3 Fun Dog-Friendly Sports You Can Play with Your Pooch at Home

As a dog owner, you will be doing a lot of walks with your pet. It is important for both you and your dog to exercise regularly – which is good for your health. This is also something that your canine companion will love to do often.

Aside from daily walks, it can be a lot of fun to do something different every once in a while. Here are three fun sports you can play with your pooch at home:

1)      Swimming

If you have a swimming pool in your home, why not teach your dog to swim with you and enjoy the benefits of this exercise. Swimming is a good way to improve cardiovascular stamina, build up muscle tone and delay the onset of arthritis.

This exercise is also perfect for overweight dogs as it helps them to burn calories without overstressing their joints.

Benefits:

• A stress-free exercise in your pool
• Provides an overall holistic workout for your dog
• Builds up cardiovascular fitness

2)      Dog Yoga

Did you know that dog yoga exists? It is also known as ‘doga’, which can bring about health benefits. You may want to hire an instructor for dog training in your home to help you teach your dog how to learn this technique. The session will not include human yoga movements in dogs, but the exercises are specially designed for pet owners to involve their pets to breathe deeply and stay focused.

Overall, this can have a relaxing and soothing effect on your dog’s mental health.

Benefits:

• Provides a chance for you and your dog to bond together. If you’ve got company, your pooch can socialize with other pets in your class.
• Alleviate anxiety and stress for both you and your pet.

3)      Household Fun

You and your dog can try something new and fun in the perimeters of your own home. It’s really up to your imagination! All you need is some space inside your house or out in the garden.

For example, there’s a popular game called NERF Dog Tennis Ball Blaster. All you need is a NERF gun and some tennis balls. Load the tennis balls into the gun and shoot it away! Your dog will chase after the tennis balls, allowing for endless fun and happiness.

As always, safety is the utmost priority. Avoid playing this game near the roads where vehicles could pose a hazard. Another option will be to setup a wireless perimeter so that your dogs will not go beyond the confines of your property.

You can also create a DIY obstacle course for your dog. Using simple household objects such as buckets, empty drawers or even pillows, you can transform your garden into a maze! The obstacle course can be a fun experience for your dog and a great way to promote their obedience. If you want to take the obstacle to the next level, why not play together with your dog.

Benefits:

• Easy to setup – Does not require much preparation
• Great bonding opportunity with your pet
• Improve overall cardiovascular fitness

Apart from exercising, dogs also need natural supplements incorporated in their diet to promote movability in joints and encourage bone comfort and strength. You need to choose natural treats that contain active ingredients for the healthy functioning of your pet’s bones.

Author Bio

This post was contributed by Pete Decker, the Lead Editor at The Goody Pet. Pete loves to share his passion for pets through snippets of interesting and helpful information. You can find more of Pete at his website, Twitter or Facebook