If you have a dog at home, you surely can benefit from learning about ways to make your life easier. Let’s take a look at some of the top dog hacks designed to do just this.
- If your dog has a habit of eating too quickly, place a ball in his food bowl. Use a plastic pitcher to store your dog’s food as it is easy to pour and keeps the food fresh.
- For a cool treat on a hot day, slice up some apples, mix them with low sodium chicken broth and freeze them in an ice cube tray. Voila! If your dog isn’t feeling well, put some of this broth into their drinking water.
- During a storm, your dog may become irritated not about the noise, but the static electricity built up in their coats. To get rid of this, rub a dryer sheet over the top of their coat. To protect your dog’s paws in the snow and salt, rub a bit of Vaseline onto their paws before you go out each time. This will protect his paws from chapping and cracking. You can let your dog file his own nails by attaching sandpaper to a piece of wood.
- For older dogs, soften their foods in the microwave, with just a little water added in. This may help out dogs who suffer from tooth decay and have pain. To brush your dog’s teeth, make a paste with backing soda and water, and take a piece of gauze and wrap it around your finger. Add a little bit of fresh parsley over your dog’s food to keep their breath fresh.
- Memorize the list of toxic foods for dogs. This list includes alcohol, chocolate, garlic, potato sprouts, sugar, peach and apricot pits, onions, grapes, raisins, mushrooms and yeast dough. If your dog eats something poisonous, use hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting. Have them ingest 1 teaspoon per 5 pounds of body weight. If your dog has diarrhea, put your dog on a diet of chicken and rice for a couple of days. If your dog is constipated, give him canned pumpkin.
- Use baking soda to clean pee stains. Just pour it on the spot, allow it to soak in and then vacuum it away. To remove pet hair from carpeting, use a squeegee. You can remove pet hair from upholstery with a damp rubber glove.
- If your dog gets sprayed by a skunk, mix a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, ¼ cup of baking soda and two teaspoons of liquid Dawn soap to clean him. If your dog gets stung by a bee, make a paste of Benadryl and baking soda and apply it to the area.
- When you have a puppy that likes chewing up power cords, what can you do? Spray some spritz bitter apple spray onto a paper towel and then wipe the cord with it.
- Make your own doggie shampoo by combining 1 cup of dish soap, 1 cup of vinegar and 1 quart of warm water. Use a teapot to rinse your dog off when he is in the bathtub to keep water and soap out of their eyes.
- Use essential oils to fight fleas and ticks. What you are looking for is therapeutic grade essential oils. Scents to choose are citronella, rosemary, eucalyptus, cedar and lemongrass. If your dog gets a tick, apply some liquid soap to a cotton ball. Simply swab the tick with the cotton ball for a few seconds.