Looking for a great dog activity? You might be surprised at the number of fun and entertaining things you and your dog can do together. And you might be even more surprised to learn that the bulk of them don’t require anything fancy. Some of the things that you already enjoy doing in fact are perfect opportunities to play with your dog since most of the time, your dog wants to hang with you no matter what you’re doing. Here are some great dog activities to get you started.

Common Games

You should be familiar with fetch, chase, tug-of-war, and Frisbee games already. These dog activities provide both you and your dog good opportunities for exercise and bonding at the nearest park or right on your own property.

Common Activities

Bear in mind that everything fun doesn’t have to be a game. You can equally enjoy time with your dog during a walk, while jogging, at a dog park, or on a hike. With a bit of practice, you can even take your dog along a swim or a bike ride.

Swimming and Biking

A word of caution here: Both jogger and hiker should secure a dog via a harness instead of with a traditional leash. Harnesses won’t choke a dog the way that a traditional leash will since it secures a dog by its chest instead of its neck. If you’re a biker, you can find a device that will attach the harness strap to a bike and prevent the dog from running into the bike at the same time. This device can be purchased from a pet superstore or online.

Swimming with a dog isn’t as easy as it looks if you decide to swim outside of a manmade pool. Dogs are known for their instinctive dog paddle skills, but those skills aren’t strong enough to fight strong river currents or ocean waves. Even a doggy life preserver guarantees little to nothing because none of the various styles or brands have been approved for safety. It’s best to restrict swimming to a controlled environment since even the most innocent-looking waters can be deadly.

Cautions

Believe it or not, a dog can strain its muscles and tear ligaments just like people can, so you’ll want to monitor how well your dog holds up during a lengthy or strenuous dog activity. A dog can also suffer from heat stroke if you’re not careful to take multiple breaks in a shaded area and supply it with plenty of fresh water.

Another thing that you’ll need to monitor is a dog’s pads. Lengthy exposure to asphalt can wear and tear a dog pads to the point that they’ll be injured. Check your dog’s pads after each activity to remove debris and heal cuts with medical care if necessary.

In addition to strained muscles, torn ligaments, heat stroke, and damaged pads, you’ll also keep an eye out for and remove insects from your dog’s coat – especially ticks. Ticks can give your dog Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever. If your dog is immunized, you can prevent a significant number of illnesses from affecting your dog, even when it encounters other animals sick with things like the parvovirus or kennel cough.