Kobe motivates me to walk!
In nice weather, my dog loves being outside. Matter of fact, he won’t let me do much of anything until I take him for his nightly walk. He looks at me with those big brown eyes, wags his tail and tries to lure me to the door.
Anyway, he is a good walking partner (now that we got a great walking harness). Some days I might not feel like walking, but I go anyway because Kobe “talks” me into it. Of course, I always feel better after some exercise.
Last week I read an article titled “Helping our dogs be all that they can be.” It discussed how smart dogs are, and that animals thrive when learning new things. I had to stop and think, “Am I helping my dog (Kobe) get the mental workout that he needs to thrive?”
Since boredom is a leading cause for dog behavior problems, I do try to be mindful of Kobe’s activity level. I looked back on my summer pictures, and I decided that I’m doing a pretty good job of making sure Kobe is happy and thriving.
Ready to give swimming a try in his new life jacket. |
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We found out Kobe *loves* swimming! He was fast as a fish & had fun being with the kids in the lake. |
My daughter helps Kobe walk the plank at dog agility class. |
Here I come! 
Kobe loves agility...and so do we! |
We were so proud, he graduated from beginning agility! |
While these activities gave our dog a good mental and/or physical workout, we also had fun and wove a better bond with him. Even if it starts with a walk around the block, find new activities that keep both you and your dog active – you’ll both be better off!
Please feel free to comment on the fun activities you do with your dog!
* Swimming pictures compliments of Perspective Photography. Thank you, Tania!
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Looks like your dog had a blast this summer!! All the pictures are adorable!
Congratulations on graduating! My dog Kelly would love agility, she loves to jump. We’ll have to try it some day.
I started advanced obedience with my presa. It is a lot easier for my dog than it is for me! We are working on left, right, front, slow, fast … well, my dog is catching on quite quickly reading my body language while I still have to stop and think about what the instructor just asked us to do.
My advice would be find a class that takes you beyond sit and stay, down and come! Enjoy your dog and literally unleash their full potential.
You’ve got a great website and a fun blog, I will try to lurk less and comment more!
Peggy- Sounds like Kelly would definitely love agility! It was sort of like taking him to an “extreme” dog playground.
Carrie – Hmm…you’re making me think about taking an obedience class. Kobe knows the sit, stay and down, but left, right, slow & fast are not part of his repertoire! He loves to be challenged. Thanks for the food for thought! (And I enjoy your site too!)
I was wondering if you felt that the agility class was better than just trying agility exercises at home with your dog? We have a yellow lab, just over a year old, and I have been thinking about doing agility “training” to use up some of her energy. I didn’t know if she would get the same benefit from me setting up things in our yard as she would get from a structured class. I am guessing the class is better since it teaches the parent how to interact properly but wanted to see what you think.
We do walks with our dog in the woods and at the beach for a little change of scenery. The beach is new to her and she loves it.
We have also been putting her in doggie daycare one day a week, usually mid week, so she has a chance to really burn off her play energy. It is great! She goes there very excited to play with her friends, and by the time we pick her up she is exhausted. It is well worth the $23 we spend once a week on it. We just cannot play with her like the other dogs can.
Kelly, you and I are very similar in how we care for our dog. Kobe is at doggie daycare as I type, and I agree it is well worth the money to have him well exercised as well as socialized! A big dog like your lab needs lots of exercise!
For me, the agility class was worth the money. First, it was FUN for both me and Kobe. Second, I now have more ideas of what to do with him on my own. I’m going to start setting up stuff in our basement because winter cold and early darkness make it difficult for me to give Kobe proper exercise. Third, I think Kobe knew that we were going to a special park just for him….I think that’s cool! Good luck, and kudos to you for giving your dog so many exercise/fun options!