure while I did edit this post to better suit this space I did not develop the content or topic. I do not claim to be an expert on this topic but do agree with many of the ideas offered and thought it might be beneficial to share with you here.

*This post may contain affiliate links which means I do receive a small commission at no cost to you – thank you for supporting my blog & my family!*

OK, so just for the record, we dog moms know that our pups aren’t actually our children! However, it doesn’t stop us thinking of them as members of the family and worthy of the best love and attention we can provide. In fact, being a pet mom can be a big part of life. That is why it’s vital that we give back to them in pup appropriate ways. To that end, check out my post below on how to be the best dog mom ever!

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Be consistent

One of the most important things you can do for your pup to be the best dog mom is to be consistent, but what does this mean? Well, it means that you have clear expectations and you consistently kindly reinforce them.

This reason this is so vital is that most dogs will see you as the leader of the pack, that means they will want to please you and can even suppress their own instincts to do so. Consistency and clarity helps them to do this because they understand what is being asked and expected of them each time. They also come to expect a positive or negative consequence. Something that can help to motivate them to follow in line with your instructions rather than running wild.

Obviously, no one wants a dog that is running wild in their home because they can create a lot of mess and destruction. Most importantly they can put themselves and their humans in danger. Something that good dog moms will avoid at all costs.

Invest in training

Similarly, it is always a good idea to invest in some formal training if you have a dog. Formal training is so good because it can help you to establish yourself as the alpha, and that means it will be much easier for you to manage the behavior of your dog. It can also be a rewarding experience for them, as the dogs learn to interact appropriately with other canines and humans and enjoy the challenge of learning new commands and responses.

Treat time

A part of this consistency and being a great dog mom is also making sure that you use positive reinforcement over negative. That means out with the shouting and other forms of discipline and in with positive rewards such as treats and fuss.

In fact, you can train your pooches to do a lot with just the promise of a biscuit and a belly rub. Of course, there are plenty of delicious doggie treats on the market you can buy; you can even check out this review to help you choose.

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Although, an occasion you may want to go all out and make your own healthy treats at home for Fido and his friends. Something you can do by checking out the recipes I’ve posted here.

Do remember though that too many treats can cause weight gain and all the problems associated with that. That is why ‘treats’ should be given on occasion, but not in large quantities throughout the day. Unless you are working on a partially intensive training regime,

Everyday healthcare

Health care is another vital aspect of being the best dog mom you can be, and it’s not just about dealing with emergency situations, something I cover in the section below. In fact, it’s also about the regular everyday care that can help keep your pooch comfortable and healthy in the long term.

To do this you need to ensure that the food you are giving them is of good quality, is healthy and is in the right portion size. In fact, dog obesity is something that is become a problem here in the US, and cutting portion sizes can help to manage this, as can stopping feeding your pup scraps from the table.

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It’s also important to help keep your puppers free of worms and parasites, especially as there are some pretty nasty ones like heartworm out there. This process is often different for the parasite you are dealing with, but for heartworms, it is always better to use preventative care than reactive treatment, while if your pooch has fleas you can use products like Advecta to both treat the infestation and help prevent future ones. Dealing with Ticks is a little more complicated though, and as these can be a real danger to your canine friends, you should check out this in-depth post to get you up to speed.

Vets

Apart from everyday care, it may be necessary at some point to offer your pup some emergency care as well. This is usually something that it is best left to the vets, especially if there is any surgery that needs doing.

To help pay for this, it can be useful to take out a pet insurance plan; then such treatments will be covered without you having to go through the additional trauma of having to find hundreds of dollars. After all, if your pup is sick or injured, you are going to be upset or stressed enough.

However, it is also worth learning to do doggy CPR, something you can get instructions on in the video below. Then you know if your pooch is involved in an incident you can help them survive long enough to get them access to proper medical care.

Exercise

Good dog moms know the importance of exercising their pets. Dogs need walking not only so they can do their business but also because they need the physical exercise and movement. In fact, some breeds need up to three long walks a day!

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Providing this isn’t something that is easy to do unless you are working from home, so it’s important to plan your day around giving them with as much walk time as possible. If you can’t get home during the day, then it may be worth investing in a dog walker. Then you know your pupper will have some exercise and company as well as get a chance for a toilet break while you are out at work. Something that can improve the quality of their life no end and help you to be the best dog mom ever, especially in their eyes!