4 Essential Steps to Make Your Dog Happy
There’s a reason there are an estimated 9 million dogs in the UK and 70+ million in the US; they are animals that just bring happiness to our homes.
Therefore, as payback so to speak, the least we can do is make their lives loving, enjoyable and just generally happy in return. 
Fortunately, a dog isn’t like a human – they don’t demand much from us. In fact, as you’ll soon see, you can count their needs on one hand.
We’ve found four ways that you can bring happiness to your dog’s life and unlike the other half or the kids, it’s not going to cost you a small fortune either!
Step #1 – Spend Time Together
We told you that you don’t have to spend a small fortune, and here’s the prime example.
All dogs want is our attention and as such, they should be treated exactly like a family member or a friend. Making sure that they are not left for long portions of the day is one way to do this, but also including them when you are at home is arguably more important. 
Just taking some time out to play with them, or give them affection for a few minutes, is enough to please most.
Of course, some dogs just aren’t bothered about playing, and it’s in these cases where you need to take a varied approach.
Scratching their ears or their belly is a common favourite, as is handing them a treat every so often. It just makes them feel loved and wanted – the primary demand for every dog on the planet.
In fact, just like how we’re told to provide a routine to babies, the same applies to dogs. They are much better suited in a home which provides structure – as they know exactly when their play time, treats or any other “perks” are arriving and can look forward accordingly.
Surprise Your Dog …
Their appreciation of routine means that products such as Surprise My Pet are becoming more popular. Comprised of different toys, treats, chews and biscuits, they are posted out every month to awaiting pooches.
The fact that the components change on a monthly basis means that they always retain the element of surprise, but at the same time their prompt schedule means that their recipients are always eagerly anticipating them!
Learn more about Surprise My Pet
Step #2 – Keep Them Active
The phrase an “active dog is a happy dog” couldn’t be more apt here. Dogs have never been renowned as idle, particularly in their youth, so cooping them up indoors all day is just a recipe for unhappiness.
It goes without saying that the most obvious approach here is to take them out regularly for exercise. Whether this is a run in the park, or on a lead around the neighbourhood, any activeness will be greatly appreciated.
Just sniffing around is sufficient for some dogs, while if yours happens to be dog-friendly try and find her a pal to play with.
Of course, exercise doesn’t have to be reserved for the outdoors. Like we noted in the previous section, dogs love to play in general so if you can find out what their favourite game is, try and engage in it whenever possible.
For some it might be tug-o-war, yet others will like nothing better than chasing a ball around the house. The only rule you need to apply is to not restrict them. Allow them to roam about indoors; don’t shackle them to a tiny space.
Step #3 – Make Them Part of Your Outings
We’ve made a point of saying how important it is to include your dog whenever possible, and ensure that she’s not left at home all day.
Of course, there will be occasions where you will want a day out and rather than leaving them in the hands of a neighbour, or just to fend for themselves for a few hours, consider taking them out with you.
Whether it’s just a car ride (dog’s love nothing more than breathing in fresh air through a part-open window), or even a trip to the beach – this is something that is sure to keep them happy.
Not only are they doing something out of the ordinary (think surprise, again) but they are spending more time with their beloved owners which is exactly what they all crave.
Step #4 – Make Them Stick to a Balanced Diet
We, as humans, are told about the importance of sticking to a balanced diet – and the same applies to dogs.
If we were to eat a McDonalds every day, we’d soon experience major mood swings amongst all of the other health disadvantages (in fact, there have been television programmes which document such experiences!). It should therefore go without saying that dogs can also suffer from poor nutrition – only their food choices happen to rest in your hands. 
Fortunately, unlike food for humans, dog nutrition is much easier to comprehend. The choices are more limited and as such, coming to a decision on what to feed her is pretty straightforward.
The only rules you should take into account are ensuring that 1/3 of their diet is comprised of meat, 1/3 vegetables with the final 1/3 being pastas.
Out of those three areas, it could be argued that the meats are the most important. If you walk into some pet stores, some of the meat-based food on offer is based on prices bordering on the unbelievable.
They are far too cheap, simply because they rely on meats that really aren’t going to do your dog’s inner organs any good whatsoever. They don’t retain any nutrients and across a long period of time, they’ll do more harm than good.
This is the reason why if you are going to invest in one area of your dog’s nutrition, you should be turning to something like dehydrated foods. As the name suggests, this relates to food which has had all of the moisture extracted in order to retain the essential vitamins, nutrients and goodness.
It means that the food has a long shelf life and as water is added immediately before consumption, dogs just fall in love with the taste.
Unsurprisingly, this is a relatively new concept in the dog food industry. There are few companies that do provide it at the moment; although at the current time Pure Pet Food is the market leader in the UK.
The reason for this product’s success relates to the studies that have been conducted, ranging from the dogs that have experienced a 70% improvement in their skin, a 74% boost in energy and general well-being, while perhaps more importantly 43% of the sample relied less on medications after using the product..
Learn more about dehydrated dog food
To prompt another saying, a healthy dog is also a happy dog and this final area is a sure-fire way to keep them smiling.
