It’s easy for us to find life hacks while scrolling around online – but far less common when they relate to our beloved pets.
Luckily, a YouTube channel called Household Hacker has some canine counsel, putting together 11 clever hacks to make things easier for both pet owners and their furry best friends. We’ll show you a few, but the video of all the hacks can be found at the bottom of this page.
1. Slow their roll at mealtime
It’s pretty common for dogs to gobble down their meals as if they’ve never seen food in their lives and expect to never see it again. And while humans have been known to work a little too fast at dinnertime as well, this can be dangerous for dogs – especially big ones who can have serious stomach issues if they’re too active after a big meal.
It’s also not good for their digestion to mow down an entire bowl of chow at once. The signal to their brain that they’re full doesn’t trigger immediately, leading them to head right for you to get some more. But it turns out there are a few simple tricks you can use to slow down the feeding frenzy.
Simply putting a clean object (such as a ball) in their food bowl forces them to work around the bowl more slowly and even push it out of the way with their nose to get to the kibble it’s blocking.
It may only cut feeding time down by a minute or two, but the challenge the object provides might make meals a little easier on their digestive systems.
You can also spread out their food into a new kind of dish (they sell slow feeders at the store, but you can accomplish the same with something like a muffin tin). This also forces bigger dogs to take smaller bites.
2. DIY paw cleaner
Dirty paws are a fact of life. Even if your dog is too old to galavant in the mud, they have to go outside at some point and can track in all sorts of things (including human allergens) on their paws.
Plenty of dogs dislike getting their paws cleaned and prefer to run rampant throughout the house as if they’re doing a post-poop victory lap. But as an owner, it’s important to train them to stop at the door so you can do a bit of inspection.
To make this easier, Household Hacker suggests keeping a sports bottle filled with water at the door. Get your dog used to the idea that before they go in they should prepare for a quick paw dunk-and-dry so you can keep things neat and clean.
3. DIY pill pockets
Very few dogs take their medicine with ease, but we know just how important it is to make sure they get whatever pills the doctor has prescribed for their ills.
Of course, the cost of those pill pockets adds up (especially after whatever vet bills they incurred). And it turns out there’s an easier way to get your dog to take their medicine by making your own pills pockets.
All you need is 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of milk, and 2 tablespoons of flour to mix together in a small bowl to form a nice, tasty dough.
Then you just pop in the pill and save the rest in an airtight container for the next few days.
4. A better way to say “stay”
Sometimes you need to keep your dog out of a room, whether it’s because you’re trying to clean or you have guests that aren’t dog-friendly (like toddlers!).
Instead of investing in an expensive baby gate, you can simply pick up two cheap shower tension rods and some fabric to create your own (more decorative) doggie divider.
It’s nice and sturdy and if aesthetics are a concern, you can use whatever fabric you want. It’s pretty cool!
There are plenty more ideas in the video below, so be sure to scroll down and watch!
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