It’s the New Year for both us humans as well as our furry friends. If we can have New Year’s resolutions, why can’t our beloved dogs have some as well? We’ve made it easy and compiled the top 8 resolutions for you and your dog in 2025.
Our Top 8 New Year’s Resolutions for 2025
Get Active
Staying active is not just a human thing—it’s a great idea for our furry friends too! Moving those paws comes with a bunch of awesome perks like a healthier heart, lower stress levels, and keeping those muscles and bones in tip-top shape. And guess what? It’s a game-changer for busting boredom, anxiety, and any mischievous behavior, too! Caught up in the workday hustle and struggling to squeeze in those walks? Our midday walk program is here to save the day. Click here to book now!
Learn New Tricks
Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Even our seasoned furry friends can rock some new skills! Teaching your dog or cat some cool moves isn’t just about impressing the neighbors—it’s a whole bundle of joy and excitement for them, too! It’s not just about the tricks; it’s about deepening that special bond, enhancing communication, and kicking boredom and stress to the curb. Plus, it taps into your dog’s natural instincts—whether it’s exploring, chasing, sniffing, licking, chewing, digging, or hunting.
Picture this: your dog proudly flaunting their latest trick to friends and family. That warm and fuzzy feeling? Absolutely priceless! Don’t worry if you’re not sure where to begin. As enrichment experts, we’ve got the inside scoop on activities and tricks that turn your dog’s life into a tail-wagging adventure. Not sure where to start? Try touch, search, shake, play dead, high five, kiss, spin, and sit pretty!
Perfect Recall and Loose Leash Walking
When we picture a happy dog, we see them running free and enjoying life. Happy dogs also love walks, of course! In order to safely enjoy those walks, we must teach them the skills to listen anywhere and come back to us, even in new, high-distraction environments. But, and it’s a big but, let’s be responsible pet parents and brush up on our leash laws, respecting others’ wishes when it comes to leashing up our pups.
We believe every dog deserves a walk that’s not just a stroll but a full-on adventure—relaxing, enriching, and oh-so-stimulating. But, excessive pulling or leash-reactive behavior? That can be a real challenge. Reactivity often stems from fear and anxiety, so it’s crucial to dig deep, identify the root cause, and not just slap put a band-aid over the symptoms.
Does your dog struggle with leash manners and/or reactivity? We recommend connecting with a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT) or Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC). Click here to search Fear Free, positive reinforcement trainers in your area, or head on over to another blog article for local Richmond trainer recommendations!
Eat Healthier
Next on the list is all about keeping our dogs at their healthiest weight. Why does it matter? Obesity in dogs can increase the risk for diabetes and osteoarthritis, so it’s important to keep dogs within a normal and healthy weight range.
A good tip for keeping dogs at a healthy weight is measuring their food and sticking to the vet’s recommendation and/or the instructions on the food bag. But wait, what about treats, you say? Fear not! We’ve got a nifty trick: split their daily food allowance into three (or four if they’re brunch enthusiasts). Breakfast, dinner, and a little something for food enrichment—think treat puzzles, trick training, or scatter feeding. It’s like a gourmet experience for their taste buds and brains!
Now, the sneaky part: human food. We get it, sharing is caring, but not all human treats are dog-friendly. Some can be a recipe for disaster with high sugar, fats, and even toxic ingredients like garlic, onions, nuts, and xylitol (found in sugar-free treats and some peanut butters—we recommend the all-natural stuff to play it safe.) To find out which foods are toxic, check out this list by the ASPCA. When in doubt, stick to treats tailor-made for your dogs, following the package instructions for their weight. And if you’re feeling a bit lost, it is always a good idea to check with your vet or a certified animal nutritionist.
Explore New Places
We all love to travel, and so do our furry friends! Running around in the backyard is fun, but after a while it may become mundane. Try taking your dog on an adventure to new places! It isn’t just about a change of scenery; it’s a mental and physical workout that’ll leave your dog feeling happy, stimulated, and Tuckered Out!
Taking your dog to new places allows them to get in that mental exercise as well as physical exercise! When an animal sniffs around a new place and takes in all the new sights and smells, they get to exercise their natural instincts and use a lot of their mental energy. It’s like a mental marathon that taps into their natural instincts and revs up that brainpower. Adventures are fun, exciting, and tiring, and your dog will definitely be ready for a nap when you get home! We offer field trips so that your dog (or cat!) can get their travel on, too! Click here to get started today!
Invest in Pet Insurance
Pet insurance is an essential part of caring for our furry family members. Just like us, our pets can hit a few bumps on the health road—unexpected emergencies, health hiccups, you name it. And those vet bills can rack up pretty quickly.
Pet insurance is your safety net for everything from routine check-ups to unexpected medical twists and turns. But it takes a little bit of research to find the best coverage for your specific needs. Not all pet insurance is created equal. Some won’t touch pre-existing conditions, and there’s often an age cutoff for enrollment. We recommend enrolling early. The younger you start, the more coverage you can expect on average. Need help getting started? Click here to view a side-by-side comparison by Forbes.
Schedule Annual Checkup, Vaccines, & Dental Cleaning
Now that you have invested in pet insurance, it’s time to head to the vet to schedule your furry friend’s annual physical exam and vaccine boosters. The yearly exam is so critical for catching any issues early on and ensuring prompt treatment. And keeping your dog or cat up to date on vaccines (rabies, distemper, parvovirus, feline leukemia, bordatella, and more!) is the best defense for their immune systems. Remember, at the very least, it is a legal requirement in the state of Virginia for dogs and cats to be up to date on rabies.
Your pet’s health toolkit also includes prescriptions for heartworm and flea-and-tick prevention. Even if you have a cat or other indoor-only pet, it is important to stay up-to-date on these preventatives. Tiny flea eggs can hitch a ride indoors on anyone’s clothes! A little prevention goes a long way in keeping all animals, people, and homes safe from fleas and parasites.
Let’s not forget about the teeth! Scheduling an annual dental cleaning is the best way to ensure that your pet’s mouth, gums, and teeth are healthy. Although dental chews and tooth brushing are A+ habits, a dental workup at your vet is the best way to catch and prevent issues like gingivitis, periodontal disease, and fractured teeth. Mouth problems can cause many issues in dogs and cats including halitosis, decreased appetite due to pain, blood infections, and even sepsis and systemic infections. Not sure if your pet is due for an annual checkup or dental cleaning? Call your vet today to inquire and make an appointment!
Get Certified in Pet First Aid
Last but certainly not least is learning how to care for your pet at home whenever accidents happen. Just like human children, our furry friends can get hurt and may need immediate wound treatment and/or CPR, and it’s always a good idea to have some first responder training to manage these emergencies until you can reach the vet.
Here are some crucial skills you can expect to learn in a Pet First Aid course:
- Treat a collapsed and/or unconscious animal
- Recognize the signs of shock in an animal and know how to respond
- Identify different types of wounds in an animal and know how to treat them
- Manage bleeding and know how to apply bandages or splints to an animal
- Discover the signs of toxicity poisoning in an animal and know how to respond
- Classify the signs of hyper- and hypo-thermia in an animal and know how to treat and prevent it
- Safely muzzle and restrain an animal during an emergency
- Perform the Heimlich Maneuver on an animal in the event of choking or a breathing obstruction
- Effectively administer CPR and rescue breaths to an animal
There are many options out there on how to get certified in Pet First Aid. Here are a few in person and online options that we recommend: Pet Tech, Red Cross, Udemy, and your local SPCA.
That’s a wrap on New Year’s resolutions. Need help making these goals a reality? Contact us today! Wishing you and your dog a happy and healthy 2025!