New Year's Resolutions for your dog? Survey says yes.

With New Year's Day coming up on the horizon and with it a chance to start anew, many people are making resolutions to improve their lives and the lives of their beloved four-legged companions.

Wild Earth, creators of the world's first high-protein plant-based dog food, surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. dog owners to find out what resolutions they have for 2020 when it comes to not only their health but also their pet’s health.

It’s not shocking that the most popular resolution was to lose weight; however, the survey revealed that many dog owners are also setting that goal for Fido as well.

Nationwide, roughly 44% of U.S. dog owners said they plan on making a New Year's resolution related to improving their pet's health.

1. Massachusetts — 69%
2. Nebraska — 67%
3. Washington — 64%
4. Minnesota — 59%
5. Minnesota — 59%

“The top states where people plan to make New Year’s resolutions related to improving their pet’s health aren’t too surprising when you consider that recent research indicates those same states also have some of the highest rates of pet obesity in America,” says Dr. Ernie Ward, Chief Veterinary Officer of Wild Earth and founder of the Association of Pet Obesity Prevention.

Making sure our pets are as healthy as we want them to be is hard, especially for the average dog owner who has a busy life, full-time job, and health goals of their own.

Although we love them, we don't really know that much about their needs. However, that doesn't mean we don't try our best.

The survey also revealed some interesting insights about U.S. dog owners’ New Year’s resolutions for 2020. Consider this:

• Roughly 41% of U.S. pet parents say their top-dog New Year resolution is to take their pups for more walks. The second most popular resolution is to feed their dog higher-quality treats and food.
• Some 65% of U.S. dog owners do not think they walk their dog enough each week
• Nearly 93% of dog owners think they know what it takes to keep their dog healthy, but only 50% of those know the ingredients in their dog's food and treats.
• Nationwide, 60% of dog owners said they did not know that dogs are omnivores and can thrive on a plant-based diet.
• About 20% of U.S. dog owners said they think their dog is at an unhealthy weight.
• Across the nation, 77% of all pet parents plan on including their dogs in their own fitness-related New Year's resolution activities.

"Pet owners have their pet's best interests at heart, but sometimes there's not enough information to understand what is in their pet's best interest," says Dr. Ward. "And with so much confusing and contradictory information out there about the right way to care for your pets, it's hard to know what exactly is fact and what’s fiction."

According to Dr. Ward, pet parents should feed their furry companions a diet that offers high protein, high fiber, and promotes a lean body mass for overall pet health. In 2020, Dr. Ward predicts that one of the biggest pet health trends we'll see will be plant-based and clean protein options for pet food.