12 Hacks to Make Your and Your Dog’s Lives Easier

All pet owners consider their animals part of the family. Dogs and puppies are the most loving pets to have around the home. However, they come with their unique set of problems. No need to visit the vet for every ache and worry or buy expensive gadgets. Here are 12 essential tips to save you time and help your dog out when it's feeling a bit under the weather, or mischievous, or both.

1. Protect paws with Vaseline.

Protect your dog’s paws from chapping and cracking in the cold, snowy weather and the salt-lined sidewalks. Each time you go out with your dog apply Vaseline to their paws. Afterwards use warm water to rinse off any other salt or chemicals your dog might have stomped over. 

2. Induce vomiting with hydrogen peroxide.

There are foods that dogs just shouldn’t eat. If your dog has gotten into the chocolates or managed to sneak a lick of your coffee, you can induce vomiting by giving them hydrogen peroxide. You can give them one teaspoon per five pounds of body weight. This may save your dog’s life so invest in a bottle to keep around the home. 

3. Create your own tongue brush with a lint brush.

The awful smell of dog breath originates from their tongue. Apply toothpaste (NOT human toothpaste - you'll learn how to make your own doggie toothpaste at tip #11) to a lint brush and have your dog lick it. An easy solution to that unpleasant problem. You can then disinfect the brush by putting it in the dishwasher. 

4. Make your own shampoo.

This simple recipe only has 3 ingredients. Mix 1 cup of dish soap with 1 cup of vinegar and 1 quarter cup of water for a natural and inexpensive shampoo. 

5. Slow down your dog’s fast eating by placing a ball in their food bowl.

Some pups just love to gobble their food at the speed of light, which makes them throw up later. Slow down this habit by placing a ball in the bowl. They’ll move it around as they eat and this can slow them down. 

6. Spray bitter apple juice to repel power cord chewing puppies.

When your puppy is teething, everything looks munchy, including cables and cords. Protect your goods from destruction by spraying some bitter apple spray on a paper towel and wiping this on the cord. The bitter taste will repulse your chomping pet. 

7. Tweezers for ticks.

Dog owners all try to protect their pets from ticks, but sometimes they leech onto your dog. When this happens, grab a tweezer and grab the tick with it to pull them off. Twist counter-clock-wise for best results.  Your dog’s immune system against ticks is strong, but its still wise to rub the bitten area with some rubbing alcohol.

8. Get rid of static electricity on your dog’s coat with dryer sheets.

Humans may not like the rain and loud thunder caused by thunderstorms, but dogs have another worry. They don’t enjoy the static building up in their coats. Remove static electricity by rubbing a dryer sheet along their coats. Lots of hugs are also advised. 

9. Treat diarrhea with rice and chicken combo.

Calm upset dog stomachs by feeding them a simple diet of chicken and rice for 12 hours. If your dog is vomiting, visit the vet, as dogs can become dehydrated very quickly. 

10. Pumpkins help with constipation.

Unspiced pumpkin is a miracle worker when it comes to making your poor dog poop. 

11. DIY dog toothbrush.

If you want to really get your dog’s teeth clean you can take a clean piece of gauze and wrap it around your finger. Use a paste of baking soda and water in equal amounts as the toothpaste. Don’t use human toothpaste as it contains xylitol, which causes canine liver failure. 

12. Treat bee sting with Benadryl + baking soda paste.

Here’s what to do if your dog gets stung by a bee: First, remove the stinger by scraping it with a credit card. Then apply a paste of baking soda to the area. If your pooch shows signs of an allergic reaction, call your vet and ask about giving your dog a dose of Benadryl.