Dog Focus - Your No. 1 Dog Site
/

 

Indoor 'Dogfishing' ' Fun Way To Exercise A Small Or Medium

Doggie Day Care Is An Awesome Alternative
Doggie day care is becoming more and more prevalent in our society. This is mainly due to the fact that there are so many dogs .....
When I had a Toy Poodle, I used a small beanie baby toy tied to a twenty foot long cord to exercise him for at least ten minutes at a time, twice a day. I'd throw it across the room and he'd run after it to snatch it up, fueled by canine fantasies of ripping it apart.

But he knew he wouldn't be able to act out his warrior instincts if he brought it back to me ' which is why I had it tied to a cord. As once he got hold of it, that was the only way I could get it back, unless I wanted to chase him around under tables.

Providing Good Dental Care Can Extend Your Dog's Life
Caring for your dogs teeth is a vital part of his overall health and maintenance. Sure, you may feel funny brushing Fido's pearly .....
Most of the time I'd start yanking on the cord as soon as the toy landed, and he'd have to pounce on it to keep it still long enough to grab it in his mouth. But frequently, I'd be too quick for him ' and I was able to get it past his lightening fast paws. Then I would pull the toy across the floor as fast as I could reel the cord in, while he ran after it like a cat chasing a mouse.

He'd usually lose those races, and would have to wait for me to throw it again. But this way he knew the game wasn't fixed, and that it required genuine skill on his part in order for him to 'win the prize' ' which made it all the more exciting for him.

When he was successful in keeping me from getting the toy past him after it landed, he'd clamp down on it with as much force as his Toy Poodle jaws would allow. Then he'd continually shake it while I pulled the toy, and him, back to me.

Tips For Finding Your Lost Dog
- The first thing to do when searching for a lost dog is to confirm that your dog is actually lost. Dogs, .....
He even 'applied his brakes' frequently during the process, and played tug of war with me ' quickly scooting backwards about three feet whenever I allowed a little slack in the cord. This was like reeling in an eight pound dogfish that was on steroids. But after slowly dragging him across the floor to within arms reach of me, he would suddenly release his alligator grip on the toy and let me have it.

Then he immediately tensed up and assumed a position to spring after it when I threw it again. But he watched it very intently until he actually saw it fly past him, because he had been fooled too many times in the past when I just pretended to throw it.

Why Crate Train My Dog?
A few years ago, before I decided to stay home with my kids, I worked as a veterinarian .....
During those occasions, he ran to the area where he was expecting it to land, and would then look back at me with a puzzled expression ' wondering what had gone wrong. When he saw me laughing and dangling the toy in front of me, he'd instantly get a big grin on his face. Then he'd come charging back at me full speed in order to do a Toy Poodle version of a drop kick on my knee.

But I'd usually throw the toy before he reached me ' which resulted in him slamming on his brakes, and then running back to where he had just been. So he soon learned to wait by my side until he was sure that I had really thrown it.

He never got tired of this game, and would have done it for hours at a time if he had been able to coax me into playing with him for that long. This daily tug of war was so entertaining for me ' I never got tired of it either. As it was a lot like going fishing every day, without any of the hassles or expense. Plus, I was guaranteed to catch 'a big one' every time I 'cast my line out'. Another benefit was that I could reuse the same bait over and over. :)

Whenever I walked towards the file cabinet that I initially kept the toy on, he thought it was playtime and would start prancing around and barking. To avoid disappointing him several times a day with false alarms, I had to keep the toy stored inside an out of the way cabinet when it wasn't 'in use'.

Needless to say, this is excellent exercise for indoor dogs, as well as being great for their mental health. As it gives them a fun activity to look forward to each day, etc. Thus it can only serve to extend their life to a ripe old age if done on a daily basis. It would also be a lot of fun for you!

So if your dog's exercise routine consists of nothing more than slow-paced back yard sniff patrols, you may want to give this technique a try. To save wear and tear on your arm, simply swing the toy by the cord in a loop and release it ' allowing the momentum to carry it across the room.

Dog Behavior Problems: Help! My Dog Is A Nuisance.
How many times have I hear fellow dog owners say, 'I hate it when he barks non stop' or he utterly embarrassed me when he .....
If you have a lazy dog, ......

More Of This Article ....

(c)  Dog Focus - Your No. 1 Resource For Dogs! 2006 - Author List - Sitemap