Blog 6 Creative Ways To Keep Your Dog Active
Hey dog lovers! If you haven’t realized the importance of exercise for your dog, it’s time to hop on the bandwagon. Dogs are like humans – if they can’t get out to walk around, stretch and get some fresh air a few times a day, they tend to get restless, cranky or depressed. You’ll notice a huge difference in your pup’s moods if you start working a little regular exercise into their daily routine. Here are a few good ways to make sure your pooch is getting all the exercise he or she needs!
Dog Daycare
Taking your dog to doggie daycare is an excellent way to get them physical as well as mental stimulation. The constant activity, movement and interaction with other dogs gives them a great daily dose of fun physical activity. The best dog daycare facilities have large play areas with interactive ramps, bridges or other structures which give your dog an additional outlet for play and fun. In addition, a facility that offers both indoor and outdoor play areas or play time is essential. Off leash play is always best, just going on periodic walks in a daycare environment is not enough activity to burn those calories and ensure maximum fun so look for a facility that has a large yard or open space for indoor and outdoor activities.
Daily Walks
You’re already taking Fido out for a potty break a few times a day why not put on your jogging shoes and turn these times into exercise for you both? Instead of just walking to the corner and back, take your dog for a few loops around the block. Better yet, walk him or her somewhere new every day. There must be areas of your town or city that you haven’t explored yet what a great excuse to go on an adventure. If it’s cold out, be sure to dress warm and get a sense of whether or not your dog could use a jacket they can get chilly too. If you feel up to it, you can even alternate jogging and walking alongside your dog this will give them the impression they’re running free, which all dogs love to do.
Dog Parks
On top of daily walks and dog daycare, the local dog park is always a fun and social event for your dog. Most parks are fenced in and give dogs enough room to roam freely. They’ll love the opportunity to socialize with others pups.
Aqua Parks
Pools and aqua fun is the latest trend in dog daycare, fun and fitness. Top rated dog daycare and wellness centers offer pools for both fun and aqua exercise and even therapy. Old dogs, young dogs and every age in between will enjoy a cool dip or romp in the pool. Just like in human, aqua exercise uses many muscle groups, burns calories and offers a different and fun method of exercise.
Tricks
Teaching your dog tricks in your own house or backyard can be great exercise for them! If you have a dog breed that’s well-equipped to learn tricks, like a poodle, you can teach them to jump through hoops, shake hands, fetch or any number of tricks that requires them to physically exert themselves in some way. Just make sure that the amount of treats they get doesn’t overshadow the amount of work they’re doing or the exercise portion or these activities won’t be doing its job!
Toys at Home
Whether your dog is good at learning tricks or not, you can always get them to romp and play at home with just a few dog toys. Or get a soft indoor ball that you can toss across the floor and have them chase or retrieve. While you don’t want them tearing through the house and knocking things over, you can still play games at home that will get their heart rate up and also offer fun bonding time for the two of you.
Remember, ideally you want your dog to have at least 45 – 60 minutes of play and exercise per day and more if your dog is under the age of 5. Be sure to check with your vet to make sure your dog is at the appropriate weight and doesn’t have any health problems that need to be addressed. In certain cases, vets will recommend a little more or a little less exercise for pups depending on their individual needs. Help your pooch to be the happiest and healthiest he or she can possibly be!
Very Important Paws offers hours of play in our daycare, we separate our guests by size and temperament with 4 separate play areas- Puppies, Small, Medium and Large. Each area has tunnel, ramp and stairs play equipment along with fresh filtered water, and an attendant supervising play. Our dog guests go out to our double fenced backyard area every 2 hours throughout the day ensuring they get plenty of fresh air and stimulation. A tired dog is a healthy and well behaved dog!