They bark, they chew, they break things, they are goofy, they get jealous, they snore, they drool, they run so fast you’re going to need a comprehensive review of the best tracking devices to bring them back home, and they drool some more. Females, males, pups or elders, French bulldogs or scary Mastiffs, dogs remain a human’s best friends and deserve the best for themselves.
Apart from cuddling with them and feeding them the proper foods, these animals also require an active lifestyle to stay healthy throughout their lives. Even if your time is limited or you live in a small flat with no room for your pooch to stretch or run, there are still several ways to keep your pup active.
1. Teach Your Dog to Help With Daily Chores
These animals are always on a mission, so one way to keep them active, interested, and busy is to teach them how to help around the house. With proper training, any dog can open the fridge, take something to the trash, open a door, and even help with laundry.
The more time you spend with your pooch the less time it has for displaying signs of boredom and frustration, and this includes chewing or making a mess all around the house.
2. Make Your Pooch Work for its Food
Instead of putting all the food in a bowl for your mutt to eat whenever it wants, try to make it work for its food. Your pet should be mentally stimulated to do something in order to receive its delicious dog treats, so why not teach it a few tricks?
Hiding the food in various corners of the house is another fun way for your pet to exercise its legs and smell as long as you don’t forget where you put it. Another useful trick would be to put some of the kibbles inside a food dispensing toy and let your dog work its magic.
3. Play Hide and Seek With Them
This obviously works better if you live in a bigger house as there will be plenty of places for you to hide. Nevertheless, you can try hiding in a small apartment too and let your dog look for you for a few minutes. This will not only enhance your mutt’s sniffing abilities but will also help it stretch its legs and paws for a little while.
4. Watch Out the Food Intake
Overfeeding is common problem owners encounter simply because they cannot say no to those “puppy eyes”. However, giving food to your pet outside the clear feeding hours will not only make it harder for you to train it but will also allow it to gain weight.
Talk to a vet and establish the right food portions according to your pet’s size, age, gender, breed, and personality. Keep in mind that some dog breeds like labs and bulldogs tend to gain weight faster so they’re going to need a strict feeding schedule and as much physical exercise as possible.
5. Teach Your Dog to Use a Treadmill
If you have a busy lifestyle and don’t get enough spare time to spend it outside training with your dog, you can do this indoors too. Simply install a treadmill in your living room or bedroom and exercise for 20 minutes a day.
Once your dog learns the trick, allow it to exercise on it too. It’s not as good as a walk in the park, smelling the fresh air but it certainly represents a decent alternative for the rainy or cold winter days.
