How Often Do You Exercise Your Dog?

There are many facets to being a good, responsible dog owner. They need to be fed properly, given plenty of water to keep them healthy and hydrated, kept clean, loved, played with, trained, and one of the most important, they need to be exercised.

Your dog needs regular exercise in order to stay fit and healthy. The last thing you need is for your dog to become sedentary and overweight.

Many pet owners automatically think of exercising and dog walking synonymously. And although walking is good, it can get monotonous for both you and your “best friend” if you constantly take the same route.

There are other activities that you can do with your dog in addition to walking that will add a little variety and make exercising more fun and interesting.

Try these exercises with your dog:

• Run with your dog. Yes, it’s a similar exercise to walking, but with an accelerated pace…it’s another dimension. A word of caution, avoid running during hot weather to protect your dog from dehydration.  Early mornings or early evenings are often the best time for a run. Also, if your dog is not used to running, take it slow at first and get him in shape for the exercise.
• Play fetch. Most dogs love to fetch, and it’s a great way to get the blood pumping for a good workout. Don’t limit yourself to throwing a ball, teach your dog to go after and catch a Frisbee.
• Do Yoga with your dog. Believe it or not, there is such a thing as yoga for dogs, it’s called “Doga”, and there are training DVDs available along with other training classes.
• Teach your dog new tricks. Teaching your dog new tricks like “take a bow”, or giving “high fives” may not seem like physical exercise, but it will definitely exercise your dog’s brain.
• Have play dates for your dog. Get your dog together with other dogs he might be acquainted with and let them have a good play. They’ll not only get their exercise, but they’ll have a good time while doing it.
• Use the stairs. if the weather outside prevents outdoor activities, use some built-ins in your home…you can play fetch by standing at the top of the stairs and toss a dog toy or ball for your dog to retrieve.
• Use a laser pointer. Shine the laser light on the floor and move it back and forth. Your dog will be intrigued and have fun following it. Be careful that only responsible people use the laser light to make sure it doesn’t get shined directly into you dog’s eyes.
• Take your dog swimming. You can swim with your dog or let them swim on their own while you play fetch with a water toy with them. Most dogs love being in the water, so it’s a natural way for them to get great exercise.

Enjoy this video of some of the dogs at BowWow Fun Towne having a great swim.

Whatever way or ways you choose…get your dog moving.

BowWow Fun Towne is a dog daycare that takes the health and well-being of your dog seriously. We provide all types of exercise from playing with friends to swimming. We are experts at what we do and are dedicated to assisting you and providing the best care for your dog while you’re away.

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