5 advantages of exercising with your dog

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Have you ever wondered whether there are any advantages to dog sports? Spoiler: Yes, there are! Sports training is good for you and your pet… And it helps strengthen your relationship, which is always good to take. So here are 5 advantages of exercising with your dog.

Benefit no. 1: Keeping your dog in shape

What caring owner hasn’t wanted to keep their four-legged friend as healthy as possible? The good news is that dog sports are an excellent way to do just that.

Here are the many benefits of regular physical activity for dogs:

Strengthen muscles.
Improve blood circulation.
Reduce the risk of early onset of disease.

To keep your dog in good health, you can walk a lot or take part in a joint sporting activity.

Advantage n°2: Keeping the master in shape

A number of scientific studies have shown that dog owners are healthier than non-dog owners. They’re happier, more mobile, more able to get out and about… So already, the simple fact of having adopted a dog can help keep you fit and healthy.

At the same time, we all know that it’s easier to motivate yourself to do sport when you do it as part of a group, with the help of a coach or a partner. And what if that partner was your dog? Your dog is just waiting to spend more time with you, outdoors!

Dog sports aren’t just a way to tire out your fur ball and improve his stamina. It’s also an excellent excuse to keep in shape by combining business with pleasure.

Advantage n°3: Playing sports with your dog to combat boredom and anxiety

It’s a fact that many dogs suffer fromanxiety orboredom. As a result, they destroy objects in your home, bark at anything that moves, compulsively lick their paws or adopt unpredictable behaviors.

By exercising your pet dog a little more through positive reinforcement, you’re helping to restore balance. An active dog is often much more balanced than a dog who is bored all day long and who, on top of that, suffers a lot of frustrations on a daily basis.

Advantage #4: Taking part in a dog sport is a great way to build a solid relationship

The advantage of dog sports, as we’ve already briefly mentioned, is that you’re playing a sport together. This partnership built through sport is also a partnership that strengthens your mutual trust, your sense of pride, your connection.

Physical activity for dogs helps to strengthen your relationship, as you take care of each other (yes, in both directions!) and make progress together. All these moments spent with your dog will be unforgettable for you (and essential to his well-being), so make the most of them.

Advantage n°5 : Take part in sporting competitions with your dog to meet new people

If you manage to enter the dog sport of your choice, you may find another benefit that you might not think of at first.

Dog sports meetings are a great way to forge potential new friendships. Just as riders meet up at the club, you could very well join a circle of dog sports enthusiasts, just like yourself. And what about your dog? He’ll probably meet one or more of his best furry friends!

Bonus: Answers to common questions about dog sports

What sports can you do with your dog?

There are many sporting disciplines you can practice with your dog:

Agility ;
Jogging or cani-cross ;
Cani-VTT ;
Stand-up paddle (SUP) ;
Disc dog (frisbee) ;
Rhythmic obedience, also known as rhythmic obedience or dog dancing;
Flyball (relay course) ;
Tracking and detection ;
Herding (ideal for sheepdogs, of course!) ;
Dock jumping or dick diving for water dogs or those who like to swim (labradors, golden retrievers, terre neuve, poodles, etc.);
Sleighing (for those who live in the mountains and have one or more dogs!), etc.

How do you exercise your dog?

You don’t have to take up a competitive dog sport to get started! On the other hand, whatever dog sport you’re interested in, you’ll certainly need to start with an introductory course (at a dog club or with an instructor), so that your dog can learn the basics.

Let him assimilate all this gradually and develop a taste for sport. To keep your pooch motivated, sport must remain an enjoyable activity. Keep rewarding him with treats , and don’t put pressure on yourself!

How do you exercise your dog?

There are other ways of physically exercising your dog, such as simply taking him for a longer walk, or on an unfamiliar route.

You can also let him play with other dogs at the dog park, or take him out to play ball or Frisbee.

But beyond the physical expenditure, mental expenditure also has major benefits. Invest in a few games of wits, and your dog and his nose will thank you.

When can I run with my dog?

Are you reluctant to go running with your dog? You’re right to be cautious, because intensive sports can be harmful for some dogs.

For example, a growing puppy may tire too quickly, and its development may suffer. A very zealous adult dog will want to follow you to the ends of the earth. Be careful, though, because he may not feel his own fatigue.

Some dogs end up developing health problems (dysplasia, for example) and others even die of exhaustion. Some dogs have heart or respiratory problems. What started out as a healthy walk turns into a nightmare in the veterinary emergency room.

To avoid this, there are a number of conditions to be met:

Always observe your dog and follow his pace so as not to overexert him.
Don’t take your dog running before it’s at least 15 months old (consult your vet for approval).
Don’t let yourself be pulled too much by a dog that isn’t fit to do so (except trained sled dogs , of course).
Ask your vet for advice before taking up running with your dog, or any other high-level sport. Have regular checkups to make sure everything’s okay, especially if you’re taking part in competitions.

Written by Béatrice Schirvel