If you go into any house today that hosts a pet dog in it, you will probably see that dog sleeping lazily on the couch or in a patch of warm sunlight on a mat on the floor. As you enter, the dog may look up at you sleepily, sigh and then return to its peaceful slumber. You will probably notice that the dog is at least a little overweight. And no wonder. He probably sleeps most of the day and gets very little exercise.
In today’s world where both husband and wife are usually working, and with the kids involved in many activities, it is no wonder that your dog’s exercise is not often on the front burner of importance. But, if you love your pet and want him to be healthy, more of your attention should be focused in the area of exercise. Consider that if exercise is important to us and our health, is it not equally important that exercise would benefit your dog as well? Exercise would help your dog not only stay physically fit, but also could promote better mental health for him as well.
Physically, for your dog, exercise can provide many benefits including: improving his cardiovascular capacity, promote healthier blood pressure, aid in his digestion of food, tone muscles, increase bone strength and improve his overall joint mobility. Mentally, exercise can encourage a healthier state of mind and provide stress relief, while at the same time burn off calories and decrease body fat. Exercise can also lessen the risk of your dog contracting numerous diseases, such as heart attacks, diabetes, arthritis, or cancer. As you can see, great benefits can be obtained by your dog engaging in a regular exercise routine.
You will also find that exercise can help your dog be better behaved. A dog who is sedentary or bored may tend to be a ‘problem child’. Also, a bored or neglected dog may search for ways to get your attention—even destructive ways. If you engage your pet in a regular exercise program he will get rid of all the pent-up energy he may otherwise put into mischievous or unwanted behaviors, which could include such things as being aggressive, barking excessively, chewing or even breaking his house-training habits.
If you provide a regular exercise program for your dog, it can help you bond better together. The time you spend walking your pet or jogging with him, or even just taking him to doggie-day care will only help to improve your relationship with each other.
A daily exercise regime for your pet does not have to become a complicated thing. Because all movement is exercise, it is easy to incorporate some exercise into his life, even if you don’t have time to walk your dog for a mile or two everyday. Just throwing a ball across the room for him to chase while you are attending to your office paperwork can suffice. Hide a treat for him and Make him look for it. If you dog is arthritic and cannot engage in a strenuous exercise program, set aside some time for a doggie massage. Even just making your backyard more dog exercise friendly can help. Find something fun for you both to do together.
If your time is really constrained, you can always hire a service to help. There are many agencies that specialize in dog-walking. There are pet resorts or doggie day care centers. Or you may even wish to hire a neighborhood child to take your dog for a walk when you can’t do it yourself. There are many things on the market today that you can get to help you, such as a treadmill made especially for dogs. You can even think about getting a dog-door built into your house to give your dog access to his own exercise yard.
You may enjoy incorporating your own exercise program with that of your dog’s. Today there are many different types of exercise classes for you and your dog to share. A new one that is becoming very popular is doga, which is yoga for dogs. Doga provides all the calming benefits that people find with yoga, plus the stretching and movement for you and your dog.
You should not allow your dog to become a couch potato. Add an exercise program to his daily routine should be as important to you as it would be for him. If you care about your dog and his health, and you wish him to live a long and healthy life, it is essential that a proper program of exercise be included in his daily routine. After all, you want him to share in your life for a long time.
If you wish to read more articles about dogs or pets, visit the website: www.great-pet-owners.com or if you wish to find out more about dog exercise in particular, you may want to read the e-book "The GREAT Dog Exercise Book" available at: www.great-pet-owners.com/dog-exercise.html
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