Simple and Fun Ways to Exercise Your Dog.

Dogs require both mental and physical exercise every day.

In the wild, dogs get both types of exercise while hunting for food. When dogs first joined with humans and became our companions, they also got a full day of exercise. Those dogs helped us hunt, herd, pull, protect, and a wide range of other tasks.

The modern pet dog however, is often fed all his food from large silver bowls, and spends his days at home, alone, with not much to keep them occupied.

When dogs do not receive proper dog exercise, they get frustrated and devise ways to entertain and challenge themselves.

This is when they become destructive and chew up our houses and belongings.

They may also decide to escape and go find adventure elsewhere. Some dog owners may lock their dogs up in a room or a crate to prevent these destructive and/or dangerous behaviors. However, that only suppresses the symptoms. The underlying issue of insufficient dog exercise and activity still remains.

Dogs that are locked up in this way usually get so frustrated that they develop dog behavioral issues including non-stop barking, separation anxiety, and dog aggression.

To prevent destructive and aggressive dog behaviors, it is important to exercise your dog well, every day.

Here are some fun ways to exercise your dog both mentally and physically.

Dog Exercise - Dogs require both mental and physical exercise every day.

Dog Exercise Activity 1

Dog Exercise Activity 1 - Walk with your dog.

Dog Exercise - Walking in a nearby park can also be a fun way to exercise your dog.

Walk with your dog.

Walk with your dog at least once every day for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Two walks a day is even better. Do it once in the morning before you leave for work, and once in the evening when you get home.

Leash train your dog so that he does not pull or bite on the leash while walking. This will help make neighborhood dog walks a pleasant and happy experience for everyone.

Walking in a nearby park can also be a fun way to exercise your dog. Make sure to pick a park that is appropriate for your dog’s temperament. If your dog is aggressive towards other dogs, then only bring him to parks that have fewer dogs. My Shiba Inu is reactive to other dogs so I visit the park earlier in the morning when it is less densely populated.

Most parks have a mix of on-leash and off-leash areas. Frequently the high-traffic areas are all on-leash, while the side trails are off-leash. Make sure to follow the leash rules even if your dog is not aggressive. There may be other on-leash aggressive dogs around that may get into a fight with your dog if he invades their space.

For the safety of everyone involved, follow the leash rules in the park, and have your dog close to you at all times. In this way, you can easily call him back if you should meet up with an on-leash dog.

Walk your dog on a treadmill.

An alternative to walking your dog around the neighborhood is to put him on a treadmill. This method saves you the time and effort of going out with your dog, and helps you stay warm and dry during inclement weather.

Treadmills are not a new way to exercise your dog. They have become more popular lately because they are often used by Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer as a form of dog exercise.

However, treadmills have long been used in dog fighting operations. Treadmills are effective because they keep the fighting dogs in shape, using the least amount of time and effort. Fighting dogs are kept in cages or kennels the majority of the time, and only brought out for treadmill exercise, fights, and breeding. Since these dogs are not companion dogs, quality of life, bond building, and shared activity are less important.

However, the dog walking experience is a great way to build a strong bond with your dog. During walks, dogs also get to explore the environment, smell social markers (urine) left by other dogs, and get comfortable with new objects and people around them. Exploration in all these ways provides invaluable mental stimulation for your dog, which treadmill exercise never will.

My dogs love to smell and explore. They especially love going to the park because there are many new dogs that go there all the time, so there are always a lot of interesting smells.

Walking your dog on a treadmill is not a replacement for neighborhood walks. Always supervise your dog carefully when he is on a treadmill, and make sure not to over-exercise him, especially during hot weather. The treadmill may be used occasionally, to supplement neighborhood walks, but do not miss the chance to share the most pleasant of experiences, of walking in the neighborhood with your dog.

Dog Exercise - Walking your dog on a treadmill is not a replacement for neighborhood walks.

Dog Exercise Activity 2

Dog Exercise Activity 2 - Teach your dog something new.

Teach your dog something new.

