How to be Active with Your Dog
Dogs usually reflect their owners, and if you are active, your dog will be too!
My oldest, Schmidt, has been in recovery lately, so he has gained a few pounds. We are working on getting him to lose a few pounds – and for me to join him on some weight loss.
I don’t always have time to bring Schmidt for a long walk. Plus, I have to bring him AND Fiona – which is pretty hard to do if I don’t have help (because Fiona is crazy).
Here are five ways to be active with your dog for a happy, longer life for both of you!
FETCH
One of Schmidt’s favorite games is fetch – so this is a no-brainer for exercise. If you even say the word stick, he perks up and looks towards to door.
If I am in my yard, I start by running the perimeter of my fence with Schmidt to warm up.
Then, I gather all of the sticks I can find. Next, I walk to the middle of my yard, and I start throwing. I make him run to one side of the yard to the other.
I don’t get a lot of exercise with this, but he gets his heart running.
Be careful with this – Schmidt will keep going even when he should stop. If you can tell your dog is over-exerting, stop them and call it a day.
WALKS/RUNS
Walking or running your dog is the easiest exercise you can do! Schmidt loves walks, and they are a great way to work on obedience with your pet.
KAYAKING
If you have a pet that is calm, kayaking might be a good option for you! Schmidt loves swimming, so he likes to swim beside me, and jump on to take breaks.
Swimming is also really good for your pet’s body – so they don’t hurt themselves as easily!
YOGA
Doing yoga with your pet is new to me, but I have seen goat yoga, etc. – so I know if it possible! I found this article, and I have been working on trying a few moves with my doggies!
RUN STAIRS
If you are short on time, and you have stairs in your house, you should run them with your dog! Whenever I had to work long nights at my townhome, Schmidt and I would run up and down the stairs to make sure he had some type of activity for the day.
If you are being lazy, you can simply throw a toy up there too. Trust me, it works!
BONUS: Get serious about your dog’s health and get an activity tracker like this one!
How do you keep your pet active?
