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Dog Games and Exercise - Teach Your Dog Agility When Having Fun Playing Games

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Dog Games and Exercise - Teach Your Dog Agility When Having Fun Playing GamesBy Darrin Nelson

Helping your dog stay healthy is not only important however it adds an important component to your relationship. There are a number of ways you can find to help your dog stay healthy. I believe the starting point for a healthy dog is to understand proper nutrition. Although I will be discussing fun games that you can play with your dog I believe that understanding dog nutrition (diet) is also a very crucial part of your dog's health. Studies have shown that dog obesity can take two to three years off of your dog's life.

I am not a dog or canine owner just to own a dog. I am a dog or canine owner because I love (not the same as infatuation) spending time with my dog and I understand that keeping my dog active is crucial to its health. I have found along the way some great fun games that you can play with your dog that can also teach agility and strengthen obedience the act of obeying; dutiful or submissive behavior with respect to another person commands such as stop, sit and stay.

Now depending on your yard situation you may have to scale these games a small differently. The three games that I will share with you are The Jump and Sit, The Tightrope Tease and then the Circus Act. After every game be sure to give your dog a lot of praise and a healthy drink of water

The Jump and Sit.

The Jump and Sit is a superb way for your dog to strengthen its leg muscles. Depending on the size of your canine friend you need to select a few things that will be easy to jump over. With this exercise starting low or small is always greatest because you will find that your dog will be a small hesitant at first.

Once you have found a few things to jump over such as a milk crate or cardboard box lay them out in a circle in your yard. First show your dog what you would like it to do, watch out it may just follow you. Now that you have shown your dog what to do, start by leading the dog over the jump with a leash. When you have your dog over the jump be sure to praise your dog and give a favorite treat. Eventually you can work up to the dog jumping over the object, stop and sit and then proceed to the next jump on your command.

The Tightrope Tease

The Tightrope Tease can be played on anything that the dog can walk on. I happen to use a few of six foot long 4 x 4 posts. I lay them on the ground and then have my dog walk along the post, just like a balance beam. If my dog slips off or decides to step off before getting to the end we go back for another try. I call it the Tightrope Tease because the reward is not givinguntil we accomplish this exercise five times without stepping off.

When playing this game I like to reinforce the command Stay. As my dog comes to the end of the beam I command her to stop and stay until I give her the command to go. Also to add a small variety or diversity to this game you can place the objects used in the Jump and Sit and place them between your tight-rope. If you do not have anything for your dog to walk on you can also use some rope or string and create an outline or narrow path that you have your dog walk through.

The Circus Act

The Circus Act can be a really fun game. If you want to play this game with your dog it requires you to get a small dirty. You start with either Hula Hoops or big cardboard boxes which you can pick up from any local appliance store or electronics store like Best Buy. You set up these items in such a way that you will be crawling through them.

At first your dog may be a small hesitant to crawl through a big box or the hula hoops if you have draped something over them however eventually your dog should over come this. The key is to make it very playful. You may even find yourself playing a game of hide and seek if you are using the boxes. Spending time with your dog exercising and having fun is rewarding for both you and your greatest friend. You will be surprised how much these exercises will benefit your relationship and also improve obedience the act of obeying; dutiful or submissive behavior with respect to another person in a fun way.

Congratulations! Once you start having fun with your dog playing these games you will also start to add more dog years. As mentioned before obesity can decrease your dog's life two to three years. Learn about dog nutrition (diet) and other ways to keep your dog healthy by visiting my dog site by clicking Dog Nutrition Made Simple

Dog Care Made Simple is my site where I share basic skills and needs to care for your dog. My interest is with helping others enjoy their canine friend and develop a long healthy relationship. I like to write about dog nutrition, training and general health care tips. My site can be found by clicking Dog Care Made Simple

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Help Your Dog Gain 2 to 3 Years of Life by Exercising - 3 Benefits to Exercise

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Help Your Dog Gain 2 to 3 Years of Life by Exercising - 3 Benefits to ExerciseBy Darrin Nelson

Benefit # 1 Reduce common behavior problems such as barking, digging, and hyperactivity

Would you like to stop your dog from barking in the yard? Does your dog find digging holes for you to fill amusing? Are you unable to calm your dog down in a reasonable timeframe? If you answered yes to any of these questions you are not alone.

