Believe it or not, your dog has more of an environmental footprint pawprint than you’re probably aware of.
Did you know that domesticated dogs defecate 10 million pounds of poop every year in the United States alone?
That’s a lot of poop.
Because of the bacteria inside doggie poo, not cleaning up after your pet is a very bad idea.
Unfortunately the eco-pawprint doesn’t stop at poo. The good news is there are plenty of easy ways to green that dog…without paint.
Think of all the plastic squeaky toys you’ve bought for your dog over the years, what happens to those when Fido isn’t interested in them anymore?
So what can you as a responsible green dog owner do to help your pup live green?? It’s not as difficult as you might think, here are a few ideas.
Inexpensive Dog-a-romatherapy:
EarthFamily.com says the aromatherapy candles made especially for your pooch tend to be quite pricey. Instead remember that the essential oil scents that calm you and make you feel better will probably work just as well for your dog. So light your lavender candle and you and your dog can reap the benefits without having to purchase an expensive one just for him.
Flush your dog’s poop:
While many people simply throw it away in plastic bags. As mentioned before, dog poop has a lot of bacteria in it, so this could create multiple problems if it were to seep into a water supply.
If the thought of emptying the plastic baggy into your toilet and flushing bothers you, there are biodegradable baggies you can purchase and then flush the whole thing, baggie and all!
DIY Doggie Bed:
Rather than buying an expensive bed for your dog, take old blankets, sheets, and towels and make a bed for your dog 
yourself. This is a great way to reuse old materials and save money!
Have Your Pet Spayed or Neutered:
You heard Bob Parker say it for years and years on The Price is Right.
Pet overpopulation in the United States is a real problem and can contribute to problems for the environment. Just one female dog and her puppies if left intact can produce 67,000 new dogs in one year.
Imagine the impact on our already overtaxed environment! For that reason, Care2 says neutering or spaying your dogs is one of the best ways you can go green with your dog.
Make your own dog toys:
All you need to make really cool dog toys for your dogs are old socks, and a few pieces of rope. Trust me, your dogs won’t know the difference.
The problem with many commercially made dog toys is that they are plastic and/or contain chemicals that are harmful for your dog…and you.
By making your own toys you guarantee you will not be adding more plastics to landfills once your dog is no longer interested in a particular toy, and you won’t have to worry about toys such as those twisty bones which are coated with chemicals making your dog sick. Here are 2 great guides for crafiting your own dog toys.
Rescue and Adopt, Don’t Buy New:
We’ve said it before, there are so many unwanted dogs that need our love and need new homes, that it really is best to adopt as opposed to buying a dog.
Not only that but when you buy puppies from pet stores, you may be unknowingly supporting puppy mills whose sole job is simply to churn out dogs for pet storesn, without care for the health of their female dogs in most cases.
By adopting you are saying no to this horrible practice, and while it won’t put the puppy mills out of business right away, if enough of us adopt this practice it will still help in that it will hopefully reduce the amount of dogs being created by this means which as mentioned before puts a stress on the environment because so many of them can end up unwanted.
So next time: don’t shop, adopt.
For more great ideas on how to lighten your dog’s eco-pawprint, check out this video:
More Ways To Reduce Your Dog’s Carbon Footprint
- Reduce Your Carbon Pawprint
- Spoil Your Dog With Homemade Frozen Organic Dog Treats
- Green Your Dog
- 5 Ways To Be A Green Pet Owner
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