Puppies are bundles of energy. They are a mass of live wires. They want to learn. They want to play. They need exercise. Why not combine the various needs into several fun activities?
There are many things you can do with your puppy and have fun. They combine a variety of interesting activities. First, however, you must make sure they are age appropriate. Not all puppies require or can handle the same level of activities. Moreover, it is not always in the best interest of your puppy to exercise in the ways satisfactory to a grown dog. You have to be attuned to your puppy’s growth stage.
Some Facts About Puppy Growth
Very young puppies do not really need directed exercise programs. They are still small babies. Between 2 and 4 months, they start to grow rapidly. Their bodies are rubbery, cuddly and not fully developed. Since they are not full grown, they will require specific attention paid toward exercise. Use play and not enforced exercise.
When a pup reaches the age of between six and 14 months, you can increase the exercise level. The body is more maturely developed. There are, however, various breeds who are not ready to take part various forms of strenuous exercise. Check to see if your dog is part of this group. Moreover, increased exercise at this age does not mean many of the dog sporting events. Some do not allow participation until the dog is closer to two years old.
The Purpose of Playful Activities
The first thing you need to remember is the word FUN. All forms of activity should be enjoyable for both you and your puppy. This is play and/or advanced play. In fact, play is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal. It can accomplish so many different things for both puppies and adult dogs. Play can
- Decrease the stress for both you and your dog.
- It helps your dog build up muscles and strength.
- Games can teach patience and new skills.
- They stimulate the brain of both you and your dog.
- It helps him or her to keep up the passion for a sport or activity.
- It is a way of bonding with your dog
- It is also a way your dog can reaffirm his pleasure, or bliss in spending any part of his day or night with you.
- Play can help you and your dog become better in your life and in what you do.
Play must be geared to the puppy’s age and developmental stage. From 6-14 months, you can take up seriously such activities as fetching. Short walks need to be integrated into your puppy’s routine. You can take your pet swimming. This is a low impact sport. You can combine both fetching and swimming to liven up the activity.
At this age, you can introduce strength and co-ordination training. You should not, however, begin any endurance training. This should not occur before the puppy reaches the now adult age of 2-years-old. By this time, you will have increased the length of the walks, introduced fun-filled runs at the doggy park and tried out the Frisbee.
If your mature puppy has lots of energy, you can try sports requiring high levels of energy. These are agility, tracking and rally obedience. If you have a young puppy, all this can wait. Try short walks, slowly lengthening them and, above all PLAY.
