7 Fun Ways To Shape Up Your Puppy For Summer
Summer is a time to get out in the air and enjoy the long warm days with your puppy. Winter and spring can mean days of being cooped up indoors because of the weather. Dogs need exercise every day for lots of reasons, so now that the weather is better and the days are longer, you can finally get in some quality park time, or backyard fun with the family pet.
Depending on the breed of dog they can be very hyper with lots of energy to burn, and just needing that right medium in which to do it. What better way to both give your puppy that needed outlet to burn that excess energy than a fun filled trip to the local park? But what products are available for the over active dog or the puppy with a little extra winter flab, and what products are useful for the puppy to really get a great exercise and be a tired but happy puppy at the end of it all?
Walking:
Simply walking your puppy around the park or neighborhood is perhaps the easiest and requires the least in terms of investment in equipment for the pet owner. A good quality harness leash combo plush some poop bags and perhaps a water drinking bottle is all that is required.
Early mornings and evening time seem to be the best times to avoid the excessive heat of mid-day and afternoon summer. Walk a comfortable pace to both you and your pup’s ability. Use shade if the dog tires out quickly due to the heat. Walk on grass as much as possible and off tarmac, blacktop or concrete, due to these substance holding heat during the day, and releasing it during the evening and night (known as heat island effect) Allow the puppy to drink cool water often. Carry your own as water sources at parks can be a little dubious sometimes, never allow the puppy to drink from standing water, and do not also allow it to drink from communal bowls or drinking troughs that can be found in some parks.
Swimming:
If you are lucky enough to own a pool, or have an above ground pool set-up in the backyard, then swimming for the puppy can be a fun filled flab burning exercise session. Most all dog breeds like the water, and will take to it naturally. Swimming is a great muscle builder, and can also build stamina. If you have a pool, use the pools length and throw a float toy to the end to have your puppy swim the full length and back. Repeat this several times, and it will tire out the pup in a fun way in no time. For the pool I would always have a flotation device on the puppy for safety. Never allow the pup access to the pool when you are not present. Watch for reactions to the pool water conditioning treatments that you are using, chlorine can be harsh on a pup’s skin.
Running:
Running is a super flab burning exercise, and a great way to shape up the puppy into the lean mean and trim pet that you want it to be. Dogs love to run, and will happily trot alongside you in complete dog bliss. Early morning or evening is the best for running to avoid the excessive heat. Basic equipment is all that is needed. A running leash, a water bottle, a poop dispenser with bags.
A couple of times around the park or neighborhood a few times a week is the ideal regime to shape up the puppy, build its stamina, allow it to get the required exercise, and allow you both to have fun.
Cycling:
Cycling is one of the best ways to burn flab for the puppy, and I suppose for the pet parent also. Summertime is made for biking. Warm dry days that are long. What better way to go greater distances with your puppy, and also giving it a tremendous workout into the bargain. Bike distance keepers now allow a puppy to be attached safely to a bike, keeping it away from the mechanical operations of the machine, and allowing it to trot alongside at the pace that you set. You can vary the degree of exercise by cycling slow, then quicker, then back to slow. Just watch for the puppy to make sure that it is not overly stressed, and allow for hydration rest stops.
Agility Course Work:
Agility sports for dogs has become a passion of many, and a very competitive arena in order to showcase your puppy and its physical abilities in a competition setting. Truly taxing the physical and mental abilities of a puppy, it has also become a casual exercise regime for all to enjoy and a great way to burn off flab. Combining weaving, hurdle jumping, loop jump through, and additionally you can add a tether see saw balance, and a tunnel for the complete course set up. You can set up in the park or in the backyard. A couple of times a week will truly build stamina, agility, and will help to sculpt the puppy into a lean athlete on four paws in no time.
Hiking:
For the outdoorsy dogs that like a more rugged adventure then hiking and summer are the ideal combination. Hiking offers longer distance over varying terrain and topography, that can include elevation gain, and distance is only limited by both you and your pup’s physical ability. Hiking can be an all-day affair, or an evening pursuit. Extra planning will need to go into this activity more so than most. You need to research the area before hand, if it is not local to you. Know what wild animals frequent the area. Get a trail map from the ranger station. You will need to be aware of the environment and the particular hazards that it may present, that is why it may be best to always go with a hiking buddy or group.
Basic equipment you will need will be,
- Backpack
- Water bottle for the puppy and yourself.
- Spare water
- Snacks for both if all day
- Cell-phone
- Weather gear
- Good dog harness
- First Aid Kit (Optional)
Park:
The park is one of the most accessible places to just about everybody, and depending on your town or city, it may include a custom built dog park just for the four legged buddies. But if not, a park is one of the best summer time trips not only for the puppy, but for the whole family to enjoy. In just a small area of grass you can have so much fun with your puppy, while also helping to burn of the winter and spring flab. What puppy does not like to chase and fetch, both a ball and a flying Frisbee. Take along a tug rope with you to the park and vary the chasing play with a good tugging game. For the puppy that likes to high fly, then a ball launcher stick is the ideal piece of equipment to do just that with.
A flirt pole can be all that you need, as you can vary the exercises between tugging, weaving, chasing and jumping all with the same tool.
At the park it is likely that there will be other dogs to socialize with and perhaps enter into an impromptu game of chase. A couple of trips to the park a week should shape up the puppy in no time and help to burn the flab.
So no matter what pursuit you aspire to do with your puppy, just getting out and about and enjoying the long summer days the way that they are supposed to be enjoyed by the whole family including the puppy may be what makes summer so great for all.
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