9 Ways to Get Your Dog More Exercise.

 

Fitness is as important to animals as it is to humans in light of health. Exercising sessions not only help us to bond with our pets but also aid in keeping them in shape. Considering our pets are dear to us, it is, therefore, essential to ensure that they exercise for well being. With that said, you could be wondering, what are the best exercises for my pup? For how long should my dog exercise? Well, no worries as we’ll be looking into these questions, covering the recommended activities for dog exercise, the length of sessions, and the appropriate exercise activities for each dog age bracket.

9 Activities to Engage Your Dog in Exercising

Given the playful nature of dogs, the best way to help them exercise is by engaging them in games. The engaging and rigorous nature of most pet games helps them to work out and stay in shape. Following are nine great ways you can help you pup exercise:

Hire a Trusted Dog Walker

If you are often engaged at your workplace and do not have time to take your dog for a walk personally, you can opt to hire a trusted pup walker who’ll help you at it. Several short walks are ideal for puppies, while a few long walks are great for both adult and senior dogs. As a security measure, it is good to restrain dogs using a leash during walks more so in busy environments as it is easier to restrain their movement. However, this might not be necessary for open settings such as parks.  

Play Games in the Dog Park

Whenever you have the time, taking your pup to the dog park is a great idea for exercising and hanging out together. You can take a walk with your pup in the dog park, play a few games such as fetch or even do some racing. Getting out of the home settings goes a long way in lightening up a dog’s mood, given the change in environment.

Visit the Dogie Daycare

There are days where you are tightly engaged in errands and are short of time. It is during such days that leaving your pup in a dogie daycare is a viable option. You don’t want to leave your pet all alone at home the entire day without her having any engaging activity. In a pup daycare, there are several activities specifically designed to help dogs keep fit besides being taken good care of by trained and trusted personnel.

Play Games With a Flirt Pole

Using a flirt pole to exercise your pup is an activity that subjects them to rigorous physical activity, which works great in helping them keep fit. Playing with a flirt pole is not space intensive, and is a great game for individuals who do not have large open spaces. Also, the safety concerns associated are not that intensive, and therefore you can be confident of your pup’s safety when playing.

Get Your Pup an Interactive Toy

There are numerous interactive toys on the market, custom-designed to keep dogs active, especially when you are not around. Dogs play with interactive toys, and in so doing, they engage in physical activity that translates to exercising. It is a great option when you have errands to do as you don’t need to take part in the game. It is a good exercising activity more so for indoor settings and is ideal for puppies, adults, and senior dogs.

Go Bikejoring With Your Dog

Bikejoring is considered by many as the dry land sled racing and is a fun activity that enables you to exercise your dog as well as have a good time to interact. The activity entails a pup running ahead of a cyclist while attached to a towline. The rigorousness of this outdoor play makes it a good option for engaging your pup in exercising. However, it is essential to exercise precautions whenever bikejoring considering the possibility of accidents occurring. For instance, avoid bikejoring on busy streets, uneven terrain, and in areas where there are dense obstacles. Also, ensure that you wear the proper safety gear for protection in the event of an accident.

Play Fetch With Your Pup

Dogs are playful animals, and every opportunity to play is an opportunity to exercise. Ball fetching is a fun and engaging activity that presents an opportunity for you to bond with your pet and exercise. It is among the safest exercising options great for dogs of all age brackets. You can play fetch on your lawn, backyard, or at the park. Also, it is an affordable option considering all you need is a ball suitable for the activity or any other similar toy.

Play Fling the Frisbee

Flinging the Frisbee is somewhat similar to playing fetch in terms of the concept. The difference, in this case, is that you use a Frisbee in place of a ball or any similar toy. It is an engaging game good for exercising your dog as your pup runs up and down, catching the Frisbee and bringing it back to you. The game increases the body activity, and therefore it ultimately helps your pup stay in shape.

Take Your Canine Pal Swimming

Swimming is a rigorous activity that largely promotes fitness for both humans and pups. If you are into water activities, this is a cool exercising activity for you and your pup. Howeverit is important to take precautions as appropriate gear is essential, more so for your pup. If your pet buddy is not very good at swimming, they might not be in very good shape to swim for long, and might become fatigued in water. For this reason, you should consider getting a pup life jacket to ensure the safety of your pet.

The Bottom Line

Dogs, being the closest and most loyal human companions, are playful pets that require frequent enjoyments to keep fit. Similarly to humans, pups that are not physically fit are susceptible to health problems and are often dull and unhappy. The best way to ensure that your pup exercises is through playing. Playing not only lightens up their mood but also allows them to exercise and stay in shape. Another advantage is that you also get to interact and bond with your canine buddy.