Summer is for the Dogs – Activities for You and Your Pets
Ah, I love warm weather. Any excuse I can use to get outside, I always do. Since I know a lot of you are animal lovers, I thought it might be fun to give you some suggestions of ways you can enjoy the company of your best friend in the great outdoors. Take your pup to the park and get some fresh air for you both, and it can do great things for your mood. Playing with Fido is as good a natural mood booster as you can get, so I’ve put together a list of some of the ways you can spend time with your furry pal and enjoy the outdoors.
Games and Activities
• Frisbee – Ok, so not all dogs are as well equipped as others to catch a Frisbee (don’t try lobbing one at your Pomeranian!), but for those of you who have a medium to large sized dog, they can easily be trained to catch a Frisbee. I found this Frisbee training site that has some good tips for teaching your mutt to catch a flying disc. It takes some practice and patience, but after all, isn’t that part of owning a dog in the first place? Besides, even practicing can be a lot of fun, and might go easier if you show your dog how much fun you’re having, too.
• Jogging – Does your pup have too much energy? Take the opportunity to use his energy to get yourself outside. If you don’t like to run, you can teach your dog to walk at your pace so he isn’t constantly dragging you down the sidewalk. This is also an important way of establishing dominance.
• Performance Tricks – By teaching your dog tricks, you can help him with his dexterity and maintaining the smarts he needs to remain a “good boy.” Sure, they say, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” so it is better to get a dog to learn while they are young. However, if you have a good relationship with your dog, it is possible for them to learn tricks at any point. Again, patience is key, but you might have your dog able to crawl, jump, or even sneeze on command.
The Benefits
Not only is getting outside with your pet a good way to get exercise and increase your health and his, it is a great way to bond with your pet. Pet owners tend to love the companionship that having a furry friend around brings, as the love is unconditional on both sides. Not only that, but by playing and staying active, you are increasing the communication between the two of you, thus creating respect and understanding. That can go a long way, especially for realizing how good it can be for putting you both in a great mood.
Dog ownership is also a great way of bringing people together because of a common love. The dog park is a great place to go and strike up a conversation with someone and already have a smile on your face. Dogs are social creatures, so even you aren’t necessarily great with people, your dog will always be a tried and true friend. And what is better for a great mood than having a good friend around?
Do you have a comment? We'd love to hear what you think!
Do you have a question that we haven’t answered yet in About SAM-e? If so, please Ask Us a Question.
Comment Policy
We value your comment. Please see our comment policy for more details on our guidelines for commenting.