E is for Exercise and Enrichment

Appropriate Exercise and Enrichment increases your dogs ability to focus. And who doesn't want a dog that can focus on what you are asking?!? :)

Exercise Wanted

Lack of appropriate outlets for energy makes it much harder for your dog to practice the behaviors you are training. So first, if your dog has been a couch potato, make sure to check with your veterinarian before you start an exercise program with your dog. The average dog will benefit from a minimum of two outings per day, usually an hour on one outing and a half hour on another. If you have an enclosed area (like a fenced-in yard) off-leash exercise is best as it allows your dog to monitor his own exercise (you of course should be out there enticing him into playing!), and scheduling play dates with friends' dogs can be a great way for your to dog to burn off energy. You can also take your dogs out jogging, roller blading, or bike riding if those are things that you enjoy. Just remember to start out with short distances and build up your dog's stamina for distance just like you would your own.

If you don't want to put the mileage on the pavement, don't forget about playing fetch and tug-o-war. Those are great activities for your dog to expend more energy than you :). And for those dogs that have orthopedic problems, swimming is always a great choice. Vito heartily supports swimming! There are also athletic dog sports that you can participate in - agility, flyball, disc competition, and more!

Vito and I participating in some fun agility.

Choosy Mothers Choose Enrichment

Dogs love to solve problems and they love to use their nose - enrichment food toys combine both these skills :). All animals enjoy spending time and effort in obtaining food, it fulfills their natural seeking instinct. So rather than give your dog its food in a bowl, give them a puzzle to solve instead. Offer your dog their dinner in a Kong, Buster Cube, or other food puzzle. Hide small containers of food around the house and teach your dog to go find them. Or better yet, take their bowl of food and toss it (the food) into the backyard so they have scavenge to find it. Sounds evil doesn't it? :)

A few of the food puzzles we have for our dogs.

You can check out two enrichment toy reviews I've posted:
Tug-a-Jug
Treatstik

What are your favorite activities to exercise your dog? Do you use food puzzles for enrichment? if so, which ones are your dog's favorite? We are always looking to add to our collection :).