Amanda Teixeira
At any age, the dog can accompany you in sports. Find out here how you both can have as much fun as possible.
Dogs are our constant companions. Even if you do sports, your dog can join in. Whether it’s a puppy or a senior dog: If you know what to look out for when exercising, any dog is a suitable fitness partner. The only requirement: the dog is physically healthy.
Exercise for dogs of all ages
Every dog needs exercise. Of course, the urge to move also depends on age. To know how much exercise is good for your dog, you can use these values as a guide.
Puppies and young dogs
Puppies and young dogs up to 9 months tire more quickly than their adult counterparts, but develop an enormous drive to explore and play. You should run a 15- to 30-minute lap several times a day, mixing in blustery and calm sections.
Adult dogs
An hour’s exercise twice a day is a rule of thumb for adult dogs of average size. Whether it can be a little less or whether a lot of dynamic play should be offered depends on the age and breed of the dog. A pug requires significantly less training than a greyhound.
Canine Seniors
At some point, every dog is no longer quite as fast on the road. While large dogs have an average life expectancy of 11 years, smaller breeds can live up to 17 years. A dog will tell you when the time has come to shift down a gear. Let him set the pace.
Integrate dog into the sport
If you pay attention to the right pace and the right type of dog sport, your dog can become your fitness partner. You can ideally integrate your dog into the following sports.
Jogging with dog
Moderately fit people can also take a Chihuahua for a jog. If you like to run faster, you should make sure that the dog can keep up with you. If the dog runs free, you should be able to call him back at any time while jogging.
Use a special jogging leash when jogging with your dog. This straps around the runner’s waist and features a flexible, spring-loaded panel. A medium-sized dog suddenly sprinting could otherwise trip the runner.
Cycling with a dog
Running next to the bike is exhausting and exhausts even strong running dogs. Therefore, you should urgently observe a few rules for cycling with a dog. The dog can either run free or on a leash next to the bike.
Free-roaming dogs must be able to command the command “With me”. The leash is attached to a special bracket. Small, older and very young dogs can spend part of the bike tour in the bike basket or trailer. This keeps your fitness partner in a good mood.
Swimming with a dog
If you are a passionate swimmer, you can also take your dog into the water with you. Many breeds are excellent swimmers. However, this sport is also very strenuous for dogs.
If his movements become slower and he has difficulty lifting his head out of the water, you should stop swimming. Help your dog out of the water now. He may have sore muscles the next day.
If the water is less than 10°C, the dog should never swim for more than ten minutes. Otherwise, he could hypothermia and get sick.
Make sure that dogs are allowed on the water you have chosen and be considerate of other bathers.
Arm training with ball sports
Most retrievers love to fetch, Australian Shepherds are known to be skilled ball catchers. You can use this for your fitness: train your throwing arm or play football with your dog. Of course, you can also play Frisbee with your dog.
Although these are fairly simple sports games, they rarely work right away. Your dog may need to learn what is being asked of him. With the right reward, your dog will surely become a motivated fitness partner in ball sports.
Dog dance for the full-body workout
At the popular Dog Dance, you and your dog move together to the music. You can study a choreography. Use your creativity for this or get inspiration from other dog dancers.
For example, you can run the dog between your legs or let it jump through your “U” shaped arms. Through the joint body work, you get to know your dog better and strengthen your bond with him.
Important Rules
When dogs and humans exercise together, there are three simple rules that you should urgently follow. This is the only way you and your dog can have fun together.
Neither you nor your dog should overload yourself. None of you enjoy sport like that. In addition, overworked dog owners may no longer have a good grip on their dog in dangerous situations.
Pay attention to the choice of sport. Choose what is fun for you and your dog. Both of you should also have the physical requirements for the respective sport. This is the only way to stay on the ball.
Be considerate of others. If you do sports in the great outdoors, it goes without saying that the dog waste is disposed of properly. If your dog is difficult to call, you should put it on a leash.
If these rules are followed, both dog and owner will have fun exercising. And that is the most important prerequisite for making the dog the ideal fitness partner.