Ways to Exercise a Dog When You are Out of Action

There may come a time when you are unable to walk your dog whether it's because you've suffered some sort of injury or you're sick. However, all is not lost because there are ways of making sure your pooch gets their daily exercise without you have to strain yourself for them to do so.

Hire a Dog Walker

If you find you are going to be out of action for quite a while, you may want to consider hiring a professional dog walker so that your pooch gets all the exercise they need to stay healthy and happy while you are laid up. However, you need to contact someone who is reliable and who has a good reputation of being trustworthy, after all you will be entrusting your best friend into their care. You need to know they will keep your beloved pooch safe when they are out and about on their daily walks.

Ask a Family Member or a Friend

If you can't find a trustworthy dog walker, consider asking someone in your family or a close friend to come over and take your pooch out for their daily walks, You have to make sure whoever you ask is a dog lover and that they are confident around dogs in general. A nervous handler could lead to an anxious dog which might make for a nasty experience for them both.

Take Your Dog to the Park

If you are just feeling under the weather and have a very well behaved pooch, you could always drive to a park and let them out of the car so they can run around while you stay in the warmth and comfort of your car. However, you have to keep a close eye on your dog making sure they don't stray too far from where you are.

This is not a good plan if your canine companion is young or a little unruly because if they take off after another dog, you could have real problems getting them to come back to you. You may find you have to go and retrieve them! If your dog is not particularly good around other dogs, it might not be a good idea to let them run around on their own either because they could end up getting into a fight which would not go down too well with the other owner and you ending up with an injured pet.

Set up a Doggy Treadmill

If you know you are going to be out of action for a long time, then you may like to think about setting up a doggy treadmill in your home for your pooch to use. This would ensure they get enough daily exercise on a regular basis. Naturally, you would need to make sure they get used to going the machine, but the good news is that most dogs take to them pretty quickly.

However, the treadmill needs to be have safety side bars on it and it also needs to be a lot wider than a normal treadmill making it safer for your pooch to use. Dogs need to be on a leash when they first start their treadmill training and it's a good idea to have a professional dog trainer with you when they first start out. The treadmill needs to be on its lowest setting and the pace should only be increased gradually as your dog gets more used to being on it.

Play Interactive Games

If your dog is being taken out so they can do their business but not for their usual nice long walks, then it is up to you to make sure they get more indoor exercise to prevent boredom from setting in. If your dog is a bit of a couch potato anyway which is true of a lot of breeds like Bulldogs or Basset Hounds, you need to make sure they don't start to put on too much weight which could seriously impact their overall health.

Some breeds need more exercise than others, if you share your home with a more active dog like a collie, then making sure they get lots of exercise and mental stimulation during a time when you cannot take care of them yourself is essential. You may need to employ the services of a dog walker making sure you choose someone who boasts a very good reputation and who lives close by. The other option is to get a close family member to help out until you are back on your feet again.

A third option is to enrol your pooch into a doggy day care centre, but you would need to organise for someone to take them there on a daily basis and to pick them up again in the afternoon.

Conclusion

It can be a stressful time when you are under the weather and unable to give your dog all the exercise and attention they need on a daily basis. It's always a good idea to have an “emergency plan” in place for such an eventuality. Having something set up well in advance means that all you have to do is make a couple of phone calls to know that your beloved pooch will be exercised and played with when you cannot do it yourself whether it's because you are ill or have been injured in some sort of accident.