How to Help Your Small Dog Live a Balanced and Healthy Life

It’s no secret that my pup Ollie is an essential part of my family. He’s entwined into pretty much everything we do and goes everywhere with us. When we first got Ollie, we were of course enchanted with his small size and big personality and as he’s transitioned from a puppy to a full grown dog, he’s turned into this little bundle of love and energy in the cutest little package. While each and every day I say we could never love Ollie more than we already do, I’m always surprised when I walk in the door and as the Grinch says my heart grows three sizes as Ollie greets me with his happily wagging tail as he runs in circles just waiting to be picked up. Truthfully, I can’t image a life without Ollie and that’s why it’s become so important to me that he lives a balanced and healthy life so that he can be around for many years to come. While all dogs have certain needs to keep them living their best lives, for my small breed Morkie I’ve discovered that helping him feel his best, look his best and lives his best really boils down to a few simple things. If you’ve got a small pup, read on to learn how to help your small dog live a balanced and healthy life.

So obviously it is pretty important to me that Ollie lives his best life. While some would say that he already is thank to his cut little doggie t-shirts, car seat in the car, front carrier for when he gets tired and more, keeping Ollie living a balanced and healthy lifestyle is about so much more than just the ways that I spoil him (because truthfully I do). For Ollie, while all the bells and whistles are awesome, what really makes me feel like a great pet mom is making sure that Ollie has the three things he needs to stay as healthy as possible: nutrition, exercise and small dog care. Let’s talk about each of these things because, let’s fact it, small dogs have very different needs that their larger counterparts.

Nutrition

As Ollie has grown and changed, so has his diet. I’ll admit that when we first brought him home I thought that I could give him any dog food and just give him less than I would give a larger dog. In theory this made sense until he started having issues with his food. I quickly learned that small dogs need small dog food that’s designed specifically for them. In addition, Ollie’s sometimes finicky digestive system causes us to need a grain-free line of dog food and treats to keep him feeling his best. While I’ll admit that I’ve tried so many brands of dog food with him trying to find the right fit, I’ve discovered that love is giving him food from the Wellness® CORE® line of small breed dog food.

Not only is Wellness CORE grain-free but it’s also natural pet food and treats that deliver big flavors that Ollie loves and are big on protein. Rooted in the belief that dogs love thrive on hearty animal proteins, Wellness CORE has designed flavors that sound like they are made for the big dogs but that are specifically formulated for small pups like my Ollie. With ingredients like beef and salmon combined carefully with a balance of natural, quality ingredients, Wellness Core delivers big flavors that Ollie loves in small little sizes that are just right for his full-grown five pound body!

Learn more about Wellness CORE here!

That means that from meal time to treat time to anytime in between, I can give him protein-packed food that is designed to fuel his little size in a form that makes him feel loved each and every day. By building on this core foundation of a protein packed diet that’s big on flavor with items like Wellness CORE RawRev Small Breed Dog Food or Wellness CORE Mini Meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner and Wellness CORE Petite Treats for rewards, I’m ensuring that I’m giving Ollie the foundation he needs in a form that he can’t get enough of, which gives him the energy go….

Exercise

There is a common misconception that small dogs don’t need exercise. It couldn’t be further from the truth. While it is true that smaller dogs don’t need as much exercise, they do need to be walked, run and played with. Ollie gets to go on three walks every day - one in the morning, one in the afternoon and one in the evening.

He also has playtime at intervals in the day where we play tug-of-war with his rope toy or thrown one of his stuffed bears for him to chase.

Not only does this exercise ensure he sleeps well at night, it strengthens his cardiovascular health and muscles and helps keep his weight healthy which in turn keeps him feeling fabulous so that he can prance away the days knowing that he’s awesome.

Small Dog Care

While diet and exercise are the most important ways that I help Ollie live a balanced and healthy life, it’s important to note that in order for Ollie to feel loved, he needs to look loved (he’s a little bit of a diva ya’ll). For most small dogs, trips to the groomers are essential to keep them looking and feeling their best. Ollie gets groomed every six weeks and between appointments we wash and brush him regularly to keep his fur tangle free.

For us, helping our small breed dog live a balanced and healthy lifestyle is just a part of our daily routine and after having Ollie in our lives for two years, we couldn’t imagine living any other way. Just as I care for the two-legged members of my family and show them love in every way possible, I’ll continue to do the same for my four-legged family member by continuing to give him Wellness CORE products that are designed to fuel his active lifestyle with protein packed goodness that he adores.

If you have a small breed dog, I encourage you to learn more about the ways that small dogs are different that then make the switch to Wellness CORE to help your small dog live a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Learn more about Wellness CORE here!

Now tell me, have you tried Wellness CORE products for your small breed dog?