Animal lovers who have dogs know that deep bonds form between the pets and significant people in the pets’ lives. Members of families with pets come to love and trust their people to provide them with food, water and shelter, but animal care covers much more than the basics of survival. Dogs feel the love their owners have for them, and canines also have emotional needs that demand attention daily.
Furthermore, dogs also require mental and physical stimulation to keep them happy and living an exuberant life. You can often meet both of these needs simultaneously by working out with your dog. Spending time with your canine while exercising not only makes your dog exceptionally happy but can also offer you health benefits. Many pet owners find that three tips help them to maximize their dogs’ positive experiences through exercising together.
1. Select Appropriate Exercise for Your Dog
While people can choose fitness routines like a high volume workout or other types of exercise systems that focus on significant areas of the body, the exercise people select for their dogs must suit the pet and the purpose of the experience. For instance, keeping family dogs mentally healthy remains a top priority for all dog owners. However, this aspect of dog care is essential for those who own a canine member of one of the working dog breeds. Unfortunately, dogs bred to perform specific helpful jobs, such as herding farm animals or guarding other animals or people, will usually not change their temperaments or instinctive inclinations. This situation might lead to the chagrin of their owners because many years later, people have them living in homes and cities instead of their natural environments. For instance, dogs seem to act out in inappropriate ways in current situations but instead, you observe them falling back on exhibiting instinctive patterns.
To enable all dogs to flourish in contemporary settings, they all require training in basic obedience commands to enhance their mental health and routine exercise schedules to keep them fit and happy. Working dogs thrive when they have regular long walks or jogs with the people they love. This exercise allows them to burn off excess energy in a healthy way while also providing a good excuse for their owners to get out and improve their cardiovascular health.
2. Incorporate Play Into Your Dogs’ Routines
Dogs love to have fun, and play provides the perfect opportunity to give you and your pet exercise while having a great time together. For example, some dogs enjoy catching balls, while others might excel at tugging matches with play toys. Furthermore, dogs with a powerful play drive can benefit from training that incorporates play as a reward for good behavior. Also, consider adding playdates for your pet and other convivial canine friends for another way to make your dog happy through exercise.
3. Socialize Your Dog Gently Through Exercise
Socialization remains an important skill to teach your dog. Dogs need to learn to get along with other canines, and introducing your pet to others in small doses and early in their lives will help your pup become comfortable and more confident around other gentle dogs. To encourage socialization, you can take dogs for walks in parks where they can see other pets during exercise. As your dog gets more relaxed with this behavior, check with other pet owners first to ensure everyone has amicable tendencies and up-to-date vaccinations to avoid spreading germs. Then, allow the dogs to sniff noses while on leashes and with owners ready to step in as needed. If owners stay relaxed, the dogs will usually feel that favorable energy and know they can also get along well.
Dogs prosper with love, good food and appropriate care. Moreover, exercise is a cornerstone for keeping dogs physically and mentally fit and happy, and you can meet these needs when exercising with your dogs.
Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/photos/w0-Yf5Zss6U
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