5 Best Ways to Exercise WITH Your Dog

I am sure you already heard that many dogs develop behavior issues when they get bored or don't have an outlet for their stored-up energy. Exercise and mental stimulation is one of the first things recommended by dog trainers as a way to curb such behavior. Going to the dog park and playing fetch with a ball is a great way to give such needed exercise to your four-legged friend.

Exercising WITH your dog is an even better way, as it combines providing exercise for the pet with getting exercise for yourself. The shared activity will provided a way to bond and enhance the relationship of dog and handler. In this article, I want to show you several ways to exercise WITH your dog.

photo credit: Flickr

1. Walking

Taking your dog for a walk is one of the easiest ways to enjoy exercise with your pet.
You can enhance the activity level by providing a structured walk. It's a  way to combine physical activity with mental stimulation. A walk becomes structured, when the dog isn't just let to pull and sniff, but learns to pay attention to the handler by walking on a loose leash.
To adjust the intensity of the exercise, you can lengthen the walk, or add a dog pack for your pet to carry.

To teach your dog to walk nicely on a loose leash, you may like to watch our FREE training series on YouTube here

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2. Hiking

Hiking is another great way to exercise with your dog. The exercise can be adjusted to your own and your pet's fitness level, by choosing terrain and difficulty of the trail.

If your dog seems to need an added challenge, you can him/her carry a dog pack.

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3. Agility

Photo: Flickr

Agility is one of the most popular dog sports. Dogs are trained to make jumps, travel through tunnels, and navigate various walkways or obstacles on a laid out course. Each step of the way, the dogs are directed by their handlers. Most cities will have at least one agility club that can offer opportunities to learn and get started in this popular sport.
Just about any healthy dog can participate in agility. The intensity and difficulty of the course can be altered to accommodate dogs with limitations or special needs. Teamwork between dog and human is the cornerstone of this sport. It’s an excellent form of exercise and mental stimulation, making it ideal for high energy dogs. Since the handler gets to run along side the course, it provides wonderful exercise for the owner, as well as the pet.

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4. Running

Running is one of the best exercises for humans and dogs and a dog is certainly one of the most reliable work out partner you can have. Running with your dog doesn’t just include putting on miles, but also requires a great deal of training. A good running buddy stays with you, rather then sniffs around or barks at distractions. For those who enjoy competition, there are various types of running events that a team of handler and dog can train for. Many regular running events allow participants to run with their pets, but there are also plenty of canine specific events you can find, like the K9 Classic races.

Canicross is the sport of cross country running with dogs. It’s origins come from off-season training for the mushing community, but it has become a popular stand-alone sport all over the world.

For more on Canicross, you may like to read:Unique Activities for People and Dogs

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5. Bicycle

photo: Flickr

Biking is a wonderful exercise and taking your dog out with you is a great way to provide exercise for a dog that needs more than just a walk. Not all dogs are suitable for running next to a bicycle, but for those high energy dogs that need a bit of extra, it can be a suited outlet.
Running next to the bike provides lots of exercise for a dog and also for the handler. A dog must first be properly taught to run next to the bike, and it is a good idea to invest in a dog tether that holds the leash to the bike, rather than just trying to hold the leash with your hand.
If you like to bike a lot, it may also be a great idea to get a bike trailer that your dog can ride in, when it is too much for him to follow along side. And you can get a small basket for smaller dogs.
If you would like to get started on taking your dog on teaching your dog to run next to your bicycle you may also like: Train Your Dog to Run Next To your Bicycle

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Providing regular exercise for your dog is essential to his well being.  Activities that provide exercise for both owner and pet are even better ways to provide both physical and mental stimulation for your dog, and they also create a bond.