Learning new commands and new tricks is a fun way to exercise your dog both physically and mentally. It can also be a lot of fun for you.

All healthy dogs are capable of learning new tricks, even the older ones. Continue teaching your dog new tricks throughout his life. This will keep him sharp, and help keep you sharp as well.

Dog obedience training is best achieved through reward methods. Through the use of rewards, you can encourage a happy dog that is more willing to work.

Through reward dog training you can also build a stronger bond with your dog that is based on cooperation and trust rather than fear and dominance.

Dog Exercise Activity 3

Give your dog a job.

Dogs need something to do. They are happiest when they get to engage in activities that they were bred for.

I have a Shiba Inu and a Siberian Husky. The Shiba Inu is a hunting dog. They are used to track and flush out smaller prey from bushes.

My Shiba Inu is happiest when he gets to exercise his hunting instinct through chasing games such as the flirt pole and the water hose game.

Note that the laser dot game has similar chase properties, but it can cause the dog to develop behavioral issues. This is because the laser dot is not something tangible that the dog can ever ‘catch’.

Siberian Huskies can hunt and they can also work. They are bred to pull people and goods through heavy snow. They are also good hunters because their original breeders, the Chukchi, would let their Siberian Huskies free in the summer to hunt for food on their own.

Dog Exercise - Shiba Inu Sephy flushing out prey.

A popular Siberian Husky sport is dog sledding. Indeed this is what Siberians are bred to do. One or more dogs are attached to a sled, and they pull it across snow and ice. Some people even compete in dog sled racing.

The Iditarod is probably the most famous dog sled racing competition. However, it has come under some amount of criticism from animal rights groups because some dogs have died or have been injured during the race.

Some owners of Siberian Huskies take up dog skijoring. This is also a winter sport where a person on skis is pulled by one or multiple dogs.

If snow is not available, you can consider doing dog carting. Instead of attaching a sled to your dog, you attach a cart.

There are a variety of other dog sports including dog agility, flyball, lure coursing, and many more. In any dog sport, it is important to use the proper equipment, to train your dog on what he is supposed to do, and to always keep him safe.

Do not push your dog too far, too fast, and always put his health and welfare first.

I do not do any of these activities with my Siberian Husky because she is a three legged dog, and pulling heavy loads would put added stress on her feet and leg joints. However, she has the job of keeping my backyard free of pests.

She is very good at keeping away voles and snakes.

She also likes playing chase games and relishes in chasing after the squirrels that live nearby. Sometimes, she helps to re-landscape my backyard. She is allowed to dig in a designated hill area in the backyard, and sometimes, I will bury some food toys for her to dig up.

Dog play is very important for helping your dog stay happy and balanced. Set aside some time every day and engage your dog in activities that he enjoys and has been bred to do.

Dog Exercise - Engage your dog in activities that he enjoys and has been bred to do.

Dog Exercise Activity 4

Dog Exercise Activity 4 - Find your dog some canine companions.

Find your dog some canine companions.

No matter how hard we try, we will never be able to play like another dog. Dogs have thick skins, large teeth, and are extremely agile. They also have good control of where they place their mouth and how hard they bite.

Both my dogs love wrestling with each other, playing chase, and playing tug.

I do not rough-play with my Shiba Inu, because he is a highly excitable dog, and the few times that I played Tug-of-War with him, he started leash biting during walks. He also started acting rough with humans.

This can be dangerous, especially with children and seniors.

Now I institute a no rough-play rule with all humans. However, he still gets to fulfill his needs for wrestling and rough play with other dogs.

If you only have a single dog, consider taking him to dog daycare so that he gets to play and socialize with other dogs. This will expose your dog to a variety of new dogs in a supervised environment, and help him become a confident and balanced adult dog that is less likely to get aggressive with other dogs.

An enclosed dog park is another option but there are many risks associated with it.

Dog Exercise - Shiba Inu Sephy and Siberian Husky Shania resting together after a fun dog exercise/dog play session.

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