Niall Kennedy

Dogs were traditionally working animals. They would have
expected to be active all day, every day. However, in these
modern days a dog's life can often be confined to indoors and
with very few physical activities.



Dogs are animals that need exercise on a regular basis; in fact
it should be daily. There are many reasons for this. For
example, it can help to control the dog's weight its appetite.
It can also help to insure good quality mental health as well.
If you do not provide for the dog's daily exercise, she will
likely find it in her own way, which may be a destructive
manner. A dog that is bored is one the can become destructive
digging up the yard and chewing on shoes. But, when you take
this energy that the dog has and apply it correctly through
various toys and exercise, great things can happen.



One game of catch a day is not enough exercise for your pet.
Quantity and quality are quite important. For example, you can
provide your pet with a daily walk. If you do so at the same
time of the day each day, the pet will begin to look forward to
it. And, take them to someplace different as often as possible.
This will help your pet to explore with his senses. It is also a
special time of bonding between you and your pet. Take your pet
to a dog park where the leash can come off and he or she can do
some socializing with other animals.



Sports for dogs?



Did you know that dog's can do sports as well? There are many
things that you can teach your dog to do that will be fun to
play and provide them with the exercise that they need. For
example, Frisbees are a great choice as is flyball and agility.
There are Frisbee competitions that your dogs can participate
in. In this case, you'll see pets flying into the air to catch
the Frisbee that an adult is throwing. You may see the dog twist
and jump at the same time. In fact, some of them are
choreographed routines that are nothing short of amazing but
they are fun and exercising for the pet.



Flyball is another choice. Here, there is team play. Four dogs
per team take turns running through a course. They may have
hurdles in them as well. When the dog completes the course, he
will trigger a box to will force a tennis ball into the air. The
dog catches it and races back through the course again. Then,
once the dog gets through, the next team mate goes. A team will
win based on time and the fewest errors.



Agility is another sport for dogs. Here, the dog is to run
through an obstacle course. The goal is to be done in the
fastest amount of time. In this sport, though, the owner will
run alongside the dog encouraging it over the hurdles and other
obstacles. The goal is for the dog to obey the owner's commands
and directions. A good doggie workout will include things like
tunnels, see-saws and a wide variety of jumps. All of these
sports allow for the exercise of the dog as well as the mental
fitness he needs as well.



Alternatives to sports?



Not sure if the sport is right for you? You can keep your dog
going by giving him toys that will help to stimulate not only
exercise but also mental challenges. For example a dog puzzle
places a treat for the dog into a hollow container that he will
have to work off to get to the treat. Through nosing it around
and rolling it, the dog gets the treat and the reward.



About the author:


Best Dog Health
Information is a resource which will help you find
infomation, hints and tips to doggie first aid kit and keeping
your dog happy and healthy. http://www.best-pet-health.info This
article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and
live links are included intact.





View all John Hocking's articles

---

About the Author:

More Dogs articles