Dogs Information & Resources | Dog Breeds | Dog Adoption

Activities for You and Your Dog

Is your dog more than just a pet? They usually are it is a natural consequence of the unconditional loyalty and love that most dogs display towards their owners when they are properly cared for. A proper care regime is not just about feeding the animal and providing it with a good home, it is also about investing the effort in a lifestyle that maintains the dog in top condition.

It is important to spend time with your dog in order to develop and deepen your relationship. By spending time together you let the dog know that its owner loves being with it and that by participating in work or play as a team, you can strengthen the bond of respect, communication and empathy that exists between you.

There are a variety of ways to educate a dog in both discipline and new tricks, but some of the most fun involve learning whilst playing games with the dog.

Follow the leader is an example of an appropriate game and works best if there is a group of owners and dogs. For this game a number of obstacles such as cones or cans are placed on the ground to form a course, the owners then go around these objects and the dog learns to follow when it is called. Additional behavioural reinforcement can be achieved by changing who the leader is and repeating the whole process again.

We have all played hide and seek with other humans, but have you ever thought of playing it with your dog? By teaching the dog to delay the hunt until its name is called, you can instill discipline and it will train the dog to wait until called in other situations too.

The game may be adjusted by hiding a treat and then having the dog seek it out. This approach has the added advantage of allowing the dog to apply its powerful sense of smell in a task-reward situation.

Another great opportunity to spend time with your dog and exercise at the same time is to go jogging together. This activity should help keep you both in shape. An optional further twist that your dog is guaranteed to absolutely love is to take a stick or Frisbee with you and play fetch wherever the local terrain and hazards allow. This has the practical boon of strengthening limbs, but also requires the dog to think in order to successfully catch the thrown object.

Hopefully this article has given you some indication of how spending quality time with your dog and engaging in a range of different activities together can be fun. It presents the animal with the opportunity to educate itself in good manners, which should make it easier to live with and hence further improve the marvellous experience of owning a dog.