Dog Workouts and Exercise Tips

Smart, practical pointers for staying active and optimizing weight through exercise.

• Regular walk

  Take your dog to the local park or just along the street.

• Resistance walk

  Try to walk your dog on different surfaces like sand, shallow water, fallen leaves, snow or on a rough surface.

• Enhanced walk

  Use obstacles when you're out walking like benches, trees, ditches and logs for your dog to jump over, crawl under or balance on.

• Fetch

  Throwing a ball or toy is great exercise for your dog, and you can make him work harder by doing it on a hillside or stairs. Don't throw sticks, though, as they can splinter and cause injury.

• Hide and Seek

  Hide a toy or some kibbles and let your dog find it.

• Swimming or hydrotherapy

  Ideal for dogs with joint or back problems. Ask your veterinarian about hydrotherapy.

• Obstacle courses

  Set up low hurdles (use a broom stick across two objects), tunnels (available from pet shops or use cardboard boxes) and a slalom course (objects set one yard apart) to exercise your dog.

To a dog, a walk is an all-around workout that keeps his body and his mind healthy. But it's important that your dog is exercised every day, not just on weekends. Regular exercise will help him lose weight as well as keeping him fitter, healthier and happier. Extra long walks on the weekend can actually do more harm than good, especially if your dog suffers from joint problems. He may appear to keep up, but he can be stiff and sore the following day.

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