You & Your Active Dog: A Guide To A Healthy & Active Partnership

Sarah Parker
Authored by Sarah Parker
Posted: Wednesday, November 20, 2019 - 07:39

Having a dog is a very personal relationship and it should be treated as such. A dog is not the type of pet that’s simply a status symbol or one that requires little input, if you keep fish it’s pretty much the case of feeding them and then looking at them if you want to. But with a dog, it's a very different relationship and one of the most wonderful and perfect ones that you are ever going to experience. But it’s easy to get into lazy and bad habits that will not be good for you or your dog. So it’s important to learn what types of activities and what type of lifestyle will best accommodate this.

Walking, Running & other Activities

There are many ways for you and the dog to stay active. Walking is the obvious one, as we all walk the dog, or we don’t we really need to reassess if dog ownership is for us? But beyond normal walking we can take the opportunity to go for long, scenic walks, perhaps on the coast or a bit of hillwalking. Running as well can be a good way of having fun together and keeping fit at the same time. Or how about some more dog-specific events, such as agility courses for dogs, you can do this just for fun or at competitions of various levels all across the country. If going out in the cold weather there are plenty of great products from Hurtta available.

Games for the Dog

Playing together is important and dog games are pretty simple. It can be frisbee, or even just fetch with a stick. Dogs generally love chasing things and chasing balls and other things can be hours of fun, just so long as they don’t end running off and chasing something they shouldn’t do, who remembers ‘Fenton’!

Eating Well

If the dog is actually a large and important part of your life then they deserve to eat well as much as any other member of the family. Check your dog food and see what’s in it and be sure it has a high protein content, this is the most important aspect of a dog’s diet. If you are particularly adventurous you can cook your own dog food using all fresh ingredients.

Training & Bonding

A well-trained dog is essential for a good life for both you and the dog. As well as being useful as the dog will be well trained and behaved, it’s a great experience for bonding between you and the dog, it’s a regular activity that you both will enjoy and it should keep you closer.

Make Your Dog Part of your Whole Life

If it is possible why not make the dog as big a part of your life as possible, such as taking the dog to work. It can make the office so much more fun and enjoyable to be in.

 

Photo by chepté cormani from Pexels