Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CheckYourPetFood #CollectiveBias
We consider ourselves an active family. We like to be outdoors as much as possible, especially if it involves camping and hiking. This quality time together is part of how we focus on our mental and physical well-being. I’ve recently shared my own fitness and well-being goals for 2018, but there’s one family member whom I also include in our wellness aspirations: our dog Capone. If you’re new around here, Capone has been with us since 2011, when my husband found him abandoned in the Phoenix heat. He had no owner and he was scared, hungry and thirsty. Since my husband fed him that first day, he never left his side, and since then he has accompanied us on many of our camping and travel adventures. (Now, he’s also our toddler’s trusted companion!) We need to keep Capone happy and healthy so he can tag along with us for a long time to come. This is why I offer this reminder: Include your dog in the health goals you set this year!
How to include your pup in your health goals:
1. Take your dog(s) along on your workouts. Besides walks, consider having your dog join any hikes, runs or beach/swimming trips you might have planned. You can also find fitness classes that include your dogs. In Chicago, for example, where we live, you can find stand-up paddleboard with your pup classes in the summer.

2. Make sure all family members have their regular checkups and get their preventive care done. Capone started this year by visiting the vet for his vaccinations and a checkup. He’s doing great!
3. In addition to tracking your own habits and progress, keep an eye on your dog’s moods, changes, symptoms, exercise, etc. A bullet journal is a great place for this. That way you can notice any patterns or behaviors that need to be addressed and keep everyone in good shape!
4. While reassessing what your diet looks like, take a look at what your pup is eating, too. Check your dog’s food label to make sure he or she is getting quality ingredients. Does your dog’s food contain real meat? Is it grain free? We like Purina® Beneful® Originals With Real Chicken Dog Food (12.5 or 31.1 lb) and Purina® Beneful® Grain Free With Real Farm-Raised Chicken Adult Dry Dog Food (12.5 lb) because both options help us feed Capone real meat and quality ingredients for the right price. You can find these two options, plus all the dog toys and items you need, at Meijer.
Bonus: You can save time by using Meijer’s Shipt or Curbside services. Shipt lets you order your groceries online and have them delivered to your home, while Curbside allows you to add items to your cart and select when you want to pick them up at the store in the curbside lane. Both are super convenient! Just be sure to verify whether your Meijer location offers these services by typing in your ZIP code when you check out Shipt and Curbside online.
5. In addition to watching what you put inside your dog’s body, keep the outside healthy as well with regular grooming, washing and looking for any abnormalities.
When’s the last time you checked your dog food ingredients? Do you like to exercise with your pup?