How To Be A Sustainable Puppy Owner

Becoming a new puppy owner is a truly heart-warming experience, with so much to learn and consider when you first get your furry friend home.

With awareness of environmental issues rising, many of us are turning our attention to becoming more sustainable puppy owners.

Here at Yora, we live and breathe sustainability, so here are some top tips for being a greener puppy parent.

Re Purpose Household Products 

Puppies can get through toys, beds, collars, leads, and unfortunately shoes, very quickly while they are teething and learning to use their mouth.

Many unlucky toys and interactive feeders find themselves in the bin. Rather than buying lots of new plastic products for your pup, try using household or unwanted items to create fun toys and feeders.

1)    Use an Old Shoe- If you have an unwanted probably slightly smelly trainer, this can be the perfect calming stuffed toy for your pup. Fling a few relaxing  Yora Dreamer Treats into the old shoe and let your puppy snuffle them out.

Psst: Remember to give the shoe a wipe before you give it to your puppy!

2)    Use Old Tea Towels – got some unwanted tea towels in your kitchen? Or some out of fashion t shirts?  Give them a purpose again, first wash them in hot water, then cut them lengthwise into 3 strips, then finally braid together to create a DIY puppy rope toy. Got a teething pup? Try dousing them in water and freezing them, this will help soothe their sore gums.

3)    Use Old Cardboard – Got a spare cardboard box or two? Make a cute puppy playhouse. Take a large box, cut a couple of flaps to create doorways and make “windows” either side to let in more light. Throw in some treats, a cosy blanket and you have yourself an easy homemade puppy den.

For more ideas on how to reuse household objects, check out our Fun Feeding Blog.

Remember to always supervise your puppy when playing with or chewing any toy.

Donate Old Collars

Puppies grow incredibly quickly and often require several collar, lead, and harness sets across their first year.

To reduce fabric waste, pass on your old ill-fitting walk wear to other owners. You can donate your old walking equipment to most rescue centres and some charity shops.

Another idea is to organise a lead swap with other like-minded owners! Look for local dog groups on social media and get together and see if you can reuse any old unwanted leads or collars.  

Swapping walking gear can save money and help give a new lease of life to an old collar, lead or harness.

Feed the MOST Sustainable Puppy Food

Feeding an insect-based diet is a brilliant step in becoming a more sustainable puppy owner.

The research tells us that insects are the most sustainable source of protein you can feed your pet. The future to a greener pet food industry, truly lies within our grubs:

- The insect used in our tasty Pâtés has a CO2 footprint that is up to 24 times lower than traditional poultry.

- Our grubs use 3x less water to farm than soy protein (used in vegan dog food and to feed livestock) and have a seven times lower CO2 footprint.

All Yora foods, treats and chews are also made with 100% recyclable packaging, helping you and your pup protect the planet.

Insects are super sustainable and a fabulous nutritional choice for growing puppies of all sizes.

Our grubs are absolutely packed with protein and the Omega 3 fatty acid DHA. These are needed for muscle growth and aid in supporting vision, brain function and improving concentration.  Perfect for mastering all the training you are going to be doing!

Unlike other traditional meats, our insects also have strong immune boosting antioxidants. These aid in reducing inflammatory diseases in pets and are especially important to puppies as their immune system develops.

So, you can keep your pup strong AND protect the planet with our super food insects.

Use Eco Friendly Pet Products

Choose the greenest versions of common pet products, such as poo bags, beds and bowls.

1)    Biodegradable Poo Bags- Our canine companions eat a lot and with that comes a large amount of… waste. Biodegradable and compostable poo bags are a brilliant eco-friendly option for your puppy walks.

2)    Eco Pet Bowls- choose bowls made with more planet friendly materials such as bamboo or corn husk.

3)    Sustainable Pet Beds –When you purchase your pups first proper bed, choose one that is made or stuffed with eco-friendly materials such as recycled bottles. Remember to wait until your puppy has fully teethed before investing in a big plush bed, otherwise it may become a very expensive chew toy…

We hope this helped you and your pup on your mission to be greener.

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