4 Fun Ways To Exercise With Your Dog

Just like us humans, our canine friends require regular exercise to live a healthy, fulfilling life. Exercise helps to ward off various health problems such as obesity. Obesity is the most common disease dogs suffer from that's preventable, with 25 to 30% of the general canine population being obese. Hence, as a dog owner, it's your responsibility to exercise with your dog to develop your pet pup's daily exercise routine and make sure it sticks to said routine. Here are some fun ways to exercise with your dog.

Frisbee

There's nothing more fun to do with your furry companion than a classic game of frisbee. Compared to fetch, frisbee is more effective in helping you achieve your fitness goals for your dog. This is because frisbees are typically able to be thrown further than balls and other toys used in fetch, incentivizing your dog to run further and work out harder. Just remember that soft disc or rubber frisbees are recommended when playing frisbee with a dog, because of their lighter and softer composition. This construction makes the frisbee easier to grab for both you and the dog, and safer. Safer frisbee games mean a lower risk of injury when playing, which is important because getting hurt can put a damper on playtime.   

Tug-of-war

Playing tug-of-war is a great idea for training both your dog's body and mind. It's a relatively simple game to play with your dog, while also providing tons of educational value as to how you can use it to teach your dog proper manners. Use it to train your dog's impulse control by implementing rules such as pausing the game when it bites your hand. Hence, this makes tug-of-war a great game for any dog owner teaching their canine friend bite inhibition.

Walking Your Dog

Don't forget about your regular walk with the dog! It's always a plus for a dog owner to master dog walking. For many dogs, they relish in this short adventure outdoors, making it the highlight of many a dog's day. Hence, it's always nice to take a step outside whenever you can. If the usual dog-walking routine starts to get mundane, you can always switch it up by bringing your dog to a new place, which is sure to get your canine friend as excited as you are.

Swimming

Swimming is a form of exercise that your dog should give a try if it hasn't. While not all dogs are going to love being in the water, it's worth a try due to all the benefits lying ahead for canine swimmers. It's a low-impact, fun workout that even dogs with mobility issues such as arthritis can manageably engage in safely. Furthermore, it helps your pet dog boost its range of motion and muscle mass. Look out for canine-friendly swimming areas that you can bring your dog to, such as:

• Hydrotherapy centers
• Pools
• Beaches
• Dog parks with water features installed

Your canine companion is sure to appreciate new treats after a workout session in response to a job well done. Celebrate your dog's milestones in its fitness journey by treating them to a new reward from HUND Denmark’s doggy products catalog!