Have you ever wondered what you can do to wear your dog out? There are many different training methods you can use to achieve this. All of which are great ways for you to not only exercise your dog’s body but their brain as well. You can start with the basics by simply walking with your dog in heel or performing obedience, whether it is outside on a trail or simply inside your living room. A couple more advanced options are treadmill training, scent work, and agility. All of these are great methods you can use to work your dog that are fun for you and your furry companion.
The two beginning methods you may use are heeling and obedience. Not only does heel make it much more enjoyable to walk with your dog because they are not pulling, but it is more work for them as well. In short, all heel means is the dog’s eyes and ears are at the back of our heel. This allows them to be able to see the back of our leg and they have to focus on you and what you are asking from them instead of all of the smells and other distractions that may be around. Dogs cannot heel and focus on other things around them. Once heel is taught you can move onto obedience. The obedience we teach is sit, down, stay, and come. All of the obedience is taught while in the heel position at your side while on a leash, but once taught and advanced it can be done anywhere and while the dog is free. Obedience is not only taught to be able to do the commands, it is taught for respect and being able to listen when the dogs is asked to do something.
A few more advanced ways to give your dog the daily work and exercise they need is scent training, agility, and treadmill work. Scent training can be very time consuming, but is very rewarding and is fun for you and your dog. Scent training is done by using a scent that is very strong i.e. lavender. You will put this on an object like a tennis ball and start by hiding it under a shoe box. Once the dog learns to retrieve the object you can make it more difficult using more objects and different ways of hiding the object. Another method of training you can use is treadmill training. This is started very simple with the dog being in the heel position while they are on the treadmill and you are off to the side. You want to find a setting that is not to fast where your dog cannot keep up but not to slow to where they will jump off. This will all be done on their leash first while you are holding it. Once the dog is advanced you will be able to drape the leash over the treadmill. This will allow the dog to walk and get exercise in while you can sit down and read a book, watch TV, or do anything you would like to get done. This is a great method for a rainy or snowy day outside. My personal favorite method you can use is agility. This is a lot of fun for you and your dog and is a great way to bond with your dog. There are many different objects in agility from the A frame, to the weave poles, to the teeter totter and many more. All of which are a great way to exercise your dog’s body and brain. You can buy agility kits, but you can also find these objects in everyday life. You can go the the park and find a bench that they can jump on, or find a tree that is down in the park and have them jump over it or run along it and balance. Either option works the same and are both great options.
No matter what method you choose, they are all great ways to give your dog the daily work and exercise that they need. Each of these gives the dog a daily job and purpose. Not only will these exercises lead to a happy and calm dog, it will let you and your family live a happy life and allow to enjoy the company of your four legged friend.
