April is Active Dog Month. Here are ways to engage your dog's love of activity
Days are longer and warmer, we’re shedding our winter woollies and after months of semi-hibernation, we and our dogs are ready to enjoy the outdoors. Take the opportunity to try some new things with your dog, whether that’s exploring a new neighborhood or hiking trail, practicing a new trick outside, playing hide and seek or digging to Australia. Here’s how to get started.
• Take a hike! Tired of the same old walk around the block? Your dog might be, too. Search BringFido.com for dog-friendly hiking trails in your area. Or explore a different neighborhood that’s nearby. Your dog will enjoy the new smells, and research shows that a change of scenery has positive benefits for the human brain, too. As you walk, improve your dog’s leash skills by offering rewards when they’re not pulling or when they check in with you by looking up.
• Dig deep! Dogs’ paws are made for kicking up dirt, and digging is a natural behavior for them, especially if you live with a terrier or a spitz breed. Give them a place where they can aim for the land down under — without tearing up your yard or garden. Fill a child’s sandbox or kiddie pool with sand, and stud it with items your dog will love to find, such as toys or chewable treats. No space for an outdoor dig pit? Provide a basket, box, or kiddie pool indoors that’s filled with colorful plastic balls or tennis balls, chew toys, stuffed toys, and treats. Cover the container with a sheet to increase the challenge.
• Stop and smell the roses — or whatever your dog is interested in. Letting dogs take time to sniff is a good way to fulfill their normal desires to know what’s going on in their environments. Instead of making walks a speed race, make time for canine exploration, too. Just make sure your dog isn’t sniffing so intently because they’ve found something you don’t want them to eat, like condiment packs, cat poop or chicken bones.
• Play “find it.” Put your dog’s nose to work in a more formal way. Have them watch as you toss a piece of kibble or other food and say, “Find it!” When they do, they’re rewarded by eating it. Start tossing the food farther so the dog must chase it. Up the challenge by hiding the food beneath a box or tossing it in grass so your dog must work harder to find it. Whether it’s played outdoors or indoors, dogs love this game.
• Play Red Rover. Besides exercising your dog, it’s a fun way for your dog to practice coming when called. In Red Rover Canine Edition, give everyone, kids and adults, a handful of treats. Then have each person stand in a different area of a fenced yard (indoors, station players at different ends of a hall). Take turns calling the dog and rewarding them when they come to each person.
• Scavenger hunt. Hide items for your dog to find in an area where they can be encouraged to move around and explore, such as a fenced backyard or while on a long line (15 feet or more) so they can be supervised in a more open area. Hide favorite treats, pieces of kibble and some favorite balls or toys.
• Ride along. Age or physical disability don’t have to prevent dogs from enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of the outdoors. Give them the opportunity to venture out through a ride in a stroller, wagon or wearable sling or pack. Another way is to put your dog in the car wearing a safety harness and roll down the windows so they can enjoy the incoming scents and interesting sights as you drive. Take them to a favorite spot, like the neighborhood coffee shop, where they can greet people and get a treat from the barista.
— By Mikkel Becker
Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker. Pet Connection is produced by veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker, journalist Kim Campbell Thornton, and dog trainer/behavior consultant Mikkel Becker. ©2023 Andrews McMeel Syndication
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Pet Connection: April is Active Dog Month - keep your dog moving
