Outdoor activities are necessary for meeting the natural needs of a pet and satisfying its biology. Everyone usually remembers the first point, but often forgets the second. Let’s try to figure out why a biological activity is so important for dogs.
Any living creature must move. A pet is a social creature that you can easily train. If an owner does not find anything to do for his/her four-legged friend, then a pet finds what to do on its own. And here a lot depends on the breed, gender, and age of a pet. Outdoor activities increase the motor activity of dogs and improve obedience.
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How different breeds behave if they lack activity
Owners should play with their animals outside. If working breeds – e.g., shepherd dogs, Rottweilers, Dobermans – lack outdoor activity, begin to guard the owner on their initiative, and bark at people and other dogs. Hunting breeds – e.g., Labradors, dachshunds, setters – behave in another way. If pets lack outdoor games, they begin to hunt birds and cats and pick up food waste.
If you do not play with decorative breeds – e.g. poodles, Yorkshire terriers, lapdogs, they begin to bark at everyone, run away and pick up leftover food from the ground.
Companion dog breeds include Staffordshire and bull terriers. Without active walks and functional training, they begin to terrorize all pets. These dogs need outdoor activity.
A pet should not just move when you take it for a walk, but should also obey and follow your commands. You can achieve this through outdoor games.
How to play with a Dog outside
If you have a puppy, then, first of all, teach it “come,” “sit,” “down,” “stand,” “fetch” and “heel” commands. Also, repeat the basic commands with an adult dog. Now, let’s talk about outdoor games. How can you play with your pet outside?
It is very convenient to teach your pet the “come” command if you go for a walk with your family. In turn, call the dog to one, then to another owner. Such games discipline both pets and children, and a pet gets used to obeying a child.
You can practice a “hide and seek” game with a pet that is very fond of its owner. As soon as your dog is distracted, hide behind a tree or bush. The longer the pet searches for the owner, the more closely it will follow you.
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You can practice the “heel” command in various conditions. Do stops and turns. A pet should be guided specifically by its owner – by changing its pace and direction of movement and not by jerking a leash.
Communicate with your animal. You can come up with your commands. For example, if a pet on a leash goes behind a tree – command “back” and pull the rope. The dog must return in the opposite direction, around the tree. Usually, this is not an issue, even if the dog turned several times around the tree! The pet quickly understands and focuses on untangling the leash. You can make up outdoor games by yourself, based on the situations that you most often encounter.
Simple Games
You will be surprised how much fun even the most uncomplicated games can bring to your pet. Dogs love to move actively. They sincerely have fun chasing a tennis ball, a Frisbee, a stick, or a soft toy, especially if the “victim” squeaks.
If you use a ball as a toy, you need to carefully choose its size. Make sure the ball is small enough for the dog to grasp, but not too small because your pet can swallow it. Also, limit the number of toys to a few favorites. If there are too many toys, this confuses a dog – it cannot understand what is a toy and what is not.
Come up with New Games
You can come up with games in which your dog would have to solve a problem. For example, put a treat inside a cardboard box and let the pet find it. First, use a box from which it can quickly get a gift, and if your animal successfully solves this problem, use a more complex table. After this, you will have to make some effort to remove it.
@DaveFrancis / Pixabay
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Dogs like games with hidden things. Hide a treat in another room, but make it visible to your pet. Then let it into the room. Praise and reward your pet when it finds a treat. You can play both at home and outside.
If you are not afraid to look silly, you can play the next game. Get on all fours as close to your pet as possible. Bend your elbows, tilt your head and try to bark. Your dog will tilt its head and look at you, puzzled. Bark again, and maybe it will answer you the same. Take a few steps back, turn around and bark again. Repeat. Your dog will understand the game and enjoy it.
Remember that not only can you be a participant in your pet’s games. A well-socialized dog will enjoy playing with other dogs. Pets can fight, frolic, run, and explore new spaces.
Useful Tips
Before you start playing with your furry friend, remember these useful tips.
- If you have to leave your puppy or dog alone for a while, before you go, take it for a walk or play with it to allow it to burn off its excess energy.
- Training can also be a game. You can teach a pet to approach you at your call. Dogs learn easily because they take it as a game.
- Do not use personal or household items as toys. Dogs don’t differentiate between old sneakers and the new pair of shoes you bought last week.
- Do not underestimate games. They allow your dog to burn off its excess energy and soothe nerves. As a result, you get a happy and cheerful dog.
- Start training with ten minutes and increase daily to 30 minutes. Train your pet several times a week. Do not forget that there are pet breeds that are not able to actively move immediately after eating (for example, Dobermans). Just like a man, a dog can become thirsty. Their body reacts to dehydration in the same way (bulldogs and boxers cope with this problem worst of all). Therefore, always carry a bottle of water so that the pet does not drink from unverified sources. ” Check out this article bulldog training if you want to learn more about bulldog common health problem.
Sports for Dogs
Doing sports with a pet is an excellent opportunity to get to know your pet better, establish contact with it, and improve its physical condition. Today, there are many sports for dogs. We will not describe all the varieties but dwell on the most popular ones.
Frisbee Roll
All dog owners know what Frisbee is – even if they have never played this game with their pet: you throw a disk (plate) into the air, and your pet catches it in a jump. Frisbee roll is a variation of this sport (or game — at least from a dog) in which you should throw a disk so that it rolls on the ground. The task of a dog is not to jump but to catch the disc. To do this, it has to develop significant speed sometimes – especially if a disk rolls downhill.
@ Justin Aikin
The main principle of the game is that the disk must be in the dog’s teeth before it touches the ground. The pet quickly understands this rule and chases the disk with pleasure. This kind of Frisbee is suitable for those dogs who like running rather than jumping, as well as older pets and puppies who find jumping difficult.
Skijoring
Skijoring is a winter sport: a special harness puts on a dog, and it carries a skiing person. As an urban variety of skijoring, you can teach your pet to sled your baby. For a large pet, this is not a burden, but an easy warm-up. The summer analog of skijoring is bike-during: the principle is the same, only a bicycle instead of skis. After such a walk, even the most hyperactive pet will sleep like a baby.
Dog pulling
If you have two dogs or have a good friend, a dog breeder you meet on walks, your pets can arrange dog-pulling competitions without your help, just grabbing together the same stick. Dog pulling is a classic tug of war, only in pet performance. The main thing is that the competition does not suddenly turn into a fight.
Games are especially important if your pet spends a lot of time alone. Sometimes a pet does not tolerate separation from its owner, and this translates into unhappy and destructive behavior. In this case, pay more attention to your dog to compensate for your absence.
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