10 Great Life Hacks For Every Dog Owner

The greatest joy is the love of a dog, but being a dog parent also comes with curveballs.

Bringing a dog into your family and home is one of the most fulfilling experiences. If you’re reading this, you more than likely are a dog parent and agree. The journey is sweet but there’s also challenges along the way whether it be dog fur, behavioral patterns, etc. That’s why hacks are always a good idea to remove some stress from yours or your dog’s plate.

Good news is there are useful hacks for various areas of your life as a dog owner.

Enjoy this list of 10 great life hacks for every dog owner to work into their lives! Which one of these 10 hacks will help you most? Let us know on Instagram stories by tagging @joyrideharness.

1. During the cold months, give your pup some warm/hot bone broth.

Did you know that bone broth is super beneficial for your dog’s health? It doesn’t have to be a seasonal treat but the warmth definitely has its benefits when it’s freezing outside. Here are some other benefits of giving your dog bone broth.

• Bone broth helps maintain a healthy gut.
• Bone broth can help detox your dog’s liver.
• Bone broth is great for immunity boosting especially if your dog is sick.

2. During the hot months, give your pup frozen treats you can make at home.

Keeping cool is a concern everyone has especially when your dog has so much fur. You can keep your dog cool and treat them to a simple DIY treat. All you need is some broth and an ice cube tray. Fill up the ice cube tray with broth and let your dog enjoy a nice frozen treat during the summer heat!

3. Use window squeegees to lift fur that’s deep in your carpet.

If your carpet is getting covered in dog fur and pretty deep at that, window squeegees can pick all that right up! Just take the squeegee to your carpet in repetitive motions and the fur will come up.

4. Need to get a urine sample from your dog for the veterinarian? This hack is great but you’ll probably want to hit up the dollar store first.

A ladle and container will do the trick. We mean...you probably want to get new ones specifically for this use, but the two will help you catch a good stream necessary for whatever sample the veterinarian wants.

5. Use dryer sheets to pick up loose dog hair.

That static cling! It makes sense but why didn’t we think about this before?! Dryer sheets can be used to pick up unwanted dog hair from furniture and clothes. Give it a try!

6. Keep your dog engaged and entertained with different toys. Mix them up.

When our dogs spend a lot of time with one specific toy, they might lose interest. You can combat this by alternating access to them so that whenever they’re reintroduced to a toy, they’re excited, highly engaged with it, and occupied. 

7. Use toothpaste and a dog rope toy for quick dental cleaning.

Now, don’t use this as a complete alternative. You’ll want some deep cleans for your dog’s teeth too. But this is a hack that every dog owner should know because it’s better than nothing. Squeeze dog-friendly toothpaste onto a rope toy for playtime. This will help condition your dog to get used to having their teeth brushed. Be warned though, this can get nasty so you’ll want to wash the rope toy with non-toxic detergent every now and then.

8. Raise your dog’s food bowl so they don’t hunch and strain their bodies.

When you increase the height of your dog’s food dish, it’s less of a strain on their body. Especially if your dog experiences things like arthritis, alleviating this strain is incredibly helpful to their body.

9. Magic erasers can quickly remove drool marks.

Whether it’s a window they’ve slobbered on, a little bit of water and magic eraser can lift those drool marks. Be cautious of treated surfaces as we’re unsure of how magical these erasers can be if you know what we mean!

10. Make a “dig safe” box.

If you’ve got a green thumb and are worried about your fur baby getting into your plants and garden, make them a “dig box”. It’s Dog Or Nothing shared a great tutorial on making a digging box for your fur baby. 

Hacks and tips for helping lifestyles with dogs are constantly changing and popping up. We’ll do our best to keep you updated!

This is just a sampling of tips and informational posts we offer at Joyride Harness. You can find more content including tips and tricks and how-tos for caring for your dog on our blog at this section. Feel free to leave a comment with tips you’re looking for!