Dog training: exercise and play can make a difference
Regular exercise is just as important for dogs as it is for people. Dogs that don’t get enough exercise can have more problems than obesity. Unlike people, dogs don’t do other things in their lives when they’re not exercising. When you don’t have anything to do, don’t sit and watch TV. They don’t read books or chat with friends over a cup of coffee!
When they have nothing to do, they find more interesting companies and most of them are quite destructive. These destructive activities can be anything from vandalizing furniture to chewing on shoes to ripping wallpaper off the walls.
Regular exercise can help a dog get rid of some of the physical urges to chew or break things. Exercise is also good for its human owner. The walks for the dog and the owner should not be just wandering. The walks must be energetic and determined. There needs to be a part of every walk that is devoted to investigation, where the dog is allowed to just wander and sniff and mark his territory and, if necessary, eliminate him. For this reason, it is absolutely necessary for the homeowner to carry plastic bags to collect any mess. However, the majority of the walk should be a vigorous conditioning and muscle toning walk. The dog will be at his best when he is doing an easy trot. For a large dog, this means the human must take a brisk walk to stretch his legs. For the small dog, the human owner must still walk briskly, but with shorter steps.
The length of the walk should be at least one mile per day for a large dog. Two miles is even better. For a smaller dog, under 40 pounds, half a mile or less is best. For large breed dogs under six months of age, the ideal walking distance varies depending on the age of the dog. A 12 week old pup should be able to go for a walk around a city block. This is usually around two-tenths of a mile. As the pup reaches 16-18 weeks of age, that should be about two city blocks and by the time the pup is six months old, half a mile is plenty.
The other component of the drill should be a game period. It is preferable to be off leash if possible, chasing throwable toys and playing fetch or running and playing with other dogs. The latest addition to many cities is the dog park and this is of great benefit to dog owners as it provides a safe place for this type of interaction to occur. When dogs play together, it is important that introductions be off-leash whenever possible. A dog that is leashed to its owner often tends to be more protective of its owner or jealous of another dog’s attentions. Without a leash, his reactions will be more natural and he will most likely have less of a tendency to be overprotective.
Dogs are social animals by nature and having the opportunity to meet and make other “dog friends” plus plenty of exercise and bonding with you on walks can really make all the difference for your dog and turn him or her into a destructive monster in the house . to a relaxed and suave couch companion.