Are you a dog owner? If so, it’s essential that you exercise your dog on a regular basis. Exercising will help to keep your dog fit and healthy, as well as happy and energetic. Without proper exercise, your dog will have a much higher chance of becoming overweight, lazy and disobedient. Aside from being a good idea to give your dog some exercise, it’s even better to join him or her and get some exercise of your own. You should also try to make it enjoyable for you and your dog and it doesn’t have to feel like a boring routine.
Exercising Your Dog
Playing fetch is probably one of the most common exercise activities you can train your dog to do. The best way to go about teaching your dog to play fetch is to be prepared to take some time with your dog and be patient. Choose an object that won’t hurt the dog, in case it might accidentally hit him or her.
Some examples of good fetching toys are tennis balls, ropes, squeak toys, or smaller sticks. Putting a treat inside a toy is a good way to make your dog interested in them. When you start out, let the dog play with it and let him carry it in his mouth or toss it around. Then make sure you continue to play with him or her (i.e.: pet, give a treat, etc), so that it can relate to the positive attention that it is receiving from you. They should learn to run and chase after it, then learn to play with it and eventually learn to fetch it back with you.
Dog Training Is Vital
Aware, that this might be a slow process at first, so once again, be patient with your dog and don’t necessarily expect instant results. An extendable leash is a good purchase to consider, however, it will require smarter use by you, the dog owner. You should also bring water along to make sure that your dog stays properly hydrated while exercising. Treats are also a good idea, because they will help provide positive encouragement for your dog.
If your community has a dog park, that would be an excellent place for your animal to play around and exercise with other dogs. You can play fetch game with your dog and let him/her move around without the leash. Make sure you wait until your dog is about four months old before getting to the dog park though, so he or she won’t get scared or easily bullied by the other dogs.
After exercising, there should be a “cool down” phase, in which you give your dog water and allow him or her to wind down and relax. If you don’t have a problem bathing your dog, then this would be a good time to give him or her bath. If your dog isn’t a fan of baths, then give him or her shower instead. Simply spray some cool water on him or her with a hose, and then gently try to rub some shampoo on them and then spray again.
Finally, it’s also important to mention that you will need to set limitations for your dog. He or she will probably want to go along with them and play fetch longer than they should, but you may have to call it quits for the day. Your dog may be sore or tired the next day if you over exercise him or her, so just take it easy with them and don’t let them do more than their body can handle.