5 Convenient, Practical Ways to Exercise Your Dog
Today’s article is from a guest blogger Hannah Croscutt, enjoy!
Exercise is an important part of your dog’s overall wellness and is also an important part of your dog’s training. I’m a firm believer that a tired dog is a good (and happy) dog, and sometimes, with busy life and work schedules, achieving “tired dog” status is easier said than done. Here are five ways to help get you and your dog on your way to “tired dog” status:
- Running or walking. Take your dog on run or walking endeavors with you. With the summer heat being a dangerous factor in exercising during the middle of the day, I recommend taking your dog on either of these activities early in the morning (before your day begins) or late in the day when it’s much cooler. Studies show that people who exercise in the morning also experience a vast number of personal benefits, aside from having better behaved dogs. Way I see it, it’s a win-win!
- Fetch. If you have a dog that likes to play fetch, whether for a tennis ball or a stick, then you’re in luck. If you can’t make it for a walk or can’t physically walk, sitting on your back porch, playing a long game of fetch may be a good option for you and your dog.
- Hide and go seek. On days where I take a break from running or don’t feel like taking my dog for a walk, I take a high value treat, go hide somewhere in my apartment and call my dog to me. If you have a house with many rooms, this will be super fun. Start out simple, like somewhere fairly close to your dog (almost directly in front of them if you need to), to help them get an idea of what it is you’re doing, and get more complex as you go on. We play this game all the time, and if your dog is learning to come when called, this will help strengthen your bond in that command.
- Good ole fashioned training. If all else fails, your dog would benefit from some mental stimulation in the form of training. Teach your dog something new. Even if it’s 15 minutes a day, you and your dog will benefit from consistently practicing daily.
- Playing with another dog. Dogs can get rid of excess energy by playing with each other and taking your dog to the dog park can definitely help with this, especially if your dog is an only child. Just be conscious of how your dog reacts with other dogs to ensure the safety of your dog and other dogs. If you don’t have time to take your dog to the dog park, take them to doggy daycare. You’ll pick up your dog at the end of the day “dog tired,” and in my experience, that’s not a bad thing!
If you have a way that you particularly enjoy exercising with your dog, please leave it in the comments below!
About the author: Hannah Croscutt is a dog lover from Atlanta, Ga. She enjoys learning all about dogs from her furry buddy, Piper. She blogs at http://thefurryteacher.wordpress.com.
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Brain Training For Your Dog
Wayne Booth created this blog site to give you information on dog training, behavior and health. This blog was started for his dog training clients and has grown to a blog for dog owners and trainers all over the world.