{"id":786,"date":"2023-04-01T05:25:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-01T09:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/?p=786"},"modified":"2023-03-06T17:36:32","modified_gmt":"2023-03-06T22:36:32","slug":"6-great-ways-to-exercise-with-your-dog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/6-great-ways-to-exercise-with-your-dog\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Great Ways To Exercise With Your Dog"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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After the long, not-so-cold winter that we\u2019ve had this year, it can be tough getting motivated to get physical activity in with your pet. Unfortunately, sedentarism has become a normal lifestyle for many dogs and their owners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The month of April is focused on Canine Fitness. This month-long holiday is designed to get you and your pup outside to enjoy some exercise together. Helping your dog get enough activity is an essential component of maintaining his or her physical health. Plus, it can be a lot of fun for you, too! So here are some of our favorite outdoor activities that can make exercise fun. And we\u2019ve included a few of our favorite indoor-friendly exercises as well, just in case the weather isn\u2019t working in your favor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outdoor Activities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Change Up Your Walks.<\/strong> More than likely, you walk your dog on a regular basis already. This month let\u2019s spice things up a little! You and your pup could benefit from taking a new route. Busting the boring can be as easy as reversing your regular route or traveling a little bit further than usual and your pup will appreciate the new scents and smells.\u00a0 Keep things interesting by planning a stop during your walk to a friend\u2019s house, the park or a dog friendly restaurant. Your pet will love the opportunity to possibly get a treat. Socializing during a walk can also be a great change of pace if your pup is open to it.\u00a0 You can bring a friend and their dog along or stop and talk to people you see along your route. And one of the best ways to shake things up is to improve the bond you have with your dog while providing them some mental exercise by training during your walk.\u00a0 There are so many commands that benefit from the distractions only provided outdoors like heel, wait, watch me, stay and more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Play Fetch<\/strong>. Whether it\u2019s in an open area of your home, out in the backyard, or at the local dog park, dog and owner alike benefit from fetch play. It offers an excellent way for owners and dogs to bond and reduce their individual stressors through mindfulness and exercise. Playing fetch can even improve your dog\u2019s behavior and mood. A tired and worn-out dog is not as likely to cause mischief when no one is looking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Swimming. <\/strong>The weather is warming up, and if it\u2019s not storming,\u00a0swimming\u00a0can be a great option for you and your dog. This low-impact form of exercise is a good fit for dogs with joint issues or other health problems. Make sure to give your dog a life jacket and find a safe place to swim, such as a local dog-friendly lake or pool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indoor Activities<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Play Hide and Seek<\/strong>. Hide and seek is a great game to play with your dog. Not only is it fun for both of you, but it is great exercise and gives your pup a lot of mental stimulation! Hide and seek requires your dog to use their brain in a way that they don’t often do. They must think critically and learn to use their nose. You can read more about how to play in our Mental Stimulation<\/a> article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Create an Obstacle Course.<\/strong> Take advantage of a rainy day inside to create an obstacle course in your home. Your garage is probably full of items you could use to build the course \u2014 old tires, hula hoops, cardboard boxes, packing paper, paper towel tubes and anything else you can find. Get creative as you build some agility-based obstacles and then help your dog navigate the course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Learn A New Trick.<\/strong> Has your dog long since mastered\u00a0sit, stay, and heel? Branch out into some fun commands! Teach your dog to shake, spin, kiss, high five, sing, play dead, or any other party trick you can think of. And of course, it\u2019s never a bad idea to\u00a0reinforce the basics, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are countless other ways to stay active with your dog this spring \u2013 from agility work to tug of war and beyond. No matter which activity you choose, making a point to exercise with your dog will benefit you both. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the long, not-so-cold winter that we\u2019ve had this year, it can be tough getting motivated to get physical activity in with your pet. Unfortunately, sedentarism has become a normal lifestyle for many dogs and their owners.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After the long, not-so-cold winter that we\u2019ve had this year, it can be tough getting motivated to get physical activity in with your pet. Unfortunately, sedentarism has become a normal lifestyle for many dogs and their owners. The month of April is focused on Canine Fitness. This month-long holiday is designed to get you and… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":788,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6,18,11],"tags":[205,124,208,206,207],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/786"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=786"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/786\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":795,"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/786\/revisions\/795"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/788"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}