10 Creative Ways To Make Sure Your Dog Gets Enough Exercise

Exercise, a balanced diet including grain-free dog food, regular grooming, and plenty of affection are all critical for making sure your dog is healthy. All dogs need plenty of exercise, and some breeds of dogs need even more.

It can be a challenge to make sure your dog gets enough exercise even at the best of times, and even more so if you are stuck at home due to social distancing guidelines.

Here are some creative ways to make sure your dog gets enough exercise.

How Much Exercise Should I Give My Dog?

As already mentioned, the amount of exercise, as well as the type of exercise (short bursts of activity versus longer sustained exercise), varies depending on the breed of dog. Other factors, such as the age of your dog and their individual temperament also play a role.

Most dogs need between 30 to 60 minutes of activity per day. This should include exercise that is rigorous enough to be tired by the end.

Active breeds of dogs should have at least 30 minutes of hard aerobic exercise most days, if not every day.

Even small and toy breeds need exercise and probably won’t get enough exercise just around the home.

Also, remember that good exercise engages both the body and the mind: walking to new locations (if possible) stimulates your dog mentally as well as physically.

Bring Outdoor Games Indoors

Playing with your dog at the park is a great way for them to get exercise while having fun and bonding at the same time.

Just because you can’t get to the park at the moment, doesn’t mean your dog can’t have the same fun and exercise by taking these normally outdoor games inside.

For example, tug of war and fetch are two games that are usually played outside. However, they can be played inside too if you have a moderate amount of space. Even a hallway should give you and your pup enough space to move.

Play fetch with a soft toy or ball in the hallway, making sure any precious objects are safely secured first! Tug of war can also easily be played in the hallway or living room with an old rope or piece of cloth.

You can also play hide and seek with your dog as another fun way to get exercise, and it is a great game to involve the whole family, especially if you have kids!

Have one person hide somewhere, and then call the dog’s name so that the dog has to come to find them.

When your dog finds you, be sure to give them a treat! If you find enough creative places to hide around the house your dog should get a good workout.

Put Your Dog On The Treadmill

This may sound silly, but there’s no reason your dog can’t use a treadmill just like you do when they’re not able to get their steps in outside.

If you have a treadmill at home, train your dog to use it and you’ll find this an excellent way to exercise them.

You’ll have to get them accustomed to the machine at first, however. Start at a very low speed, and then work up to faster speeds. You can also keep them motivated with some treats along the way.

Take Your Dog To Exercise Class

When it is possible, an exercise class is a great way to make sure your dog not only gets a workout but they are socialized with other dogs too.

There are a wide variety of classes for dogs around, including swimming classes, flyball, and even canine dance classes. These can often be found at indoor pet centers and “dog gyms”.

Obedience and training are also very valuable classes for your dog in more ways than one.

Make sure your dog is well trained for all aspects of their lives, and it is essential that they are trained and obedient before you take them into other social situations.

If you haven’t already, enroll your dog in obedience class before taking them to other classes.

Train Your Dog In Nose Sports

“Nose sports” for dogs have become very popular in recent years. This is great for exercising your dog’s brain as well as their body and giving them a challenge.

These courses and training start with having dogs located a simple treat in a hidden box, and work up to more complex challenges.

If you can’t take your dog out for nose sports training at the moment, this is actually something you can do at home, by hiding particular scents in cardboard boxes or under bowls and having the dog sniff them out.

Teach them to find distinctive scents such as birch, anise, and cloves. There are even nose sports classes for dogs available online.

What Does This Diet Involve?

The ketogenic, or keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb approach to eating. It seeks to gain the majority of the body’s calories from fats, some from proteins, and very little from carbs.

There is also a focus on “good” or natural fats, rather than processed fats.

Are There Any Drawbacks Or Risks?

The nature of ketogenic diets means that it eliminates a number of fruits and vegetables, and means eating very few of these kinds of foods overall.

This can be an issue in the long term because it means you may not get the nutrients your body needs.

On the other hand, if you notice your dog has a bad reaction to a certain type of food, immediately switch to another type of food. If they have a severe reaction, take them to the vet straight away.

Also be careful with quantities, because certain foods have very different serving sizes.

Make sure to check the directions to ensure you give your dog the correct amount of food.

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