16 Tips to Make Life With Your Pet Easier

Having a dog can be a lot of work at times. As an owner, your responsible for everything from grooming your pet, to feeding them, to making sure they get enough exercise. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to make caring for your pet more efficient. Here are 16 tips to help you save time and money when it comes to your pup.

1. Fix You Furry Floors

If you have a dog that sheds, sometimes it feels like you’re in a constant battle with their fur, especially if you have carpet. For quick and easy cleanup, use a squeegee to grab loose strands from your floor.

2. Freshen your dog’s stinky breath

Throw some fresh parsley in with your dog’s food to freshen your dog’s breath.

3. Tire Out Your Hyper Puppy

For an even more intense game of fetch that will give your hyper pup a run for their money, follow this tip: sit at the top of a hill and throw the ball down. Your dog will have to run uphill to return the ball.

4. Peanut-y Distraction for Unpleasant Grooming

Distract your dog during the act of nail trimming by giving them peanut butter. The peanut butter will keep them busy, allowing you to take care of business while they lick the sticky stuff.

5. Keep ants out of food bowls

If you keep your pet’s food dishes outside, draw a ring around it with chalk to keep ants out.

6. Protect Your Dogs Paws

Use Vaseline to coat your dog’s paws during cold or hot weather. This will provide protection against cracking that occurs from cold and hot temperatures and harmful road salts.

7. Keep your cat from jumping on tables

Put double-sided tape on anything you don’t want your cat to jump on or scratch. Cats don’t like sticky stuff, and eventually, they’ll lose interest and stop trying to take naps on the kitchen table.

8. Make dinner time easier for a sore pet

If your pet is having a hard time reaching their head down into their dish to eat, flip over a bowl and put a plate on top of it.

9. De-fur your couches

Use a damp rubber glove and rub your hand over upholstery to remove any fur or lint on your furniture.

10. Get your dog to eat slower

If you have a dog who likes to scarf down their food way too fast, put a tennis ball into their dish. They’ll eat around the tennis ball, causing them to slow down. It will also exercise their problem-solving skills.

11. Get your sick pup to drink water

Put some low-sodium into your dog’s water to encourage them to drink if they’re having a hard time keeping things in their stomach.

12. Remove burrs with vegetable shortening

Use a glob of vegetable shortening to the bur-infested fur. This will help loosen the tangle, allowing you to pry the bur much more easily.

13. Make your own Kong toy

Hollow out an apple and fill it with peanut butter for a healthy treat that will also keep your dog entertained for a while.

14. Determine whether it’s too hot for a walk

Place the palm of your hand on the pavement for at least three seconds. If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for your dog.

15. Remove ticks in a flash

If you’re struggling to remove a tick from your pet, apply dish soap to a cotton ball and swap the tick for a few seconds. This should coax the tick out for easier removal.

16. Create a treat-dispensing toy to entertain your dog

Cut a couple inches around a tennis ball and fill it with your dog’s favorite treat. They’ll love the challenge of getting the treats out.