Have you ever wondered what your dog is up to while you are out? I’m sure most of us have wanted to be a fly on the wall at some point, perhaps you have security cameras at home and you already know the answer? The truth is that aside form digging the occasional hole out of boredom, or the increasingly scarce visits from their arch enemy the post man, there isn’t really much to do and our best friends spend most of the day asleep at the gate waiting on our return.
Exercising Doggo should have high priority on your todo list. Having a dogs is rewarding in it’s self, but comes with responsibilities which if neglected, could result in Doggo being unhealthy, unhappy, unfriendly and even unpredictable. There is good news though. Getting some exercise is really very easy, most dogs love chasing just about anything that moves, try playing fetch for a few minutes when you get home every day. They say that sitting down is the new smoking, or in dog terms, the new ‘waiting for you to come home’. Taking Doggo for regular walks is not only a great way for him to get hes legs moving but it also gets his nose working and stimulates his mind. Dogs are social animals, just like humans, if we are starved of contact with others we can start to exhibit antisocial behaviours. This is often much harder to fix that what it was to slowly let it slide into the state that it becomes. Being proactive is most always the solution.
Ok, so we have established that walking is good, but is it safe? Well, based on where you live this varies I guess. I recommend looking online for local dog friendly parks. Here in SA, few as they are, there are venues that allow you to let Doggo run free. I will share a list of venues in and around Johannesburg in a future post but my message here if nothing else, is get out there and spend some time with Doggo, you got him, you named him, you love him…….
