Exercising my dog
The snow is finally gone and now my dog and I can get out and walk without fear of injury or falling into deep snow holes. It is actually quite warm and all kinds of people are out walking. If you haven’t been exercising your dog much throughout the winter, it is a good idea to start your exercise program slowly. Perhaps you might start by walking your dog around the block. Each week you should increase the length of the walk. If your are a jogger, you might want to take your dog along. Again, start slowly and then gradually increase their stamina. You should be walking your dog 20-60 minutes per day at least 5 days per week. Daily is better and more often is also better.
Swimming is another great way to get your dog some exercise. With swimming there is far less stress on their joints. My dog loves to swim out for a tennis ball. I use a tennis racket so I can get the ball out farther. If he doesn’t see where the ball lands in the water, then I throw out another one as he is able to grab two balls at once. Sonny could go after balls forever it seems. I am the one who gets tired of throwing the ball. My other dog who was older, had deteriorating sight, so I just threw the ball about 10-15 feet out so that he could still see the ball. All of my dogs loved to swim. If your dog doesn’t retrieve, like my brother’s dog, they can still get exercise in the water with you playing with them. His dog just likes running in the water.
It is really great if you can take your dog for a walk where they can be off leash. Perhaps you have a bush nearby with paths in it or there are pet parks that allow dogs to be off leash. I am fortunate to have some bush at the end of my street, so as soon as I hit the bush, Sonny can be off leash. He can explore and ends up getting 3-4 times the walk that I do. I also take my tennis racket with me and bat the ball for him. Today, I had to stop batting the ball as he was breathing so hard. If was up to him he would have kept going.
Exercise helps build their muscles and keeps them healthy. It is actually a great way of giving your dog attention and is a great substitute for food, especially if the dog is overweight.
