They say a dog was put on this Earth so that humans could witness the prized symphony of unconditional love. From the loyalty of Hachiko, who waited for his owner outside the train station for 10 years, to Ruby, who saved his owner in more ways than any human could ever comprehend.
These canine companions are the very symbol of selfless love, which is why they deserve extra attention and care.
WHAT DOES PAMPERING A DOG MEAN AND WHY IT’S NECESSARY?
Just like how humans need their spa days and relaxing on the beach days, pets deserve the same kind of relaxation as well, but pampering your dog doesn’t mean putting cucumber slices on their eyes.
Rather it’s the simple and smallest things such as playing catch with them or treating them to a new snack because dogs love that!
Let me make it simple for you, during the pandemic and the lockdown, it became difficult to live in the same environment and go through the same routine again and again, right?
The exact thing can be applied to dogs because going through the same mundane routine can also make them less energetic and, in some instances, sick as well. HOW TO PAMPER YOUR DOG? Our furry friends deserve their pampering time just like we do, so here are a few easiest ways you can pamper your dog.
10 EASIEST WAYS TO PAMPER YOUR DOGS
Puppy Power Massage!
We all love spa days, right? So do our furry friends! Looking out after the home all day while we were at work can surely make our pets tired so they deserve a massage as well so that they can be more joyful but unlike oil massages that humans get, dogs require a softer massage.
- Start by petting your dog and making them comfortable so that they don’t feel as anxious towards you.
- While you’re petting them, talking to them will make them feel more at ease and it’ll be a way for you to connect with your dog as well because trust me, animals can understand verbal and non-verbal cues quite well.
- Once your dog is comfortable and laying in your lap, start by massaging the back of the neck in circular motions
- Make sure to keep the pressure light and then move down towards the spine while maintaining the circular motions
- Move towards the shoulders and then end by massaging behind their ears
Not only does this pave the way towards strengthening your relationship with your pet but can also improve the overall mood of your dog since giving them a massage can reduce anxiety and any stressors.
Whip up a batch of your own Scooby Snacks
These summer vacations are probably the only duration you can get off to enjoy your time with your best friend so here’s a simple recipe we recommend you to make that is not only delicious but will cost you less than a buck. To make 40 to 50 dog treats, you will need:
- Sweet Mashed Potato or Pumpkin Pie Puree
- All Natural Peanut Butter (make sure it’s natural as to avoid any allergic reactions)
- Oat flour
Take half a cup of sweet mashed potatoes or pumpkin puree and mix it with a quarter cup of peanut butter. Then add the oat flour until the consistency becomes similar to that of dough or cookie batter.
Roll out the dough and cut out the treats using any shape of cookie cutter or use a knife to keep things simple! Bake the treats at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 minutes and voila! You will be able to share amazing treats with your dog!
But wait, there’s more.
Pupflix and chill
Netflix and chill is nothing without a movie partner but lucky for us pet parents, our dogs are the best companions to watch movies with.
Pamper your dog by putting on any movie and petting them while watching it. Use the homemade treats you made as popcorns for your best pal, dim the lights for a proper theatre experience, whip up some salted/caramel popcorns for yourself and you know what? Netflix binge-watching cannot become more ideal than this!
Give them a Boujee bath
Don’t we all want to feel boujee? So do our dogs! If your pet dog loves staying outdoors, then maybe bathing them is the perfect way to make them feel cooler in this heat and also remove any unwanted mud.
Dogs have an excellent sense of smell, and their mood changes according to it so lit up some scented candles while bathing them and use normal to cool water to clean them out because if your pet has a heavy coat, then by giving them a cool bath will significantly elevate their mood and make their pampering experience even better.
Make sure to use pet-appropriate shampoo to ensure that your pet doesn’t suffer from any skin irritations or allergies.
Once the bath is done, use a soft towel to dry them, and here’s the boujee part, use a soft brush to brush through their hair for about 10 to 15 minutes because in the process of doing so, you will not only be grooming your pet dog but also making them feel:
- Cleaner by removing any excess dust particles,
- Calmer because of blood circulation
- And cooler because their hair would be aired out!
Treat them to a new bed
We all deserve a good night’s sleep with fluffy pillows and clean sheets and so do our pets! A good way to pamper your dogs and boost their mood is by buying them a comfortable bed where they can sleep and relax.
It sure takes time to train your dog to sleep in their dedicated bed but once they learn it, you need to make sure that their bed is comfortable for them hence we recommend doing some research before buying a bed. Amazon is the way to go with so many deals going on.
Make sure that the bed is made of fleece so that it’s soft for your pets and also its size appropriate according to your pet dogs. However, if your dog is a heavy chewer then go for a material that is more durable so that you don’t have to buy a bed every new month.
Additional key points to take note of that pet beds should be:
- Waterproof
- Resistant
- Size appropriate
- Machine washable
We all scream for ice cream!
This heat wave is not just stressful for us but also for our furry friends, especially for dogs with thick coats like Pugs or Akita or even bulldogs, which is why we recommend pampering your dogs with a cool treat for them to cool off in this hot weather.
- Use coconut cream and whip it until stiff peaks are formed
- Add in around a cup of peanut butter
- Pour the batter into a dish and then freeze it for 24 hours
Scoop out a piece of this pet-friendly ice cream and give it to your dogs so that they can enjoy a new treat and stay cool during the heat wave!
If this is not convenient then even freezing the all-natural peanut butter can help keep your pet dogs cool.