Studies have shown that proper exercise for your dog reduces and sometimes even eliminates these three common problems. Proper exercise can vary depending on your dog's breed, size and health condition. If your dog hasn't been receiving a lot of exercise then you want to start with a gradual program such as walking or even playing a game like hide and seek.

Benefit # 2 Reduce the odds of obesity with your dog.

Exercise is a major key to a healthy dog. Today obesity is estimated to effect 20-30% of dogs. Does your dog fall under this category? Did you know that if your dog is over weight it reduces the lifespan by 2 to 3 years! The most common health problems related to obesity is heart disease, diabetes (A disease in which the body cannot produce insulin or cannot use insulin to its full potential. It is characterized by high blood glucose levels.) and osteoarthritis. If your dog is over weight then do not delay any longer. Start today developing a healthy plan that includes proper diet and exercise.

Obesity also reduces the quality of life. If a dog or canine is overweight chances are they are very uncomfortable on many different levels and unable to exercise. They become tired quickly, out of breathe and tend to overheat quicker than usual. All of these symptoms prevent the owner and dog to enjoy healthy time together.

Benefit # 3 Increases your relationship with your dog.

Dogs that are not exercised properlycan become depressed. They gain a sense of being neglected and over time become very bored. Be careful because this type of disposition leads to other behavior problems such as chewing things they shouldn't.

The relationship with my dog is very strong which I contribute to the time exercising together. My dog is always happy and obedient to see me, however I also do notice that when I have been too busy to spend the right time with her, she tends to look bored and not as energetic.

Playing games with your dog is a superb way to get exercise together. My dog loves just about any kind of balls, leather footballs are her favorite. So we generally end of playing either a game of football or soccer each day. But other games that are fun as well is Hide and Seek, Find the Bone and even Follow the Leader. I learned about Follow the Leader from a trainer, great game! You set up a small obstacle course in your yard and have your dog follow you through the course. It is also a superb way to strengthen training commands such as sit, stay and down.

Here are more ways to keep your dog healthy! Visit my site at http://www.squidoo.com/dognutritionmadesimple.

Click Now on Dog Care Made Simple to learn basic skills and needs to care for your dog. My interest is with helping others enjoy their canine friend and develop a long healthy relationship. I like to write about dog nutrition, training and general health care tips.

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How to Train Your Dog to Jump

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How to Train Your Dog to JumpBy Annie Clark

If your canine has mastered basic commands such as heel, sit and stay, jump would be a good command to teach next. By following the steps listed below, your can train your dog to jump.

You will need at least one type of jump to begin such as the bar. You may want to have several types to add variety. Set the bars to the lowest level so that all the dog has to do is walk across it.

To begin, put a leash on your dog, and hold the leash with both hands. Approach the jump, give the jump command, and lead your pet over the hurdle. When he reaches the other side of the hurdle, give the heel command. Be generous with your praise. As your pet masters the hurdle at the lowest level, keep raising the level a notch at subsequent training sessions.

The key to teaching the jump command is to never let the animal refuse to jump. If your canine balks, keep lowering the jump until he finally goes over it. Otherwise, your pet may refuse to jump on a frequent and regular basis since he or she has gotten by with refusing before.

Once your pet has become accustomed to the hurdles and will go over them when you give the command, you are ready to let the dog perform the exercise on her own with you holding the lead. As he jumps, be sure to hold the leash straight in front of the center of the hurdle and then bring your arm down as he or she lands.Give lots of praise.

When your canine is able to heel and jump without you having to give corrections, you are now ready to let the dog perform the exercise off lead. Approach the hurdle, point to it, and issue the command to jump. Quickly walk by the hurdle and then walk slowly while issuing the heel command and patting your side.

Be sure not to run when approaching the hurdle, because this excites dogs and makes them less likely to cooperate with you. Also, keep training fun and praise your pet enthusiastically. If you feel yourself getting frustrated, stop and do something your pet enjoys such as a game of fetch so that you won't alienate him from working with you.

You can use the steps above to train your dog to jump on command. Most of all, enjoy spending the one-on-one time with your pet.

Do you need more dog training advice? Visit http://www.puppydogspot.com/dog-training.shtml to learn how you can change your dog's behavior for the better.