Practices for you and your dog to be responsible citizens 

Those of you who own dogs as pets, know how messy it can get raising one. They need extreme care which involves a good diet, potty schedule, toys to keep your dog busy and engaged and training them to behave themselves. You also need to make sure that your dog does not litter your surroundings and doesn’t go about uprooting plants at parks. You must also ensure that in order to stay fit your dog gets the best dog food.

In short, having a dog is as good as having a child, where you take care of your dog and meet all its needs are met. But as pet owners, it is your responsibility to adopt sustainable practices that are good for the society as well as the environment.

This article aims at discussing ways in which you and your pooch can be responsible citizens 

CHOOSE ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS/COMPANIES 

 

One of the easiest ways to do if you want to have a positive impact as a pet owner is to choose products and companies that offer eco-friendly products. Toys, beds and food are some products that you get for your dog. Do some research ask friends that have pets for companies that follow eco-friendly practices. Look for companies that use recycled material for making dog accessories. Similarly, when it comes to buying dog food, choose a company that uses organic raw material and follows ethical practices. 

THE 3 Rs: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

 

One of the most basic principles to follow when you are looking to reduce the negative impact or carbon footprint that comes from your lifestyle is “reduce, reuse, recycle”. Think about what products are an absolute must for your dog to have and get rid of things that your dog doesn’t even look at. Most pet products come in cans and plastic boxes which are both reusable. You can use them as storage. If you do not wish to reuse, make sure you buy stuff that can be recycled. Make sure to read product labels carefully for the kind of material used.

CUT DOWN ON PLASTIC

 

One of the biggest contributors towards the mounting environmental crisis is plastic, particularly single use plastic. Plastic is difficult to recycle, even if the packaging says it is recyclable. Look for alternative for products that come in single use plastic. A small example would be replacing your dog’s food and water bowl that is made out of plastic with a steel bowl.

DONATE ALL OLD GEAR 

You may buy a new accessory like a dog collar for your dog. This doesn’t mean that you throw old stuff out. Donate it to dog shelters and make a stray dog happy or to a friend who owns a dog.

TRAIN YOUR DOG

 

A well-trained dog will only help you. You need to teach your dog key behaviors like yes, no, sit and drop it. When you’re training your dog, you need to set boundaries for what is wrong what is right. So, if during training your dog litters or destroys things, especially public property, you need to immediately take steps to ensure that your dog understand that it is wrong. Every time your dog something nice, give him or her a treat and no treat if they misbehave.

CLEAN UP USING BIO-DEGRADABLE BAGS

Cleaning up after your dog is important and necessary. However, this can be done in an eco-friendly way that does not harm nature. Make sure you use eco-friendly poop bags. Another way to dispose and clean poop is to flush it down the toilet. All you need to do is pick it up with the help of a scrapper, throw it in the pot and flush it down.

TAKEAWAY

The above list is just a few steps you can take towards being a more responsible dog parent. You will feel great when every time you chose plastic free products or organically made pet food. Maybe you and your dog can be an inspiration for others.