Training Tuesday: How to Keep Fido Fit and Exercising Indoors
Sponsored by YuMOVE
With teleworking and social distancing the new norm for now, how do we make sure our dogs get the exercise they need?
YuMOVETM veterinarian Chad Dodd DVM has more than 20 years in the animal health industry and is helping keep dogs active with some fast facts for that home-bound pet:
Keep your dog moving.
No matter what size house or apartment you have, find 15 minutes twice a day and walk at a decent pace through your home with your dog. It gets your pet and you moving. If the weather is nice and you have a terrace or backyard, get some fresh air while you power walk around the area.If you are feeling super fit, add in some intervals of jogging, sprinting or lunges to spice it up.
Become a stair master.
Stairs can be the perfect option to help your pooch burn off some energy. Walking your dog up and down the stairs is great exercise, and becoming a stair master also means your dog is engaging different muscles to when they go for walks. This is likely to burn off a lot of indoor energy pretty quick! Note, however, that stairs aren’t always suitable for all dogs. If your dog experiences joint stiffness and/or is a bit more elderly, this one is not recommended.
Play hide and treat.
Hide some kibble or favorite toys around your home and let your dog find them. It’s probably a good idea to try not to make the game of hide and treat too difficult - you don’t really want to step on lots of kibble throughout the house in years to come!
Play tag and tug of war with your dog.
Tag can be done in a hallway, basement or backyard. Grab your dog’s favorite soft toy andgive it a toss, except this time, race your dog to retrieve it.
Get in touch with your dog’s instincts with tug of war. Establish your position as master and keep the mood light. Tug of war is great for tiring out your pooch. An overly competitive dog may get riled up, so it’s super important in this scenario to remain cool and in control. One way to do this is to break up the tug of war into short periods, with breaks in between, and not reward aggressive behavior.
Make food fun, but try not to overfeed.
Hiding treats for that game of “hide and treat” is not the only option for food-based ideas for indoor exercise. Dog treat puzzle dispensers are both physically and mentally challenging and awesome fun for your best furry friend. You can also try feeding your dog with a slow feeder to keep them on their paws. And not forgetting a favorite of pooch parents all over the globe, Kongs. Stuffing a Kong is a great way to keep your dog active; we recommend using your pooches favorite stuffing and then freezing the Kong. By freezing the Kong you’ll challenge your dog even further and prolong the amount of time it will keep them moving.
Consider your dog’s diet.
With all the tips above, the hope is to keep your dog nice and healthy, but they are still unlikely to have the same amount of exercise as they did when you were outdoors running with them twice a day. It’s worth looking at how much you are feeding them and assessing if you need to cut back because of a reduction exercise.
For more information, visit www.yumove.com and follow on Facebook.
