5 Fun Things To Do With Your Dog Outside

Playing fetch with your dog

Playing fetch with your dog

Spending time with a pet dog outdoors requires some fun activities that you and your dog can both enjoy. Outdoor activities with a dog help stimulate the pet’s mind and improve health by ensuring better exercise. Having a few activities in mind can make outdoor fun a little easier to plan.

Hiking

Hiking is a great exercise activity, not only for your dog, but for you as well! Most dogs love experiencing new smells and exploring different environments. It helps keep them stimulated and interested in their environments, and can potentially introduce them to new things. You and your dog benefit from the exercise too, which is healthy for the body as well as the mind. Find some new places that you haven’t explored together, perhaps with a lake, stream, hills or woodland thrown into the mix. You never know, your dog may love swimming, or have a particular fondness for routing through the woodland leaves!

Play Fetch

Playing fetch with your dog is a simple, but fun activity that can spice up any venue or walk. Going to the park or even just a front yard and throwing a ball, stick or similar items for a dog will result in a fun game. You can set up one of the best climbing tree stands in your backyard to stand on and bring a bucket of balls to throw from it. The extra height really allows you to throw the ball a lot farther, just don’t forget to bring a bucket of balls, going up and down every time can be a hassle. Playing fetch is a true classic, many dogs love to chase a ball and will want you to keep throwing for hours.

Run on the Beach

In the UK most people live everyone lives within 70 miles of the sea, so why not plan a fun day out at the beach? Water lovers will be excited by the opportunity to splash in the waves and it can be great exercise if they like to swim as well. If you’re worried about safety then why not treat your dog to a life jacket – all the fun and no worries! Make sure you check the time of year you’re travelling, and check whether you can take your dog on the beach as some are closed to dogs in the summer months, or may require you to walk your dog on the lead.

Sled Pulling

Not necessarily an option for all breeds, sled pulling can be a great way to get your dog fit, and used to working in a team. During the winter months sled pulling activities are geared around the snow, although summer months can be just as much fun with a wheeled sled. Smaller dogs should pull a sled with small items in it while larger dogs can pull a sled with children or a pet owner sitting in the sled. Pulling a sled is a carting activity that helps build up a dog’s strength and stamina while also teaching the dog some basic work skills.

Playing in the water with your dog

Create an Obstacle Course

Creating an obstacle course for a dog is always fun and it is a great way to provide a wide range of stimulation and activities a dog can explore. Set yourself some goals and as your dog learns a new trick or how to negotiate a particular obstacle give them a treat, or make a fuss of them. Over time, the obstacle course can become a regular part of exercise so that a dog remains healthy and energetic.

Walking a dog is important for good health, but it is not the only outdoor activity pet owners should add to a routine. Including more stimulating activities, like hiking and running through an obstacle course, can improve the relationship with pet and owner.