The benefits of exercising with your dog are numerous. The fun that you have together while working up a sweat, the healthy habits that are encouraged, and the relationship-building opportunities it presents can all help to strengthen your bond with your pooch.
While it’s true that every breed is different in terms of health concerns, many dogs are capable of participating in much higher levels of activity today than many of us would believe. Even if your dog is a senior, it is possible to help them remain healthy and active for much longer.
Of course, before you can begin exercising with your pet, you need to ensure that they are physically able to be active. This means checking their weight, joint health, breathing, cardiovascular health, and paying attention to any aches or pains that your dog may be feeling.
Once your vet gives the okay for you to begin exercising with your pooch, here are five exercises that are great for improving joint health.
1. Swimming
If you have a pool or live near a lake or beach, swimming is a great activity for both you and your dog. Swimming has a low-impact effect on joints which makes it perfect for dogs with arthritis or other joint problems, but it also gets your pup plenty of cardiovascular exercise as well. Many owners have found that their pooch takes to the water like a natural fish, so if your dog isn’t a big fan of the water, don’t be discouraged. The more time you spend with your dog in the pool, the more they’ll love it. However, if they just hate being wet, don’t worry about getting them to go into deeper waters until they’re ready. You can always wear them out by playing fetch or doing some tug-of-war in the shallow end.
2. Trick Training
Trick training, like swimming, is a great way to improve your canine’s physical and mental health. It challenges them mentally and builds their confidence as well as their strength, all of which contribute to improved joint health. When you teach your dog something new, such as how to play dead, they have to use their brain and focus on what you’re showing them. This mental stimulation actually helps to strengthen the mind-joint connection which is required for healthy joints.
3. Agility Training
Agility training combines a lot of different kinds of physical activity into one package that will improve your dog’s strength, flexibility, cardiovascular health, and overall well-being. As your dog masters the different obstacles that are part of agility training, they will have to use their mind, body, and focus in order to perform them correctly.
4. Backpacking
If you enjoy hiking or other kinds of outdoor activity but you want to take your dog with you on these trips, backpacking is a great option. There are specially designed backpacks that you can put on your dog which will help to make their load more manageable. This type of activity allows your dog to explore nature while practicing good joint health by aiding in endurance, balance, coordination, range of motion, and flexibility.
5. Swiffer Dogs
There are actually people who have turned their dogs into walking mops that they use to clean their floors! This basically entails using your dog’s natural instincts in order to get them to walk back and forth on a Swiffer pad or similar device which you’ve put down on the floor. The idea is that your pup will leave behind any dirt and debris that they pick up, leaving your floors sparkling and clean.
If you’d like to do more than just one of these activities for joint health, consider mixing and matching them according to what works best for you and your dog. Most dogs absolutely love playing fetch, so combining trick training with throwing a ball around or doing some trading between routines is a great way to get your pup excited about working out.
