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A walk is a great way to exercise your dog, but there are times when you cannot get out or are even allowed for the long, traditional walks you and your pup are used to having.
Raising a dog means committing to giving it the best life possible. It includes making sure your pet stays fit as you prioritize its health.
One of the best ways to strengthen and improve the dog-owner bond is to go for a walk or run. Dog exercise runs just about physical activity because you invest time in bonding with one another.
Walking your dog can be the highlight of your pet’s day. A dog workout provides the chance to use up some of your dog’s seemingly boundless energy and enthusiasm, and together you can explore the outside world.
But what if it rains? Or you got injured?
Whether it is because of quarantine, a hectic schedule at work, or recovering from an illness, you can still do plenty of other things to keep your dog active.
Indoor exercise for dogs can’t replace a walk, but these ways will encourage movement and stimulation when a long walk is impossible, including the five dog exercise ideas below.
Exercise Your Dog
Dogs are our pride and joy as they provide us with love. But they also require a lot of exercise, which can be hard when you’re busy, your pet is injured, or due to bad weather.
That’s why it’s essential to find creative ways to keep your dog active and entertained.
Regular exercise is essential to stay fit and healthy, and dogs are no exception to this. Unlike most other pets, dogs like to be with their owner in visiting new places and exploring their natural surroundings.
Have you ever wondered why our dogs get so excited when it’s time to walk? It is because the time to go out and explore is the highlight of their day.
Walking your dog will help your dog build trust and confidence in you and your environment.
No matter the size, every dog needs regular exercise. Whether your dog is a puppy or grown-up, the breed can also influence the duration of exercise.
It does not just benefit your pet; it can benefit you too.
Dogs not only need to exercise to keep their weight in check, but those who do not get enough exercise end up misbehaving. A bored dog will more likely show behavioral issues, such as becoming destructive or excessing barking.
Even a short game can improve your dog’s mental and physical well-being.
So, how do you tire out a dog without walking?
Exercise Your Dog Indoors
Walking is an ideal exercise for humans and dogs. It is crucial for your dog’s fitness routine.
Touring the great outdoors while doing daily walks is essential for a dog’s well-being. It provides mental and physical stimulation that indoor activities can’t match.
However, dog exercise at home can help if you can’t get outside. Sometimes a long walk is not possible, whether due to extreme hot or cold weather that makes walking unsafe.
So, how do you exercise your dog when you can't walk?
There are ways to entertain a dog indoors. Knowing how to tire out a dog at home and what games to play at home can be crucial to keeping your pet fit and happy.
The experience needs to be enjoyable and interesting for your dog. Be determined and patient in helping your dog stay active.
Dog sports and group activities can burn excess energy and give your dog a proper workout.
Choose what works best for you and your pup.
Best Ways to Exercise Your Dog Physically
What can I do with my dog instead of walking?
A fine exhausting indoor dog exercise can be done as an essential everyday routine for fur parents who want to prevent such health issues as dog sadness, fatness, loss of muscle mass, heart ailments, and many others.
So, how to exercise your dog?
Take the Stairs
If your pet does not have joint problems, you can use the stairs or a long hallway to exercise your pet by walking him up and down.
Marching up and down the stairs is a source of indoor exercise for dogs. You can walk or run up and down together for a dual workout. Empty the stairs and the surrounding area beforehand to make sure there are no tripping or slipping hazards.
Also, be cautious that your dog does not get under your feet to prevent injury.
Play Fetch
Having a fetch race will be a perfect way to move around and have fun.
Dogs are playful by nature.
You can easily play a good old-fashioned game of fetch. You can easily play a good old-fashioned game of fetch for dogs to burn off energy.
Use your living room or any uncluttered space to roll or toss your dog’s toy.
Get your workout by racing him to get the toy first. You will both be panting within minutes.
Sort out toys designed for fetch — things that are easy to throw and would not hurt your dog when he catches it.
You may also use toys that dispense food as they play with it. It will keep them occupied and active.
These playthings are created to be long-lasting and cope with the forcefully chewing of most dogs. Also, playing with the toy will help to keep your dog active.
Grab your dog’s favorite ball and toss it away. Most dogs love to run around and after the ball. If your dog brings it back to you, this may be the best activity for you both.
Walk on The Treadmill
How do I exercise my dog?
One piece of equipment to keep your dog entertained is a treadmill. Setting up a treadmill should not replace outdoor walks – as dogs prefer to be outside to relieve themselves.
Stay with your dog while he walks to help avoid injuries. This training takes time and needs to be introduced gradually.
