How to Stay Active at Home with Your Dog
Your furry friend loves to spend as much time with you as possible. For them, the current time when one should stay at home as much as possible is just another opportunity to show you how much they appreciate your presence 24 hours a day.
However, especially for four-legged companions that need a lot of stimulation and still give you the "So what's next?!" look after hours of exercise, new ideas for an active, exciting daily routine are urgently needed. We explain how you can stay active with your furry friend during this time in your own four walls.
1. Workout with Woof
On the mat, ready, go! You've pretty much gone through all the YouTube channels regarding sports in your own living room and are already a real pro? Then grab your furry friend and involve them in your exercises. This way, you keep yourself fit and can mentally and physically engage your four-legged buddy. The following exercises are suitable for beginners:
1. Go into a squat and let your dog do a 'trick'. You both hold this position together, and you can support your dog's paws if they can't hold themselves up very well yet. This way, you both train your balance.
2. Get into the position for push-ups. Your dog should sit in front of the mat facing you. Now, alternately raise one hand and give your four-legged friend the command 'give paw'. Depending on how long you can hold out and how much your dog wants to, you can repeat this exercise as many times as you like.
3. To perform sit-ups correctly, it's important that the legs stay on the ground. Who could support you better than your furry friend? Lie on your back, bend your legs, and let your dog do a 'trick' by resting their paws on your knees. Now you can perform the exercise and need even more core strength to avoid accidentally pushing your dog down.
2. Time to Clean Up!
When you spend the whole day indoors together, your usually tidy home can quickly turn into a real chaos cave. So you don't have to clean everything up alone, you can teach your dog to help you. Use the principle of fetching for this.
To start, you need a treat pouch or something else to store treats in. Let your dog sniff it well - the heavenly scent will quickly pique their interest in the pouch. Now throw it a short distance away from you. Your dog will follow it and try to get to the contents.
If your four-legged friend picks up the pouch, call them back to you. At first, it may take a while for them to understand this principle. Combine your command with the command 'fetch!'. When your furry friend returns with the pouch, reward them with treats from the pouch.
Once everything works, you can start having them fetch other items. This could be a newspaper, the leash, or even a drink. You can also train them to drop items in specific boxes. It’s important that you always praise your dog directly when they do something well.
3. From Yoga to Doga
OOOOOMMM.
Yoga is not just a sport for many people, but also a way to leave everyday stress behind. There are different types - some focus more on meditation, while others emphasize strength and physical activity.
Well, and in some cases, the dog suddenly sits on the mat too. In what is called Doga - a combination of 'Yoga' and 'Dog' - you perform the exercises together with your four-legged friend. Similar to the workout, your furry friend initially plays a supportive role, but later they can also perform their own exercises.
Let your dog stay with you during your exercises at first. Some dogs lie down directly on the mat, while others need a little encouragement to enjoy Doga. If you have a small dog, you can hold them on your lap during seated exercises. For larger dogs, lying down exercises are suitable.
Once your dog is accustomed to the mat and knows your exercises from watching or participating, they can become a Yogi - Pardin, Dogi. With simple commands like 'down', it naturally leads to a slight stretch when lying down.
Show your furry friend how to slowly get into the 'down' position. You can help them slowly transition from standing to lying down. It's important that you don't pull on your dog's limbs or force them into a position. If your four-legged friend isn't in the mood, give them their space.
To optimally learn the Doga exercises in a way that's healthy for your furry friend, an online course on the topic is recommended. Many books also cover the art of Doga and can help you teach it to your four-legged friend.
4. In the Home Bakery
Your dog probably loves to eat tasty things. Nothing beats a few homemade kangaroo bites, which your furry friend will surely love too.
It's clear that your four-legged friend can't take over the mixer, but with our tips for fetching, they can still be a real kitchen helper. Whether it's a rolling pin, mixing bowl, or dish towel: After some extensive training, let them fetch everything to the kitchen counter.
For our tasty kangaroo bites, you need:
- 200g of kangaroo wet food
- Gluten-free oats
- 1 egg
Probier's doch mal hiermit!
Get Plenty of Fresh Air
Even if you have a variety of activities at home with our tips, your dog needs exercise outdoors. Look for quiet, green spots where your dog can let off steam.
Outdoor sports options are also available: Start by running short jogging distances with your four-legged friend. This will improve your endurance. However, make sure you run on soft ground and not on asphalt to protect the joints.
You can find →more ideas for play and fun indoors with your dog here.
