A relationship with a dog is filled with non-judgmental companionship, enthusiastic greetings, and, of course, pure love. And there are things you can do to make your pet feel the love right back.

"Dogs give us so much that we need to make them a priority if we chose to take on the responsibility of having them," says Kyria Henry, CEO of paws4people, a nonprofit that pairs dogs with people suffering from traumas or mobility issues. As the central subject of the book A Dog's Gift, by Bob Drury, paws4people is a reminder that dogs can even give the gift of healing—so we should be willing to return the favor.

Henry recommends these 7 gifts that you can give back to your dog:

#1: The Truth

Before you get a dog, make sure you're a match. "I think a lot of people rush into buying a dog without considering if they have the right lifestyle or living situation to have a dog," says Henry. "One of the biggest gifts you can give a dog is, before you get one, make sure the dog, the size of the dog, the breeds in it, its temperament [fits with your lifestyle], so that you're setting them up to have a happy and healthy life."

#2: Respect Their Hobbies

Did your parents ever force you to take piano classes when all you wanted to do was play baseball? It was a bummer. And your dog has preferences, too. "Some people think it's great to go out for a two-mile run with their dog, but I have plenty of dogs who hate running, so it's not a reward for them," says Henry.

Henry says they pay careful attention to this kind of thing at paws4people. "For the most part, we're using retrievers for this job because they are the dogs who love this kind of career," she says. "We're setting our dogs up for success by picking dogs who love this kind of work, and people need to do this with their pet dogs, too."

#3: Keep Them at a Healthy Weight

"We can 100 percent control our dogs' diet—they don't fall victim to splurging and eating fast food like we do," Henry points out. "The worst thing you can do is let them be overweight." She assures that, even though they keep on chowing down, they're not still hungry. "You're doing them a favor by keeping them lean because they'll live longer with fewer problems when they're geriatric," she says.


#4: Quality Food

Just as you need good fuel to keep you going, so does your dog. "Different dogs' bodies thrive on different proteins," says Henry. "Some dogs do fine on chicken, but some dogs have really bad allergies to chicken, so they need something more like fish. We always feed good quality, grain-free food."

#5: Supplements

Yep, they make supplements for dogs. "We're a big believer in supplements for your dog," says Henry. "One of our supporters is Dinovite, and it's kind of like a green smoothie for your dog. It's a nutrition boost."

For dogs with specific conditions, Henry recommends Vibrant Pets. "If we have dogs that have additional needs, like for joint support, as they get older, a company that has been good to us is called Vibrant Pets. They have supplements that are specific to solving certain problems or ailments," she says.

#6: Healthy Chew Toys

"We're really pro good-quality, natural bones like marrow bones," says Henry. "They're going to hold up better, they're not going to chip and break apart, and they're not going to make dogs sick—but it's a healthy outlet for dogs to chew." The one thing you should never give your dog, she adds: rawhide.

#7: Brain Games

Dogs can't do crossword puzzles, but you can stimulate their brains. "Kong is another supporter of ours," says Henry. "They have a lot of toys that stimulate mental activity, which I think is really important. They have a lot of feeder toys where dogs have to work through a game to get to their food. And of course, they have the traditional Kong."

She recommends freezing peanut butter in a Kong and leaving it out for your dog when you're away from the house to keep them entertained and stimulated while they're alone. "Kongs provide the physical stimulation and the mental stimulation," she says.

More gift: https://morninghomestead.com/the-ultimate-dog-pool-sale/