Reduce your dog's carbon paw print!

Here are some more tips on how to reduce your dog's carbon paw print.

• When buying bowls, choose stainless steel or crockery dishes over plastic. If you can find some locally made crockery dishes, that's even better!
• Buy food that's grown locally or grow your own as much as possible. This reduces the energy used to transport food and you'll be getting food that's fresher. Farmer's markets are a great place to find a lot of locally produced, organic produce. Just make sure to bring your own reusable bags to put your purchases in!
• Spay & neuter. This not only helps your dog to stay healthier but reduces the amount of unwanted dogs. There are far too many in animal shelters without homes. :(
• Look into natural alternatives first for maladies instead of using medication (consult your holistic-friendly veterinarian first, though, please!). There are a lot of choices- chiropractic, acupuncture, flower essenses, aromatherapy, homeopathy, massage & TTouch. You can find a holistic veterinarian in your area through AVMA. To find a certified chiropractor for your dog, go to AVCA and for acupuncture, you can search through IVAS.
• When replacing carpeting, consider putting in an eco-friendly alternative floor such as bamboo (just keep in mind that bamboo flooring can scratch easily), cork, relaimed wood or marmoleum. Carpeting eventually wears out and ends up in landfills. Worse yet, that "new carpet" smell is caused from the release of chemicals in the carpeting. Find eco-friendly rugs to put down on your new eco-friendly floors. It's much healthier for you, your dog and the planet! (We have carpeting in our new house & although it's nice in some ways, we'll definitely not be replacing it with more carpeting when the time comes. The house is brand new but has been sitting empty for two years (since it was built), so I'm hoping that a lot of the chemicals were released & long gone by now. )
• If you have items you no longer want or need, donate them to a local thrift store or shelter instead of throwing them away. Shelters especially are in need of beds, toys, blankets and whatever else you may no longer want.
• If you leave a light on at night while you're not home so that your dog isn't left in the dark, replace the lightbulbs you use with compact flourescent ones. They use 1/4 of the energy as regular lightbulbs.
• Keep your yard natural by choosing not to use chemicals on it. Plant hardy and native grasses & plants that will thrive without watering them. Make pathways on frequently used paths with concrete, brick or stone. Put in a fence that is durable and that won't need any upkeep (staining, replacing panels). Use solar lights in your yard so that you don't have to turn lights on when your dog needs to go out at night.
• Choose eco-friendly home furnishing & improvements (paints, furniture, etc.). There are a lot of options out there that will make your home a safe, natural one.
• When buying a dog bed, choose one with a removable cover or just buy a cover and stuff it with blankets that can be easily washed. Choose an eco-friendly fabric like hemp, too. We love the Harry Barker hemp bed. Annie's Sweatshop is a great place to buy fillable covers that are made from recycled fleece.
• Whenever buying anything, first consider if you really need it. If you do, find the most eco-friendly option there is. Spending a little bit of time by doing an internet search will turn up at least a few options for you.

Check out my previous posts for more ways to reduce your dog's carbon paw print. As always, I'll be posting more tips & product reviews in the future, so check back soon!