The concept of \u201cwellness\u201d has become a hot topic in the human world. People are realizing that wellness doesn\u2019t just mean being physically healthy, but that it encompasses other parts of their lives as well. So, what about your dog \u2014 are they happy? What does \u201cwellness\u201d mean for them \u2014 does it go beyond exercise and mental stimulation? Let\u2019s take a look at some of the human wellness categories that apply to dogs and how they help healthy and happy dogs stay that way.<\/p>\n
Dogs are well known for their strong attachment to their owners. It means that emotional wellness is a pretty easy type of wellness to foster in your dog \u2014 give them lots of love and attention and show them that they\u2019re part of the family.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re wondering if your pup is happy, their ear position<\/a> can be a good indicator of how they\u2019re feeling. A happy dog\u2019s ears will be relaxed and in their normal position or leaning to the side a little. Sometimes a happy dog may also have their ears down and back, but they won\u2019t be pinned flat against their head \u2014 they\u2019ll be floppy ears. Other signs of a happy dog include wide eyes, an open mouth that isn\u2019t showing teeth (they\u2019re \u201csmiling\u201d), a tail that is down and relaxed (some breeds have a different relaxed tail position), a soft face, and a loose and relaxed stance. Happy dogs also have a slightly raised and wide-wagging tail.<\/p>\n Intellectual wellness doesn\u2019t mean that your dog can name more than 1,000 items (although that\u2019s really impressive). Instead, it\u2019s making sure that they are mentally stimulated and not bored, which hopefully avoids unwanted behavior, too. Just as our lives can become routine, so can your dog\u2019s. Playing interactive games and providing them with mental stimulation can help them live a longer, happier life. You\u2019ll stay calmer too if you\u2019re not coming home to a scratched-up couch.<\/p>\n Providing interactive toys, treat-dispensing toys or puzzle toys can be a great way to get your dog\u2019s attention and get their brain working. You can learn more about how to mentally stimulate your dog in our article \u201cMental Stimulation Enriches Your Pet\u2019s Life<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n A fun way to provide mental stimulation for your dog is trick training. You could start by adding on to basic commands they already know. For example, if they\u2019re experts at fetch, try teaching them to fetch something by name or to fetch an object from inside a cabinet. You could also rename these holiday-themed tricks<\/a> and do them at any time of the year. Training sessions can be great for mental exercise, and some of them provide physical stimulation, too!<\/p>\n Social wellness for dogs covers both playing with friends and being calm and confident in social situations. The best time to socialize your dog is while they\u2019re a puppy, but continued socialization throughout their life is also important for a calm and happy adult dog who can handle new situations confidently. Here are some ideas to improve your dog\u2019s social wellness: take your dog to the dog park for a puppy playdate with their BFF (best furry friend) or play fetch in the backyard or down the hall. You can learn more about canine socialization in our article \u201cHow to Socialize a Dog<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n For dogs, exercise (i.e., playtime) could fit into a number of wellness categories: physical, social, emotional and intellectual. Dogs need exercise to stay healthy and help manage their weight, but exercise can also be a fun way to provide mental stimulation, and it\u2019s a great way for your dog to bond with you. You can even improve your physical wellness by doing dog sports, like agility training, that provide exercise for you, too. You move and your dog moves, too! How much exercise a dog needs depends on the dog breed, age and lifestyle.<\/p>\n One of the most important ways of ensuring that your dog remains physically well is to take them for their annual checkup \u2014 and we mean<\/em> annual. Even if your dog seems healthy, it\u2019s important that your veterinarian examines them at least once a year to make sure there aren\u2019t any underlying issues that you can\u2019t see. Some dogs may require more frequent checkups depending on their age and health status.<\/p>\n For some dogs, their love of food could put eating food in the occupational wellness category \u2014 eating is my life\u2019s work \u2014 but really it belongs with physical wellness. Life-stage appropriate food that provides enough of the right nutrients in the right amounts to maintain your dog\u2019s health is an important component of physical wellness. Even if the type of food your dog eats is appropriate for their life stage, the amount of food your dog eats is also important to maintain an appropriate weight. If you do have a round hound, your veterinarian can assist you with a weight management program, including a weight management formulation<\/a>, if necessary.<\/p>\n A popular concept people use for improving their emotional wellness is mindfulness. It\u2019s taking time to be in the moment \u2014 not worrying about the past or the future \u2014 and tuning in to all of your thoughts, feelings, senses and the environment around you. Dogs are natural practitioners of mindfulness, so we could learn some lessons from them: There\u2019s always time to play, savor every morsel of food and take time to stop and smell, well\u2026 everything.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The concept of \u201cwellness\u201d has become a hot topic in the human world. People are realizing that wellness doesn\u2019t just mean being physically healthy, but that it encompasses other parts of their lives as well. So, what about your dog \u2014 are they happy? What does \u201cwellness\u201d mean for them \u2014 does it go beyond […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":12248,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"How to Make Your Dog Happy: Health & Wellness Tips","_seopress_titles_desc":"Pick up a few essential health and wellness tips to keep your dog happy, including some emotional, physical and intellectual wellness advice. Learn more!","_seopress_robots_index":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[158,278],"tags":[134,10,70,54,442,702],"class_list":["post-12249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-lifestyle","tag-diamond-pet-foods","tag-dog","tag-dog-health","tag-dogs","tag-pet-nutrition","tag-pet-wellness"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12249"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12249\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The Importance of Dog Mental Stimulation: Intellectual Wellness<\/h2>\n
Teach Your Dog Fun Tricks: Intellectual Wellness<\/h2>\n
Positive Dog Play Dates: Social Wellness<\/h2>\n
Physical Exercise Is Key: Physical Wellness<\/h2>\n
Regular Vet Visits: Physical Wellness<\/h2>\n
Nutritious Food: Physical Wellness<\/h2>\n
Mindfulness Lessons Learned from Dogs<\/h2>\n