Making Dog Ownership More Sustainable

Living a sustainable lifestyle means reducing your carbon footprint and annual waste. It also means finding new ways to do conventional things, like making dog ownership more sustainable. Your dog doesn’t know about pollution, but their lifestyle and routine could contribute to the CO2 warming the atmosphere.

These tips will help you and your pup go green. You’ll make a difference for the planet without disrupting what you love most about having a canine companion.

Avoid Traditional Waste Bags

Every time you leave the house to go for a walk with your dog, you likely carry a plastic bag to pick up waste they leave behind. Abiding by community rules and keeping your neighborhood clean is crucial, but you don’t have to use traditional waste bags while you do it.

Look around for waste bags made with recycled plastic or biodegradable materials. When your dog’s waste ends up in the trash, the bag won’t pollute local water sources or sit in a landfill for years on end.

Research Their Shampoo

After an afternoon spent splashing around in muddy puddles, your dog needs a bath. Does their shampoo help their coat and the environment? When you finish scrubbing the dirt away, the shampoo doesn’t magically disappear down the drain. It enters sewer pipes, where it can leak into nearby waterways and soil that soaks up the chemical ingredients.

Research the shampoo you buy for your dog. See if it has biodegradable ingredients or all-natural additives. It should be just as gentle on the environment as it is on your dog’s skin.

Upgrade Their Food

Major dog food brands use large production factories to keep up with consumer demand. Each plant draws heavily on electricity and needs plenty of water to create each batch of kibble. This helps you be a more sustainable dog owner.

You can upgrade your dog’s food to a sustainable or eco-friendly brand. Companies that keep the environment in mind when establishing their business models will ensure that they’re limiting their use of natural resources to make a high-quality product. Paying a bit more for dog food contributes to a dog’s cost, but it’s worth it when you’re making dog ownership more sustainable.

When your dog goes into heat, you need to know what to do. It can be extremely stressful for both your dog and pet parent when your dog is in heat. During heat, dogs will bleed and leave blood stains around the house. They will also urinate more often. Due to the physical changes, they are experiencing emotional depression. The mess in the house is also making you feel stressed. In order to de-stress her, you need to learn how to do it. Many pet parents are completely unaware of what to do when their dog is in heat, but don’t worry, the first step is to give your dog extra love and attention. Engaging games can also relieve your dog’s stress. You can both help your dog and yourself by preparing dog diapers.

Compost Their Waste

Skip waste bags altogether and reduce how much you contribute to your local landfill by composting your dog’s waste. Every time they relieve themselves, throw the pile in a compost bin until it becomes fertilizer for your yard.

Even though it might not seem like pet waste could have anything to contribute, it contains beneficial plant nutrients that can replace the chemical fertilizers you’d typically use to help your garden thrive. You’ll save money on yard care while avoiding the need to buy plastic bags.

Buy Non-Toxic Toys

When was the last time you researched the ingredients in your dog’s favorite toys? Most pet parents aren’t aware that no governing body regulates dog toy safety, unlike toys for children. Big brands can add whatever ingredients they want to make each plastic ball bounce farther or Frisbee fly faster.

Learn about the brands making the toys your dog loves and find sustainable alternatives if they use questionable ingredients. You’ll prevent your dog from getting exposed to harmful things like phthalates and stop supporting companies that profit from additives that pollute the environment after they end up in the trash.

Make Homemade Treats

When you bring home store-bought treats, you’re funding companies that fuel their mass production with natural resources. Minimize your carbon footprint by making sustainable homemade treats in a variety of flavors.

Even dogs with sensitive stomachs can munch on things baked right in your oven. Take your time browsing recipes with ingredients like peanut butter, apples or pureed pumpkin, so you don’t fund companies that rely on gas and electricity to turn a quick profit.

Consider Your Current Standards

Making dog ownership more sustainable is only possible if you consider your current standards. What do you prioritize in products like dog food and chew toys? Research what you need to buy before you bring it home. You’ll never compromise your eco-friendly lifestyle to give your dog what they need.