However, taking additional caring steps to pamper your dog can make their mood better for example, adding a couple of pieces of ice cube to your pet’s water bowl and keeping it full to the top can not only help your pet stay hydrated but also freshen up their mood.
Disney Trip for your Dog
Now we don’t literally mean the Disney world, we mean a trip to a park and a picnic basket! A trip to the park heightens a dog’s happy hormones the same way Disneyland does for kids; hence we highly recommend taking your pet dogs to the park to pamper them and give them an experience that they won’t forget.
Taking them to a new park from the regular one where you usually take them is much better because it allows them to interpret new pathways, new scents, and new scenery, which for a dog is as magnificent as taking a kid to a candy shop!
But to make this trip even better, we recommend packing a picnic basket full of treats for your best pal and also for yourself to enjoy the sunny day under the shade of a tree. Playing catch with your dog while reading a set of poems really calls out classic rom-com Nicholas Spark’s novel scene.
Pack peanut butter treats or any treats that incorporate all the necessary vitamins to keep your dog healthy and make sure to bring water with you because both you and your best friend need to stay hydrated!
A New Toy Story
Just like any child who loves to play with toys, our pet dogs love their fair share of toys as well, which is why we recommend that alongside cooking new treats or bathing them, buying a new toy would also allow them to truly feel excited because their animal instinct would kick in where they would want to chase and fetch the toy.
When it comes to our loyal companions, dogs prefer playthings where they can catch the toy so maybe buying a new tennis ball rather than playing with the same old torn tennis ball can also elevate their pampering experience.
Most importantly, it is crucial to take out the time to play with your best pal as well rather than just purchasing the toy because playing with them helps in boosting their overall mood and creates a more meaningful bond between the two of you.
If you already have a tennis ball then go for a Frisbee because dogs love to jump and catch Frisbees as it allows them to enjoy that moment in the safety of their owner.
However, two toys are not enough because the same toys can also become means of boredom hence rotating amongst other toys like chew toys or stuffed animals can make for a fun surprise for your little pup.
A stroll a day keeps the bad moods away
Starting the morning right is the best strategy for an excellent puppy pampering moment. As opposed to a regular evening walk, dogs get more excited when something out of routine occurs so a morning walk can be a sweet thing for the dogs.
Smelling the fresh air after being cooped up all night and that slightly cool air brushing against the dog’s coat can really aid in heightening your pup’s excitement.
Letting them go wherever they want to or allowing them to stop and smell the wet grass really makes the morning stroll even more memorable for the dogs.
I would also recommend that maybe on a Sunday, playing a 10-minute Frisbee game after a stroll can further boost the pampering routine and make this experience for your pup even more joyous and gleeful.
Make a new collar
Do you know those YouTuber dogs that have their own NBA basketball T-shirts and their own custom-made collar? Yeah, that’s too expensive, I agree!
But making customized collars can be pretty easy. For example, take a normal collar, use a skin-sensitive color spray to paint the collar any color you want, and glue on some beads to spell out your dog’s name!
Sounds easy, right? It’s not only convenient and doesn’t cost much, but it also makes for a good gift for your dog. It increases their positive mood and makes your dog look swag.
WHY DO PEOPLE PAMPER THEIR DOGS?
It is simple, as pet parents or pawrents (yup, that’s us) we want to love our pups and give them the best things possible because their loyalty and love are incomparable to ours.
Pampering your dog is a way for you to further strengthen your relationship with your pet because it allows you to showcase what you feel for them. Making them a cool treat or filling their water bowl every day or giving them massages makes them feel loved and allows us to express our love.
However, pampering our puppy babies isn’t just a way of expressing our love, but it has been proven to boost the mood of our pets and also decrease the chances of them becoming victims of depression.
Yes! Depression is common amongst animals as well hence making sure to maintain a safe environment and making certain to take surprise walk trips or trips to the park to make your dogs happy and overall boost their mood.
Pampering them with healthy treats makes them more immune to infections and allergies. Every animal, Nay, every entity deserves to be loved and to feel loved hence pampering is always important when it comes to our cute furry friends.
IS IT ALWAYS GOOD TO PAMPER YOUR DOG?
While pampering is the best method, it is important to make sure that as a pet parent, you are not going too overboard.
Let’s take an example, if you give new treats to your dog every day then just like any other living being, the value of surprise and excitement would slowly diminish hence making sure to give limited treats every other week is what can truly boost your dog’s mood and aid in pampering them properly.
Additionally giving them pampering bath routines every day can also cause skin allergies and illnesses so make sure to treat dogs properly and consulting a doctor will always be appropriate.
IN WHAT CONDITIONS SHOULD YOU PAMPER YOUR DOG
Just like with any child, it is also important to pamper your dogs at the right time and for the right reasons. If your dog is not behaving properly and is still in the learning phase then giving pampering routines when your dog’s behavior has not been good can have adverse effects.
However, if their behavior has been good then pampering them can aid in the learning process. For example, your dog will not be able to administer the concept of getting treats or getting pampered because of your inconsistency in giving pampering routines,
hence your dog should be pampered under the following conditions:
- If your dog has been behaving in a good manner
- If your dog has not had a good treat in a long time
- If your dog has been cooped up in the house for days then taking them for a trip to the park can be good
- If your dog is outdoorsy then giving them a good bath routine can help boost their mood
- If your dog showcases discipline
Pampering is important and as a pet parent, we know how important giving love to our precious puppies is but also making sure to administer pampering routines properly is also key! I hope these tips for pampering your pet dog were helpful.
Happy parenting Smart Dog Owners!
