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Holistic pet care means looking at the whole animal, including body, mind, emotions and environment, rather than treating each in isolation. It isn’t a replacement for veterinary medicine; it’s a way of paying attention that works alongside it. It’s an easy idea once you see it in yourself. Think about how a headache changes your mood, how laughing through a funny movie makes the flu feel less awful, how a sunny or rainy day shifts your outlook, or how much harder it is to solve problems (or for kids to get along) when you’re hungry or tired. Our pets work the same way.
Behavior is usually a symptom, not the problem
Every decision we make for a pet affects the rest of their “whole,” including how they interact with their environment. Ask anyone whose dog destroyed an armchair after being left alone too long. Take digging as an example. A dog might dig out of boredom (mental), loneliness (emotional), to reach a buried bone (physical), or to get out and play with the neighbor’s dog (environmental). You can’t really address the behavior until you understand what’s actually driving it.
Sometimes the most frustrating behavior is simply a pet telling you a need isn’t being met. Before reacting, try to step back from the behavior itself and look for the cause. Pain is a common hidden one: a dog that suddenly snaps, stops wanting to be brushed, or won’t climb stairs may be hurting. So a vet check is a good first step for any sudden change in behavior. After that, a qualified trainer or behaviorist can help. See our guide to choosing a trainer.
Diet is part of holistic care
What a dog eats affects far more than its waistline. Food allergies, digestive upsets, or a diet that leaves a dog hungry can show up as itchy skin, restlessness or scavenging. Those problems can look emotional or behavioral just as much as physical. We fed our own dogs a raw (BARF) diet. Our BARF Diet guide covers how we did it, how to keep it balanced, and the food-safety precautions that matter. Whatever you feed, choose a diet that is complete and balanced for your dog’s life stage, and adjust it with your vet’s help.
Healthcare decisions are personal — do your research
Vaccinations, spaying/neutering, tail docking, and other healthcare choices are genuinely controversial within holistic pet care, and reasonable people land in different places. We’d encourage every pet owner to research, talk with a holistic vet, and make their own informed decision. Holistic veterinary practice is a growing field — if there isn’t one in your area yet, there’s a good amount of information available online, and many regular vets are open to discussing alternatives if you ask.
Spaying and neutering timing
Spaying or neutering is still one of the most practical ways to prevent unwanted litters, and millions of dogs and cats go through shelters in North America every year. What has changed is our understanding of when. Research from UC Davis (Hart and colleagues, 2020) looked at 35 breeds. It found that for some large breeds, including Golden Retrievers, neutering before about a year of age was linked to higher rates of joint disorders and some cancers. Standard Poodles showed their own breed-specific patterns. The researchers also found that for many breeds, timing made little difference. For a Goldendoodle, especially a standard-sized one, ask your vet about the best age for your individual dog rather than defaulting to six months.
Other decisions
We never docked tails, even on our Poodles, and we’d encourage owners to question any procedure that isn’t medically necessary. For everything else, the holistic approach is simple: research, ask questions, and make an informed decision with a vet you trust. If you’re interested in integrative or holistic approaches, look for a licensed veterinarian who also has training in them. Many conventional vets are also happy to discuss options if you ask.
Breeding, holistically
Animals reproduced without human intervention for a very long time before we came along. When we do intervene, it’s worth asking how that affects both the puppies and the mother. Our own approach was to let the mother whelp on her own as much as possible. We were right there for every birth, watching closely. We stepped in when a puppy needed help to breathe or nurse, and we had a plan with our vet in case a mother needed emergency care. Letting nature lead didn’t mean leaving her unwatched.
A few simple reminders
- A happy puppy is a healthy puppy. If you haven’t booked an obedience class yet, do it. A good trainer improves the relationship for both of you.
- Listen to your pet. Frustrating behavior is often communication, not defiance, and sometimes it’s pain.
- Keep up with the basics. Regular vet checkups, parasite prevention suited to where you live, dental care and a healthy weight do more for a long life than any single product.
- Prevent unwanted litters. Spay or neuter at the age you and your vet decide is right, and keep an intact dog securely supervised until then.
- Have you loved your dog today? A long walk or a game of fetch is good for both of you. It’s easy to let busyness get in the way.
Related supplies: shop natural dog care products on Amazon.ca (affiliate link).
Free: the Goldendoodle Puppy First-Week Checklist
A printable checklist of what to buy, what to book and what to do in the first seven days, from our years raising English Goldendoodle litters. We will also send a few short emails with our best puppy-care guides. No sales, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
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