No Yard 5 Ways to Still Exercise Your Dog

By Tamara McRill

While a big backyard can be wonderful for excising our dogs, a lot of pet owners just dont have that luxury. Thats something I learned when we downsized from two lots of running space to a teeny tiny yard.

Luckily, I was able to find several solutions that worked for us, as well as some that would also work for any pet owner who has more pent-up dog energy than grass square footage.

1. Leash Up and Head Out

It might be an obvious solution, but taking your dog to a place where they can exercise certainly solves the problem. If you don’t have access to a dog park or are unable to walk your dog for long distances, then consider a friends yard. We make use of a neighbors fenced-in backyard on occasion, so my Wuppy can get in some of the free running hes used to.

2. Hire Help

Sometimes time is an added problem, along with little yard space. If you ever run into a situation where you just get too busy to take your dog out to walk or play, then consider hiring a dog walker or taking them to a doggie daycare. That way, your dog gets all the exercise they need and deserve, and you dont have to feel guilty about being so busy. Plus, you get to spend your spare time snuggling with your pet!

3. Work With What You Have

If you have a small patch of yard, that doesnt necessarily mean there isnt anything for your dog to do. Depending on your pets capabilities and health, you may be able to turn low borders and fences into super fun things to jump. The same goes for anything they can slink under or weave through.

I have one jumper and one slinker, and its amazing how much fun they can have in such a small space. If you don’t have anything interesting in your yard for your pet to navigate, consider getting a dog tunnel for them to play in or installing something for them to jump.

4. Indoor Arenas

Yes, I let my dogs careen through my house – on rainy days. I try to always signal that its playtime by rolling a ball. (Throwing would cause too much damage!) This can be great if you have really long hallways or rooms that are open to one another, so they can really stretch their legs. Just be sure they wont be running through any slick surfaces, where they could slide and hurt themselves.

Another great indoor option: if you have a garage that is fairly open, your pet can run around in there. Just be sure there arent any hazardous liquids on the cement. Also, check and make sure no stray nails or sharp tools are present. Our garage is definitely a working garage, so we keep Wuppy and Dusty out of it at all times.

Hunting down CANIDAE dog treats always makes for a fun game. Plus, what a great reward! If your dog is super smart and always watching everything you do, keep them out of the room while you hide some treats. Call them back and let the treat sleuthing begin. For other active ways to exercise inside, check out Indoor Games to Play with Pets.

5. Train Away

Sometimes its not so much physical energy that our woofers need to expend as it is mental energy. Doing frequent training, even if its just to keep up their skills, can help your pet burn through any boredom they may have at being yard poor. You get a happy dog and get to be a happy pet owner – win, win!

How do you make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise?

Top photo by KenshinSorrow
Bottom photo by Christina Spicuzza 

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Will your Dog get enough exercise during the cold months

If you’re like me you’d rather wrap up in warm fuzzy fleece and hide under the blankets than face below freezing temps. But when the dogs need to get outside in the morning I begrudgingly put on the winter wear and brave the cold. The rest of the day our walks and other outdoor activities start tapering off to only as needed outings. Standing out in the freezing cold waiting for a dog to ‘take care of business’ is sometimes more exposure to the elements than most of us want.
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Like us our dogs can get used to a comfy sedentary life indoors during the cold months. This can take a toll on my dog’s health and well being so we find other outlets for exercise and mental stimulation.

Of course, braving the cold and going for a walk is great exercise, it’s not always possible this time of year so let’s look at other possibilities:

Get our with your dog to dog friendly stores. Lowe’s, Bass pro, pet stores, are great places to walk around with your dog.

Train your dog to walk on a treadmill.

Designate an indoor area for dog play. Dog proof an extra bedroom or basement for a some tug games and toy tosses.

Find Me! This is always fun and gets your dog moving. Just wait until your dog isn’t paying attention and hide in the other room. Call your dog or squeak a toy to get them going.
Where’s the treat. Hide a favorite treat or toy somewhere in a room and have your dog search for it.

Puppy pushups. This having the dog Sit and then Down and then back into a Sit for several repetitions. Helps build muscles too.

Sniffer Mind games. I do these with my older dogs to keep their mind and nose tuned. All it entails is presenting new foods and other smells to your dog to sniff and in some cases taste. Chapstick, bar soap, unusual spices can get your dog’s nose going (or backing away). It also lets your dog know that not everything you have is an edible tasty treat like they believe it to be. Celery, carrots, green beans, small bits of apple, or bananas are fun food treats for your dog to experiment with.

Obedience classes. It goes with out saying that learning something new is great mental stimulation.

Use the coming winter months as an opportunity to bond with your dog. We offer many ways to get over cabin fever so let us know if we can help.

We have a lot of opportunities for you and your dog to get out this Winter.

Scent Detections Fun
Trick Classes

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Dog Training Clicker

Clicker Dog Training

The newest dog training craze is clicker dog training. A clicker is a small rectangular plastic box with a metal button on top that clicks, hence the name clicker. It’s the type of training that the dog decides whether or not it suits him. There have been a lot of success stories with clickers, but with my dog he just didn’t want to know!

Researchers in dog studies believe that the clicker promotes enforced training, without punishment! As we all know when we do something good and get rewarded for it we are going to do the same again, a dog thinks the same way. Dogs learn through consequences, if they do something and it earns them a treat and praise they are going to want to do it again because they like this consequence. If they do something that you don’t like and they get ignored or said no to in a strict voice they know that they aren’t going to get any treats so are not going to do it again.

Clicker dog training works in such a way it reinforces good behaviour. If your dog sits, click and give him a treat. The next time he sits do the same but don’t say anything to him. He will soon realise that when he sits he will get a treat and hear a click, so when you eventually come to click before he sits he knows to sit. Its not all that confusing when you think about it.

Punishment is not used with clicker dog training as researchers believe that although punishment does stop some bad behaviour it may also create another unwanted behaviour. Punishment is almost always carried out after the dog has done something wrong so dogs see punishment as a random consequence therefore punishment doesn’t really solve anything.

Clicker dog training is not only used or dogs! It is widely used for other animals such as dolphins and horses. It is a widely practiced training method and does produce results; if carried out properly.

Some of the best quality dog resources and articles can be found online at MDarmas Dog Site. Our visitors recommend this website each time they try to search for dog training tips, advice and insider secrets from experts. You can search thru the form by keywords on that site or just browse their library of dog-related articles by experts in various fields of american eskimo breed dog.

Cheers

MDarma

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