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Just like people, dogs need daily exercise, interaction with family
members, and mental stimulation in order to live a happy and fulfilled
life. Millions of dogs around the world are grossly under-exercised,
under-stimulated, and isolated. As a species, dogs are highly
social creatures that thrive on being part of the family unit.
Dogs were not meant to just lay around with nothing to do, or
to be tied to a chain and serve as a lawn ornament. Just like
children, dogs are wonderful to share your life with, but they
do require love, patience, time & energy, commitment, training,
and lots of exercise.
Many behavior problems that owners struggle with can be at least
partly correlated to the lack of exercise their dog is currently
receiving. Can you imagine a 3-year old child just sitting nicely
on the couch for a whole day? You wouldn’t expect a young
child to be able to behave when they have no outlet for their
exuberance, and it’s the same for the family dog. The old
saying “a tired dog is a good dog” is so very true.
Simply increasing your dog’s activity level can improve
many common behavior issues, and it gives them a great life to
boot.
 There
are all kinds of activities or jobs that you and your dog can
get involved in. Some of these include: fetching, jogging, great
long walks in the park, Frisbee, swimming, herding, lure coursing,
Fly ball, tracking, agility, pet therapy, playing with other friendly
dogs, unloading a stuffed Kong or other puzzle toys, a great game
of Tug (with appropriate rules – see Tug of War rules),
hide & seek games, splashing in a kiddy pool, going for a
ride in the car, or learning to do tricks. The more things that
your dog can do and learn, the better. There are a whole host
of others, but you get the idea.
Formal group training classes will help you bring the best out
of your dog. Most importantly, have fun with your dog; they’ll
love you for it.
Back to Behavioral
Index
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Exercise
and Mental Stimulation 