Best to begin introducing the equipment to your dog and make it positive. Start at the slowest speed, gradually turning up the speed to increase the pace.
Best Ways to Exercise Your Dog Mentally
Don’t forget that brain games are as important as physical workouts for a dog. These activities can do wonders for your dog’s mental stability.
Your dog needs to be prepared for brain activities by giving them ample rest before and keeping them hydrated.
How do you mentally tire a dog?
All dogs love and excel in search games. Mental exercises for dogs are a great way to keep them entertained and occupied until you can take them out for their usual walks.
Scent games are a fantastic way of motivating your dog with tasty food to boost your dog’s mood. Most breeds use their noses and, others favor their eyesight, but with practice, any dog will enjoy search games.
Dogs take great pleasure in learning as they go through challenging, fun, and tiring training, especially if being rewarded. It is a great way of developing their response and growing a bond between you both.
Hide and Seek
Not only does this game work perfectly on rainy days, but hide-and-seek is a game for dogs of all ages as it heightens their sense of smell in a fun and rewarding manner.
First, choose a safe place to hide. You might want to make sure that your dog is not too far away when you start hiding.
Once you have hidden, give your dog the cue. Your dog will learn the command “Go” to start looking for you.
It is going to be hugs and kisses once he finds you hiding from him. Make sure to praise him enthusiastically. With a little practice by eventually increasing the difficulty of the game, your dog will be a master of hide-and-seek in no time.
This kind of game will make him happy to his bones.
Treasure Hunting for Treats
Dogs should be given food that boosts their psychological state. You can do bowl feeding, but you could creatively deliver the food.
An activity that is based on food will encourage your dog to use his sense of smell. Gather treats and chews, then hide them in different spots around the house to exercise their nose abilities.
Scent work is very important for both exercise and intellectual nourishment. Your dog will have lots of fun looking around striving to find them all.
At first, make the hiding places simple until your dog gets the idea. As he gets better at it, you can make the game more exciting and difficult.
Exercise Your Dog’s Behavior
The above-mentioned ways to exercise your dog are ideas that could work for you and your pooch. Aside from knowing how to exercise your dog indoors, you could also work on the behaviors you’ve always wanted to reinforce.
When it is too hot to be outside, it would be an opportunity to work on training behaviors like coming when called or staying for a minute or two.
Exercising obedience commands teaches your dog to be well-behaved.
Learn new tricks!
You could do tricks you’ve always wanted to teach like rollover or play dead. By working on your obedience tricks, such as sit, drop it, get ready, or go find it before you give your dog a treat, you are associating certain words and phrases with behaviors to help cement the trick in their mind that remind him of a reward.
It is not only an enjoyable way to keep them amused, but it also provides them with much-needed movement. Dog exercise ideas such as teaching your dog tricks can help forge a stronger bond between you.
Your dog is not home all by himself, so you might as well take a few minutes to train if you can’t be outside.
FAQs on How to Exercise Your Dog
How much exercise does a dog need daily?
At least 20 minutes is the recommended amount of daily exercise for dogs, although certain dogs need more. It may vary significantly depending on their breed, age, and health condition.
Best to consult your veterinarian first.
How crucial is an exercise to a dog's development?
Dogs need day-to-day exercise to stay happy.
Exercise Your Dog Final Thoughts
While walking your dog is the classic form of exercise for dogs, other dog exercises with owners include running up and down the stairs and walking on a treadmill to keep your dog in shape.
These ways to exercise your dog are interactive, which means your dog will be burning off a few extra calories correcting its weight. The muscles supporting them will get stronger at the same time.
Dog exercise at home allows them to build social skills while also developing training practices like catching, running back and forth, and staying within an enclosed area.
Also, a game of fetch is a fun and interactive way to keep your dog’s joints active. Some dogs are natural when fetching, but some will need a bit of practice.
Mental exercises for dogs such as treasure hunting and hide-and-seek are ways to keep your dog active and entertained. They are fun and mentally healthy for dogs.
This dog workout exercises their brain much more than their muscles and keeps them focused on a task.
It can decrease their anxiety, making them feel happy and less likely to engage in self-destructive behaviors such as excessive licking, chewing, digging, and other anxiety-related behaviors.
In treasure hunting, keep it fun and encourage your dog by praising him every time he finds a treat.
That will teach your dog to start relying on their natural sniffing abilities to find the treats, rather than just depending on visuals.
On the other hand, playing hide and seek is a fun game that lets your dog use some of its natural scent tracking abilities in a mentally stimulating way.
Congratulations, you are now ready to tire out your dog in the comfort of your home!
