Little caretakers for the tailwaggers

Spending time with pets helps in increasing mutual trust and building the human-animal bond. Time spent together helps your kids and their four-legged friend comprehend each other’s thoughts, moods, gestures and feelings better. Even as little as 20-30 additional minutes a day can be very beneficial to their and their fur pal’s well being, and it doesn’t have to take a lot of planning.

• Monday–Mental stimulation for the pet
  Brain stimulation is very important in keeping your dog happy and healthy. Remember, bored dogs cause problems. If you don’t keep your dog’s mind stimulated, chances are that he’ll find activities to stimulate his mind himself, which you may not like! Let your kid teach him a new trick or command. Of course, one day is not enough for most dogs to grasp a trick, but you can start today and build on it throughout the week. Teach your kid how to do it and let him make his practice every day. Let both of them enjoy during the session.
• Tuesday–Truly tailwagger!
  Take a trip to a dog park or some other dog-friendly places. While your kids will have fun with other children and pets, let your pet make new friends and socialise with his butt sniffing buddies! Sit back and watch those tails wag away to glory!
• Wednesday–Well-being is wealth
  Fix up a date with the dog groomer. Let your kid accompany him and see how his hair and nails get clipped. Let him take clues on how to brush his hair, clean his ears and brush his teeth. You can also groom him at home and let your kid do stuff like brushing his coat and talking to him while you groom him.
• Thursday–Trip to the grocery store
  Your household chores may seem mundane to you, but your kids and furry babies will love the chance to get out of the house and accompany you. New places mean new smells, which means a trip to doggie heaven!
• Friday–Friends and family time
  If your kids’ friends like dogs, call them home.
  Let the kids and pooch mingle together. Just keep an eye that both the kids and pooch are safe.
• Saturday–Scrumpti-drool-ious day!
  “Yummy in my tummy!”
  Whether you feed your dog commercial kibble or homemade food rest of the week, today is his day for a gourmet meal. Master chef or clueless in the kitchen, go ahead and explore your creative side. Team up with your child and prepare a gourmet meal. Keep a lookout for delicious and nutritious pooch recipes and pamper your ball of fur.
• Sunday– Snooze away…
  Kids love to sleep on Sundays. Let your pooch snuggle in and cuddle up with them. Teach them a lazy belly rub and you will have the happiest dog in the world. Let your kids talk to your fur baby just a little every day. Animals may not understand their words but they do understand their tone and body language. Let them build a bond, they will cherish for their lifetime.

Every dog needs daily exercise, training and some one-on-one time with the humans in the family. Making some extra time just takes a few changes in your daily schedule. A little creativity on your part can go a long way towards meeting those needs. You will come to find it’s well worth it in the long run.