Six Ways to Exercise Your Dog When You Can’t Go for a Long Walk

By Brian Acton

Most dogs need daily exercise to stay healthy and keep their weight under control. Regular exercise can also help avoid problem behaviors, as restless dogs may turn to digging, chewing or constant barking to release pent-up energy. Taking your furry friend for a walk is one of the best ways to give your pup a workout. But if injury or illness is keeping you from walking, you might have to find an alternative way to exercise your dog. Here are six ways to exercise your dog when you can’t go for a long walk:

1. Play Fetch - Fetch is an old standby. It can exercise your dog while you stay relatively still. Best of all, it can be played with anything your dog will chase, including a ball, stick, Frisbee, or chew toy. Fetch comes more naturally to some dogs, but most dogs can learn with a little bit of training.

2. Dock Jumping and Swimming - Not all dogs are great swimmers, but many breeds are perfect for aquatic exercise. Dock diving is essentially an aquatic version of fetch in which dogs chase a toy off the end of a dock to retrieve it. It’s best played with a dog that already loves to retrieve and is comfortable in the water. There are even dock diving competitions. If that’s not your thing, you can still take your dog for a swim if you live near a calm body of water. Just be sure to take precautions, especially if you’re not confident in your dog’s swimming abilities.

3. Visit a Dog Park - If you’ve got an easily accessible dog park, you can drive your dog over and let them loose. They can play with other neighborhood dogs in a safe, fenced-in environment while you relax. This is also a great way to meet other neighborhood dog owners. Of course, your dog will need to play well with others.

4. Tug-of-War - Tug-of-war is a simple game that can be played from a chair or the couch, but your dog will nevertheless be enthralled. All you need is a longer toy with a good grip on both ends. As a bonus, you’ll be giving your grip and arm a good workout. This activity is safer with a relaxed dog that isn’t too territorial with toys, and shouldn’t be done with a dog you don’t trust or know well.

5. Puzzle Toys - Puzzle toys come in many different varieties, from the simple to the elaborate. They all require your dog to use its brain and body to extract a treat. Puzzle toys can be filled with kibble, treats, peanut butter, and more, and they can keep a dog occupied and physically engaged for hours.

6. Outsource - If you really need a break, you can ask a friend or loved one for help walking your dog. You could also consider hiring a dog walker until you’re back on your feet. While it is an extra expense, your dog will benefit from the routine exercise.

Sources https://www.cesarsway.com/dog-training/toys-and-play/ways-to-exercise-your-dog-indoors http://www.petmd.com/dog/slideshows/breeds/top-swimming-dog-breeds http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/teaching-your-dog-to-play-fetch#1 http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/pets/dog-behavior/dock-diving