National Pet Month

Making your pup feel special this National Pet Month

As part of National Pet Month, which runs throughout April, we thought we’d put together a short guide with some helpful tips on how to keep your dog active. Whether you’re a brand-new dog owner, or a seasoned dog-parent looking to add some new activities to your daily route, hopefully you’ll enjoy our list of ideas.

Making sure your dog gets plenty of exercise is one of the best things you can do for your dog, especially more active breeds.

Outdoor ideas

Puppy paddling pool

Lots of dogs love water, but not everyone lives near a lake, or would be comfortable letting their dog swim in a river. That’s where the idea of a puppy paddling pool is the perfect alternative.

Set one up in the back garden, add some water and a few of your pup’s favourite balls or rubber toys and let them splash around to their heart’s content! Feel free to join in for some water fun and games!

Test their agility

If you want to get a little more challenging with your exercise, you could start to train your dog in specific feats of agility, whether in your back garden or the local park. Start off with a set of hoops or a small fence for jumping tasks. You can move onto more complex and creative equipment if your dog shows a specific aptitude for this type of activity.

Get your jog on together

One of the simpler, but effective, exercise regimes is to match your own exercise to your dog’s, offering double the benefit! Pick a route that you both like to take, and rather than walking them, get your running shoes on and pick up the pace, allowing your dog to stretch their legs as you gain the benefit of a good run. 

Indoor ideas

Hide and seek with treats

Everyone loves a bit of hide and seek, and your dog is no exception, especially when there’s an edible reward at the end of it! Hiding treats in locations around the house or yard also allows your dog to give their nose some practice in sniffing out their prize.

Obviously make sure to hide the treats in places that the dog can rummage around in; you don’t want them overturning your favourite sofas cushions in search of their hidden treat!

Indoor obstacle course

There is a myriad of different household items that can make for a fun obstacle course with a bit of training. Why not lay out a short course where your dog can step over a tea towel, weave in and out of a selection of their toys and then finish the course by sitting on a favourite blanket or beanbag?

This not only teaches them to follow instruction and develop their motor skills, but it can also get them active as they’ll no doubt want to do it again and again, especially if there’s a healthy treat as a reward for completing the course.