When you bring home a new puppy, you can’t wait to romp around in the sunshine making memories! You’ve already taken hundreds of pictures of your new puppy in just a few days. Your heart is filled with hopes and dreams of all the memories and special moments you will share together.
It’s so easy to want only the best to keep your puppy happy and healthy. Not to burst anyone’s puppy love bubble, but you have to put some time, thought, preparation, knowledge, and effort into ensuring you’re raising a happy, healthy puppy.
But what makes a dog happy? And how do you keep your dog healthy and happy?
If you’re wondering, “Is my dog happy?” and want to know the signs they are, let’s get started loading up the puppy agenda because there’s so much fun to be had! You’ll be able to tell in no time whether your dog is happy and how to make a dog feel loved.
11 Ways to Keep Your Dog Happy
You may be wondering how to tell if a dog is happy. The good news is you won’t need to think too long about it after reading our list of 11 ways to keep your dog happy and healthy.
1. Routine health checks
The most important way above any other on our list of how to keep your dog happy and healthy is to stay on top of regular veterinarian visits and keep current on vaccinations, deworming, flea, tick, and heartworm prevention, routine dental hygiene, and grooming needs. You’ll also need to ensure you’re feeding your puppy a high-quality diet.
By keeping your puppy healthy, you’re doing all you can to prevent any discomfort and pain due to easily treated but neglected medical needs. Learn what to look for when choosing a veterinarian and establish a great relationship early on.
2. Talk to your puppy
How many of you talk to your dog just like you would a human? We are all guilty! Talking to your dog helps you relieve stress, process intense emotions, and lifts your spirits. Your puppy enjoys the attention you give her, even if she doesn’t understand your daily struggles. Sharing verbal moments with your puppy brings you closer together, creates trust, and helps strengthen your human-canine bond.
3. Playtime is the best time
Keeping your puppy happy is easy to do when play is involved! Playtime with your puppy does not have to be elaborate. Always keep it simple! A game of Hide and Seek can be so much fun for your puppy, even if you hide in the same places every time. Another great activity is to send your puppy on a treasure hunt where they find the treats you’ve hidden. Puppies have so much energy, so the goal is to tire them out while having fun.
4. Host a Spa Day with your puppy as the client
We hope you have 2 cucumber slices handy because it’s Spa Day for your puppy! If you’re wondering how to keep your dog happy, the answer is most definitely with a puppy massage. First, dim the lights and speak in a calm voice to signal to your puppy that it’s time to wind down. Next, put on some soft music – there are even special videos of soothing music for puppies.
Now that your puppy is relaxed, start rubbing her up and down her spine in circular motions working your way to her back legs and tail. A gentle rub on her chest can be good for her overall heart health.
5. Rotate puppy toys
You’ve filled up your new puppy’s special basket in the living room to the brim with the best puppy toys money can buy. However, you need to make sure she’s not overwhelmed with all her options. If you do, she’ll quickly lose interest in all of them and be more attracted to your furniture legs!
When you’re selecting puppy toys, make sure you choose the very best, but only introduce a few at a time. If your puppy seems to lose interest, rotate them out for a fresh batch of toys. Keeping your puppy surprised with some old favorites mixed in with newer toys to explore is always a great way to mentally stimulate your puppy and prevent boredom.
6. Switch up the scenery
Dogs are creatures of habit. While yes, it’s a great idea to stay on a routine, no one ever said a routine needs to be the same! If your routine is to go on a walk, switch up the location of that walk. Explore the town’s new greenway. If you have a dog breed that loves to hike, grab the leash and get ready to experience the great outdoors.
Not only will it be a great chance for your dog to get in those new sniffs and snorts, but it’s also a great way for you to break up any monotony you may have been feeling when you choose a new location for your daily walk. Just like humans, dogs enjoy new walks that allow for a change of scenery and follow routes they aren’t familiar with yet. It’s great exercise and will stimulate the mind of your beloved pet.
7. Introduce a new treat
Treats are definitely a way to make your dog feel loved! There are so many amazing dog treats on the market that it could be overwhelming to know where to start. The great thing about keeping your puppy happy is that they will be excited about literally anything outside of their normal dog food. As you’ve definitely noticed by now, your dog will think your most expensive wool socks are the finest caviar in the puppy world, so an actual food item will be more delicious than those socks!
You don’t have to stand in front of the huge selections of treats in the store for an item to make your puppy happy. Even mixing yogurt and canned pumpkin, then freezing it into ice cube trays provides a healthy, simple treat for your puppy.
Giving new treats are also a fantastic way to train your puppy. Keeping your puppy engaged and wondering what tasty new morsel will come next helps keep them focused on the task you’re trying to get them to learn. Everyone wins!
8. Make new memories
We all like to think our dog reflects on all the good times they’ve had with us over the years. Whether they do or not is of no matter as long as you’re creating amazing memories for humans! Nothing can match a dog’s unconditional love, and any time we have with our forever canine friend is precious. That’s why making new memories with your puppy no matter what the season is so crucial to maintain happiness in both humans and puppies.
9. Strut your stuff
Who doesn’t feel dapper in a new outfit? Show off how cute your puppy is for any occasion with some new threads. Whether you’re looking for a super cute dog sweater or a doggy raincoat to protect against those wet, chilly mornings, a new outfit will lift a dog’s spirit from all the positive attention they receive.
10. Become a dog language expert
We all wish we could have a conversation with our dogs using words, right? What if you learned how to communicate more effectively with your dog? You can if you study dog body language and behavior. Rather than get upset at your Great Pyrenees’ desire to roam or your Terrier digging again, embrace the breed for what they were meant to do instinctively.
Dogs communicate through non-verbal canine body language. We’ve all seen a dog wagging its tail and assumed that the pup was happy. Not so fast! A wagging tail can be much more complex. Asking various questions about the particular wagging manner (To the left? Spinning in a circle? Tail up or tail down?) can help interpret what your dog is trying to “say.”
Knowing how to recognize cues from your puppy’s body language can help you stop asking, “Is my puppy happy?” You’ll be a pro at reading more beyond barking and whining when you put some effort into educating yourself about how your puppy acts and why. By understanding the things your pet can communicate, you will be well on your way to providing better care and learning how to make your dog happy.
11. Make new puppy (and human) friends
Once your puppy is up to date on necessary vaccinations and cleared to mingle, it’s time to get social! Exposing your puppy to all sorts of new environments helps socialize them and teaches them how to behave in public to be good canine citizens.
So, are dogs happier with another dog? And do dogs love playing and socializing with similar breeds?
Most of the time, a puppy will attract an audience. Your puppy gets stimulation and attention while you might make friends by striking up a conversation with admirers. Joining a breed-specific club or meet-up can be an excellent way for your puppy to meet others just like themselves. Your puppy can be a magnet to attract new people into your life.
Pawrade Helps Puppies Stay Happy and Healthy
We prioritize the health and happiness of all our puppies above anything else. We do whatever is possible to facilitate a safe, fraud-free, and humane puppy adoption. Our Puppy Concierge team would love to help you find a happy puppy for sale to bring happiness to your life!
*Paid partnership with our friends at Chewy
