How to Tire your Dog out

Regardless of their breed dogs need to exercise daily, or at least several times a week. That affects not only their physical health, but also their emotional well-being. However, we know that today, with the multiple responsibilities people have nowadays, and especially for those who live in the city, it is more complicated to give your dog all the time of leisure they need.

A dog that does not exercise enough accumulates too much energy and becomes hyperactive, so they will try to distract themselves with the first thing they find. As a result, they may start start getting into trouble at home, destroying valuable things by biting or playing with them. In addition, you risk to development problems of obesity, which over the years can develop into different conditions, such as problems in their joints.

However, all that is needed is a little organization to create a proper, complete and fun routine for both you and your dog. The routine should be introduced gradually, you can not force an animal that does not exercise often to trot or walk for a full hour from one day to another. Likewise, choose a time of the day with little sunshine and remember to use an extendable lead and water for you and your furry companion.

It is important to remember that exercise should not be focused on exhausting your dog, but on devising creative ways to give them safe, enjoyable entertainment that allows them to develop their body and exercise their mind, so activities that stimulate learning must be included. Here are some ideas.

For those who do not have a lot of time, to tire your dog out at home is an option. Here are some recommendations to do so:

1. Play hide and seek

Dogs love to sniff and look for things, remember that many breeds were used for years the hunters, shepherds, among other trades. That's why they have fun searching for things will not just pull them out, it will also test their mental abilities and problem-solving skills.

One idea is for one of the family members to hide in a certain place in the house without the dog noticing it, and then to give the dog one of the person's items to sniff, while asking the dog to look for the person. When you find it, do not forget to congratulate and flatter your dog.

Another way is for the whole family to hide in different places and one by one to call the dog from your hiding place, rewarding them when they arrive at the right place. This way the game can last longer.

2. Learn new commands

An adult dog should already know the basic training commands, which will make life easier for you. However, it's never too late to learn new things, from fun tricks to more complicated commands.

Dedicating between 5 and 15 minutes a day a couple of times a week to learn new commands will give your dog some exercise and test their intellect. Always use positive reinforcement and play with your dog when training is over.

3. Exercise on the stairs

In the city it is often difficult to find suitable places for your dog to run and exercise, so you have to be resourceful to find the best places. If you see steps near your home, play with your dog by going up and down them. Of course, do not overexcite them, they could accidentally injure themselves.

This exercise is also useful for those days when it rains or it's bad weather and you can not go out and play in the street. If you live in an apartment and the stairs are not frequented at certain times of the day, take this opportunity.

4. Race and chase

This is another type of catch games, but in this one you will take part more actively. Have you ever seen cat toys that consist of a rod ending in a toy? You can make one for yourself, knotting one of his favorite toys at the end.

Approach the dog and let them see the toy, and when they want to catch it, move way from them. Let them chase you and have fun together. Of course, remember that you must win sometimes and allow them to win in others.

Some dogs accumulate much more energy than others, either due to age, race or because they are not given much opportunity to entertain themselves. This can cause hyperactivity in the dog, which can be physiological or pathological, i.e due to a disease, hyperkinesis. We'd like to present several options for this type of dog:

1. A pleasant walk

Walks are a simple way to exercise your dog, and take advantage to exercise yourself too. Take advantage of any errands you need to run that are close to home and take your dog with you, as long as you can keep them with you at all times.

Choose hours of low traffic and enjoy the walk with your dog strolling in a relaxed way. Let them interact with other potential playmates and sniff out anything they like. This allows them to relax and get to know the environment in which they live, which gives them well-being.

Your dog may also want to mark their territory with urine. They prefer an extendable lead so the can can explore everything they want, without worrying about the dog getting lost.

With something as simple as walking your dog you will exercise their muscles, create resistance to other higher impact activities, while testing their sense of smell with everything they find in their path and come into contact with other dogs and people.

