Pet tips and resources

As part of our role in animal management education, we have provided some online tips to help with your responsibility for managing a happy and healthy family pet.

Animals play an important role in the family. There is a responsibility for managing a happy and healthy family pet.

Pet care tips for a happy and healthy pet

Pet ownership has a positive effect on our mental health and during this challenging time it is more important than ever.

Tips and tricks

  • Maintain a healthy diet - be sure not to drop extra tasty treats to an always eager dog or cat.
  • Practice your baking skills to keep dogs satisfied with delicious doggy treats - healthy treat recipes are available online.
  • Keep your dog entertained by hiding healthy pet food treats in your garden - this game changer will entice even the most restful of dogs.
  • Use interactive toys that dispense treats - dry kibble is great or bake your own healthy pet snacks.
  • Keep your cat entertained by hiding some treats at different levels in your home.
  • Playing is a great way to exercise your dog and cat while at home and burn off pent up energy.
  • Remember the leash, tag and poo bag when taking your dog for a walk. For more information see exercising dogs.
  • Maintain your routine as much as possible - keep to the same feeding times and if you can't go for a walk, do a daily play session instead.
  • Be sure there are no bones laying around for children to pick up - this can make dogs very cranky if they think their most favourite snack has been taken away from them.

Pet behaviour tips

  • Introduce family training sessions to care and teach your pet some basic commands and fun tricks will not only build a closer bond but can help ease your pets’ anxiety level.
  • If working from home, use a baby gate to separate yourself from your furry pet where they can still see you, but not disturb you.
  • Excessive barking behaviour may occur due to increased foot traffic near your home. For information on how to address barking see barking and roaming dogs.
  • An active dog is a happy dog and helps to reduce nuisance behaviours at home. Visit one of our dog exercise areas in our region.  For more information see exercising dogs.

Don't forget to bring a dog waste bag and dispose of it in a bin. - Access online resources from local pet care experts for further behavioural advice.

Dog training

Training your dog at any stage of its life plays an important role, not just in training dogs but also in educating owners to manage their dogs responsibly. Dog training helps to keep your pets and the community safe.