Sports And Recreation Benefits To Your Dog

By Jordan Fuller

Are you looking for new ways to get in shape with your dog? Perhaps you may want to give your furry friend more physical exercise or mental stimulation to enrich his life!

Having your pooch participate in sports, recreational activities, or even the simplest exercises like walking is not only fun, but it also offers a great way to get some training and exercise. In this article, we rounded up the benefits of getting your dog active with you, as well as the sports that you and your pooch can dive into!

Strengthens teamwork

When you and your dog play together, it means that you are both strengthening your teamwork. If you want to enhance your communication with your dog, you can try out AKC Rally. During a Rally trial, both of you will navigate a course with 10 to 20 signs, each of which indicates a particular skill that needs to be performed. To succeed, you and your furry best friend should work as a team.

Promotes physical and mental stimulation

Do you notice how your dog loves to stick his nose on the ground? Perhaps he has a flair for tracking scent! You can put his habit to good use by joining Nosework, better known as Scent Work: a dog sport that lets your dog enhance his sense of smell as well as his physical and mental stimulation. During a Scent Work session, dogs must search for a hidden odor while ignoring distractors, including toys and foods. Since handlers have no idea where the location of the scents are, they must trust the dogs to lead the way.

Improves running speed

Does your pup possess admirable speed and endurance? Then you could put his speed into play! Let him join you in the ruff—by that, we mean going to the gold course with him! Aside from your golf GPS, bringing your dog along with you ensures a fun, productive game on the course. For instance, you can train your furry pooch to chase off critters around the golf course. Groundhogs can be detrimental to fairways and the course grass, and your dog can help get rid of them! Let your dog wander around while you master your golf skills on the field!

Lets your dog discover more skills

Most of the time, doing the same old things gets boring. So, why not try a new sport with your dog?

If your dog needs to master basic obedience, you may want to bring him with you on the golf course. Let him watch you flaunt your golf equipment and skills on the field, and after he’s endured a long round of observing you ace (and fail) simple putts, offer him a treat!

Consequently, you can also get your dog into the AKC Trick Dog program! This dog sport is where your dog can learn new, fun tricks and show them off to family and friends! Trick Dog also provides a perfect way to engage your anxious dog, too, since discovering and conquering tricks and challenges helps build his confidence over time.

Conclusion

There are many benefits to finding the perfect sport or recreational activity to play with your dog. So, what are you waiting for? Try any of the mentioned sports so you and your dog can enjoy a healthy, fulfilling life!