Post by Volunteer Larry

Anyone who has been around dogs for any length of time has probably heard
the saying, “A tired dog is a happy dog”. Sometimes it can be difficult in
today’s hectic society to find time to do everything we want and need to do
and it’s all too common that we see dogs that are “out of control”. Today,
there is an epidemic of dogs in shelters because their owners can’t control
them. Just about any day of the week you can turn on the TV and find a show
with the likes of Victoria Stilwell or Cesar Millan dealing with a dog that
is “out of control”.

One of the common denominators among these “out of control” dogs is that
they simply don’t get enough exercise. Now sure, there are many dogs
content to simply lie around, but truth be told exercise and mental
stimulation are required for a happy and healthy dog.

A lot of people use the excuse that they simply don’t have time or the
energy after a long day at work to give their dog ample exercise or they
claim they take their dog on a walk around the block every night and its
still “out o control”. Dogs and their ancestors are predators, plain and
simple, and chasing down and killing prey is genetically ingrained in them.
A walk around the block, for most dogs, is comparable to you getting up
from your lazy boy and getting a bowl of ice cream.

We should all strive to spend some quality time every day exercising our
dogs and if you can throw in additional mental stimulation to boot that
makes it that much better. Just like we humans can come home from a day job
exhausted by doing nothing but sitting on the phone and answering e-mails,
mental stimulation for our dogs in the form of learning new tricks and
commands can go a long way towards tiring your dog out and making them a
much happier and content animal. The real and often untalked about benefit
however is the bond that is built. Dog sports like lure coursing, agility,
Frisbee, weight pull, dock diving are great ways to get involved with your
dog and build a bond. My personal favorites are activities that involve a
lot of dog/handler interaction because they add a whole new dimension to
the human dog relationship where your dog doesn’t just see you as a pack
leader and a conduit for food but also a conduit for fun.

Now get out there and play with your dogs!

Filed under: Observations & Reflection