2. Jogging

If you are a person who likes to go running, your dog can accompany you in that routine. If your dog is not used to it, you should increase the intensity and duration of your stride gradually. Choose places that are safe and with little traffic.

You can also run with your dog while playing different games. Chasing a ball or frisbee are among a dog's favorites. It will allow you to run, jump, practice commands (catch, release) and exercise their search and calculation skills, both when finding the ball and catching the frisbee at a suitable distance for your dog to reach them.

However, ball or frisbee games can create the opposite effect in a dog, as they will be tireless and nervous. If this is your dog's case and you think that your dog increases their stress levels while playing, try another type of exercise.

3. Take a dip

Most dogs enjoy water, so teaching them to relax in a pool or lake is not difficult. Swimming is an excellent exercise for dogs, because they will use many muscles to swim.

If you have a place where your dog can swim near home and the day is hot, do not think about it any more! In the water you can also teach them to look for and catch objects, so ball exercises are also recommended.

4. Interaction with other dogs

Many dogs love to run around and play with others of their own species, so on walks or in the park it is possible for your dog to make friends with others. Everything will depend on the character of both dogs (as some can not stand the company of other fellow dogs) and the the dog's master's disposition too, but in general you will always be able to find someone with whom they can play with.

Monitor the interaction of the two animals to detect any hostile behavior and avoid a possible incident. As the days go by, your dog will have several friends, with whom it will burn lots of energy.

Remember that it is advisable to stop the game sessions between two dogs every 5 to 10 minutes to avoid the excessive stress that the game may cause. From time to time take your dog and go for a small stroll to relax.

5. Practice jumping

Jumping not only means a simple hop for your dog, but the dog must calculate the appropriate height that allows them either to avoid an obstacle or catch something that is in the air. Playing with a frisbee involves jumping, but this is not the only way to perform this exercise.

Obstacle jumping, which is known as the professional practice of Agility, is very popular in the canine world, but your pet dog can start with something simpler if you are not go as far as to practice Agility. Place different objects that the dog can jump over in an area of the house and start a game with them; you can also take advantage of the objects that are found in dog parks.

If you are thinking of getting started in the world of Agility, do not hesitate: this activity is very complete when combining sport, obedience, mental stimulation and reinforcement.

When it comes to getting tired and exercising a dog, it is not all running or jumping, there are also activities to put their mind and intelligence working,which is fundamental for complete well-being:

1. Test Your Smell

Dogs learn about the world through their nose rather than any of their other senses. Believe it or not, sniffing for a while is considered a physical and mental exercise for them.

There are several ways to play with your dog this way, but the most effective is to use treats or prizes for dogs. Hide several in the house or garden and let your dog have fun finding them.

To make the game more dynamic, purposely add some obstacles between the dog and the places where the treats are hidden, so that he can figure out how to reach them. This activity, known as searching, is widely used to improve the well-being of your dog and teach them the "search" order.

One variant of this activity is to substitute treats for your dog's favorite toy, and ask them to look for it after you have hidden it.

2. Train your jaw

Your dog's jaws is an area we often ignore when it comes to training, but is actually vital to their health. A jaw that is exercised not only stays strong, but certain toys help to clean your dog's teeth, getting rid of leftover food and protecting it against plaque and tartar.

Moreover, many of the toys we can find on the market, whether made of fabric or rubber, are designed both for the dog to chew and for you to play with your dog too. In addition to teaching them to drop objects, with this type of toys (teethers and others) the dog will learn to modulate the power of their jaws.

Remember that in this type of games you both have to win, sometimes one, sometimes the other.

3. Take them to visit new places

An unknown place represents an infinity of new sounds and smells for your dog, therefore your pet will go crazy investigating everything hat they find around them. Let them explore, look and smell everything they want, always under your supervision. We assure you they'll be exhausted when they return back home!

If you want to read similar articles to How to Tire your Dog out, we recommend you visit our Animal games and fun category.