With New Year's Eve right around the corner, most pet parents are lining up their New Years' resolutions and deciding on ways to improve their physical and emotional well-being. 

But setting goals for quality of life improvements is just as crucial for our pets as it is for us, and with dog obesity affecting more than 50% of domestic dogs in the United States, setting some resolutions for your pup regarding canine weight loss can make both of you happier and healthier. 

Continue reading for ideas on goals you can set to ensure you and your pup both have a glow-up in the new year.

Consider Your Dog While Setting Personal Goals

New year, new you! January brings a wealth of possibilities and is often a time when people re-commit to habits like eating better and exercising more. But goal setting can be just as beneficial for your dog, so consider your pup as you set your personal goals this year!

Whether you want your pet to learn a few new tricks, shed a few pounds, or reach a specific dog sports goal, you should set one or two resolutions you'd like your dog to meet this year. 

Consider some of the following resolutions you and your pet can share in the new year. 

Make More Time for Adventuring Together

Exercise is essential to ensuring both you and your pup stay healthy. So if you're trying to prioritize more movement in the new year, set a goal to spend more time outside together to keep you and your pup mentally and physically healthy and active. 

Although all types of outdoor adventures like walking, running, and hiking are excellent forms of canine exercise, you don't always have to plan a ten-mile hike to get the most out of a day spent outside. 

Consider devoting at least one outdoor excursion per week to a sniff walk, also known as a sniffari. A sniff walk is an outdoor adventure where your pup's nose takes the lead. Simply take your dog to a natural area and let them explore their surroundings by smelling all the new scents on the ground and objects around them. 

Sniff walks are an excellent way to provide your dog with mental stimulation, and you may find they come home more exhausted from a 20-minute sniff walk than from a five-mile run. 

Practice Better Habits

Being a good pet parent is a lot of work, but you don't have to be perfect to do a great job. Try to set a few goals for yourself in the new year that you can extend to your pup. 

For example, if you want to hydrate more this year, then focus on doing the same for your pet. Add a small amount of pet-safe bone broth or warm water to your dog's Ketona kibble at mealtime.

You can hone your dog training skills by teaching your dog some new tricks. Whether you want to focus on behavior training, canine agility, or a mix of the two, working on training is a good way for you and your dog to bond. 

Try working on one new trick or behavior modification technique each month, using healthy training treats like our chicken liver single-ingredient dog treats or pieces of Ketona kibble. 

Prioritize Mental Health

If you're prioritizing mental health in the new year, you should also plan to implement some healthy changes for your pets. In addition to ensuring your dog has enough physical stimulation to burn off any excess energy, utilizing mentally stimulating exercises can help your dog de-stress.

When the weather is less suitable for outdoor adventures, focus on providing your dog with adequate stimulation through other methods. You can:

• Hide treats and Ketona kibble in areas throughout the house so they have to use their nose to find them. Examples of places you could hide treats include their toy bin, inside cardboard boxes, in their bed, etc. However, be careful not to hide treats in potentially dangerous areas, like under the sink, where you keep products that may be harmful if ingested.
• Use puzzle feeders, enrichment toys, and items like toilet paper rolls to hide an assortment of kibble or treats. If you have an anxious dog, mix Ketona Daily Calming Chews with other treats to reduce levels of canine anxiety.
• Rub a low-fat treat like organic plain canned pumpkin, unsweetened kefir, or nonfat Greek yogurt on a lick-mat and let your dog have at it! This can be a great tool to work into your daily routine, as foods like pumpkin aid in canine digestion and can help your dog wind down after a long day.

Set Transformation Goals for Your Pup

Growth happens over a lifetime, and committing to your pet's physical and emotional well-being can be a slow and steady process, just like your own personal growth. So this year, set achievable transformation goals for your dog and then create a plan to meet them. 

Transformation goals for your pet can come in all shapes and sizes. Here are some examples:

• "I want my pet to lose three pounds this year." To achieve this goal, you can switch them to a low-carb Ketona diet and give them a two-mile walk three days per week.
• "I want to reduce my pet's anxiety." To achieve this goal, you can give them calming treats every day, ensure they get enough physical exercise, and provide them with adequate mental stimulation. You can also make sure to set them up for success with a safe space like a crate with a soft bed inside, a blanket over the top, and a sound machine close by. This is a great way for your pup to self regulate-and put themselves in their safe space when they are feeling overwhelmed or anxious.

Share Your Transformation Story for a Chance To Win!

If you've decided that canine weight loss is one of your goals for the upcoming year, share your pup's transformation story for a chance to win an entire year of Ketona low-carb kibble (the offer is limited to one large bag of Ketona kibble per month for the winner).

To be eligible, simply submit a "before" photo of your dog to social@ketonanaturalpetfoods.com when you purchase your first bag of Ketona kibble. Then, within three to four months of your pet being on our Ketona diet, leave a review with an "after" photo of your pet to show how much weight they've lost!