Why Is It Important to Play With Your Dog?
Making sure your dog has a consistent exercise routine is so important for your dog’s long-term physical health. However, did you know that just like humans, pets need mental stimulation also? Playing games with your dog is a great way to keep your dog physically active, mentally stimulated, socialised, and well-behaved. Read on to find out the ‘do’s’ and ‘don'ts’ when playing.
Benefits of Play
As aforementioned, playing with your pet can provide mental enrichment and physical exercise. These are both equally important to keeping your dog healthy. However, did you know that play can also help you bond with your dog and up their socialising skills? Keep reading to find out how.
Mental Enrichment
We all know how important physical exercise is for dogs, however, mental exercise often goes overlooked.
Did you know that dogs experience stress and anxiety just like us? Playing games with your dog is a great way for them (and you) to decompress, helping them to keep their mental health healthy.
Repeatedly engaging your dog in stimulating games, can also help them improve their cognitive skills, their behaviour towards humans (and other dogs), and reduce destructive habits, keeping their minds sharp and focussed.
Physical Exercise
As you know, dogs require regular exercise to stay healthy. Whilst dog walks provide a great way to exercise your dog, play can offer a more fun way of additional physical exertion that will allow your dog to release any pent-up energy.
Games are a great way to improve and sustain your dog’s coordination, balance, and joint health.
Even just playing for 5 – 10 minutes can make a huge difference to their physical health.
Bonding
One of the greatest benefits of playing with your dog is how much it strengthens your bond between them. Having the opportunity to have fun one-on-one time with pets. Even just 5 minutes a day can help strengthen your bond with them.
Not only will it improve your bond, but it will also help your dog to respect you, by setting boundaries and reinforcing the idea that you are the bringer of fun!
Social Skills
When your dog plays with you, other dogs and/or other people, it can also help them improve their social skills.
Play can help provide basic skills and help them to respect boundaries and build trust with people and animals.
Ways to Play With Your Dog?
There are many different ways to play with your dog and provide mental stimulation, here are a few of our favourite ways:
Fetch
Fetch is a brilliant way to train your dog's obedience and retrieval skills whilst providing both physical and mental exercise.
You can also incorporate commands such as ‘sit’ and ‘drop’ in a fun way, reinforcing previous training.
Brain Games
Food-Dispensing Toys
Dispensing toys are also a quick and easy way to keep your dog entertained and provide mental stimulation.