Owning a dog offers you unconditional love and affection. It’s a huge reason almost 50 million people in the United States choose to own these furry companions.

If you love your pet like family, you likely want to do everything you can to keep your dog healthy and safe — from purchasing well-balanced food to looking through pet insurance reviews to find the perfect coverage option.

But what other ways can you ensure your furry friend lives their healthiest, happiest life? Let’s find out.

#1 – Make Sure Your Dog Gets Plenty of Stimulation

Exercise and mental stimulation are essential to a dog’s overall well-being. Keeping your dog physically and mentally active can help them stay healthy and happy.

You can get your dog moving in many ways, like walking, hiking, swimming, or playing a game of fetch. All these activities are excellent ways for your dog to stay active, keeping them fit and healthy.

Mental stimulation is also essential to a dog’s well-being. You can offer this by allowing your furry friend to sniff around on their walks, purchasing enrichment dogs, or creating your own fun puzzles for them to solve.

It’s important to remember every dog is different and has its own unique likes and interests. It may take a couple of tries to determine what stimulants your dog enjoys.

#2 – Fuel Your Dog With Proper Nutrition

Feeding your furry friend the right food is just as important as exercise to keep them healthy. A good, balanced dog food option will contain meat, vegetables, grains, and fruits as its main ingredients. However, protein should always be the first ingredient in your dog’s food.

Along with the proper nutrition in their food, you should also make sure you’re not overfeeding your furry friend. Each food bag should have a feeding guide based on your pet’s weight. Overfeeding your dog can lead to obesity, causing many health problems.

Human food and treats can also be culprits for an unhealthy dog. While small amounts of dog-safe human food won’t cause much harm, offering them too much human food or unsafe ingredients can cause them to become extremely ill or to gain excessive weight. If you’re unsure what is safe, many helpful lists of dog-safe foods are available.

Treats are excellent tools for training or rewards. However, allowing your dog to overindulge can cause many health problems. It’s recommended that your furry friend receives no more than 10% of their daily calorie limit through treats.

#3 – Don’t Skip Regular Checkups With Your Vet

Taking your dog to the vet can seem like a hassle at times. However, regular vet visits are essential for a healthy, happy dog.

A routine checkup tests many essential things such as your dog’s heart, lungs, eyes, and weight. While you may think everything with your pet looks fine, a vet can spot potential issues you may not have noticed.

Vets will also give your dog the vaccines to protect them from diseases and preventatives for parasites such as fleas, ticks, and heartworms. Without treatment, these issues can become a medical emergency or even result in the death of your pet.

#4 – Keep Proper Identification on Your Pet

One of the most crucial ways to keep your pet safe is to ensure it can be identified. If your dog gets out or gets lost, having identification can mean the difference between a quick reunion or a lengthy process to retrieve your pet.

There are many options when it comes to pet identification. Collars with tags or microchips are the most common.

Tags on your dog’s collar are less invasive than microchips, though they risk snapping off if your dog gets tangled. They can also be removed and discarded if your dog falls into the wrong person’s hands.

Microchips are the most definite way someone will identify your dog if it gets lost. Through a scanner, any vet’s office can run your microchip and make sure your furry friend gets home to you.

Keeping Your Dog Happy With the Right Tips

If you love your dog like family, you’ll want to be sure it is happy, healthy, and safe. Taking the right steps, like stimulation, proper nutrition, regular vet visits, and identification, can help your furry friend live their best life.

When your companion is at their best, you’ll also feel your best knowing you’re giving them everything they need.