It has been said that the dog is man’s best friend and, throughout the centuries, they have proven this time and time again.  Not only serving at our sides as hunters, retrievers and as draft animals, but also guarding our homes and our families when we are away, playing with our children as they grow, and offering us quiet companionship, far into our golden years.  Dogs are wonderful pets that are very loving and loyal, as well as keenly intelligent; whether they are the smallest of toy breeds or the tallest of the tall, there is a dog out there for almost every family.

But once you’ve found your perfect pet, it’s important to realize that there’s much more to keeping a dog than simply making sure that his food and water dish stay full.  Equally as important is that your dog has adequate veterinary care when he needs it, safe surroundings, and the ability to exercise enough so that he can stay happy and healthy.  Ensuring that your dog has these basic necessities will not only help him to stay healthy but, just as important, will also improve your pet’s mental health as well.

The Importance of Exercise

Exercise is perhaps one of the most essential, and yet also one of the most overlooked aspects of pet care.  While many people walk their dogs and believe that this is a suitable form of exercise for their pets, in truth, most walking sessions will leave a pet wanting even when they are taken out numerous times a day.  Furthermore, when your dog walks on a leash, he is still not allowed the freedom to stretch all of his different muscles properly.  The most natural way for a dog to achieve this is through a mixture of normal activities, such as jumping, running,  and playing.  When deprived of this, dogs are at the risk of becoming obese, which can then lead to a variety of other problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and osteoarthritis.

Like humans, dogs who enjoy a well-rounded life that consists of a healthy diet and plenty of good exercise live much longer lives than their couch-potato counterparts.  Additionally, good exercise helps to promote good mental health in your pets as well.  Dogs that are chained or tethered out are more prone to anxiety-induced barking, other vices such as digging, and are three times more likely to bite than a dog that has been given the opportunity to exercise and run around his yard. 

The Importance of Fun

Dogs are pack animals and, when we adopt a new puppy or a dog into our homes, they come to trust us and adopt us as their pack.  They look to us for protection and guidance, as well as looking to us for the essentials in life - food and fun.  Yes, fun is very important in a dog’s life, the same as it’s important in our own.  Dogs love to play a variety of games, whether it’s alone, with another dog, or with their humans.  One of the best things that you can do for your dog is to take him into the back yard and play with him.  Granted the freedom to run, jump, and roll around in the grass, it doesn’t take long to see just why it’s important for a dog to have this kind of quality time to play with you.  Taking a few minutes, every day, and playing with your puppy will help to get him his exercise, as well as curbing habits such as chewing on things or excessive barking.

Some Great Games to Play With Your Puppy

“Fetch boy!  Go get it!”  Sometimes we fall into a rut when it comes to playtime with our puppies.  Far too often, people either can’t think of another game or they figure that getting their puppy to run after balls is the ideal way of giving him exercise and quality social time.  Fetch, however, is only one of many games that you can use to stimulate your puppy’s mental well-being.   Here are some of the more popular puppy games that people play:

?         Tug O War - A good game that not only promotes strength and exercises muscles but, when done right, will also promote healthy dentistry for your dog.  When playing tug o war, however, ensure that you have a safety-approved rope toy for the pulling - people will commonly use homemade items like socks but, be forewarned, this can not only be dangerous to your puppy and the sock alike, this also teaches your puppy that you’re completely good with the idea of him chewing on your socks and other things that tempt his taste buds.  Also be sure, when you do play tug o war, that you never jerk or snap the toy out of his mouth; the same as with humans, doing so can cause your dog to suffer injury and broken teeth. 

?         Hide and Seek - This can be done one of two ways; either having your puppy look for you or you can get him to look for a favorite toy or treat.  Promoting your dog’s natural desire to use his nose and track things down, hide and seek can provide hours of finding fun.

?         Fetch - No game of dog and human interaction is more popular than the game of fetch and for good reason; not only does it promote your dog to run and get exercise, but it also stimulates his hunting and retrieving skills.  Just add water for swimmers!

?         Frisbee - A variant from the game of fetch, Frisbee involves throwing a Frisbee, which your dog then chases, jumps after and catches.  A particularly popular game with more energetic dog breeds, such as the intelligent Australian Shepherd and others.

?         Obstacle Courses - Obstacle courses can be set up within the safety of your own yard and they will provide your pet hours of fun with his human, crawling through tunnels, soaring over jumps, and climbing ramps.  All of these things help your pet to get exercise, as well as stimulating his mind.

?         Obedience - While this may not seem a game, teaching your dog obedience can also be done in a form of fun exercise.  Don’t be afraid to smile and praise your pet as he performs various tasks and tricks.  You’ll have that tail wagging in no time!

The Safest Place to Play

It goes without saying that the safest place for our puppies to play is within the protection of our very own back yard.  If ensured that it is puppy-proofed, the back yard provides a warm and comforting place where your pet can feel relaxed and at ease.  In the wild, even other members of the dog family - wolves, for instance - stay within a certain boundary and dislike leaving their own territory.  For the most part, dogs are often this way as well.  Granted, while they can be tempted to chase cats or rabbits, or an interesting scent may lure them away, once a dog has figured out his home, that is where he likes to return to.

Preventing your dog from wandering off is an essential part of pet ownership.  Most cities have mandatory leash laws in effect for when dogs are off their own property, but how do you keep them from wandering from their own yard?  The answer, for many, is to install an electric dog fence.

The Benefits of Electric Dog Fencing

Electric dog fencing provides a safe alternative to more traditional fencing, such as the chain link or privacy varieties.  Pets cannot tunnel under an electric dog fence, nor can they find a way to climb over it, as they can often do with the more traditional styles of fencing.  In fact, when properly trained within a yard that is protected by an electric dog fence, your dog learns the visual boundaries of his yard and is able to happily play without worry or concern. 

Electric dog fences are also nice in that they are hidden from view and will not clutter up your yard or obstruct  your view, potentially lowering property value.  In fact, if you prefer, your electric dog fence can be installed so that the family pets are only able to roam certain parts of the yard, while avoiding others.  It’s certainly a bonus to be able to play with your pet, in your own back yard, and not feel closed or boxed in.  Having the ability to let your dog off his leash in your back yard grants you a certain degree of freedom and, what’s even better, is it makes playtime all the more fun between you and your pet.  Let’s face it - fetch just isn’t fun to play, when you’re stuck on a leash!

Providing your pet with an electric dog fence is also a much more humane and safe method of keeping your pet in his yard, as opposed to methods such as chaining dogs out or tethering them.  Even when provided with a dog house and plenty of food and water, dogs who are tethered out face terrible risks from other animals, from the elements, and from the cruelty of random, uncaring humans.  On a chain, your dog cannot run, play, or enjoy himself.

How Electric Dog Fences Work

Contrary to what some may believe, electric dog fences are not cruel or inhumane.  There are major humane organizations, as well as thousands of veterinarians who use and recommend assorted electronic dog fencing products.  When an electric dog fence is used in a proper manner and the pet is properly trained, the electric dog fence is one of the most humane methods that can be used to keep a pet within the confines of your yard.

Do electric fences use shock  to control your dog?  In truth, yes they do use shock, but this is not a method of “controlling“ your pet.  Electric dog fencing is a teaching aid that will instruct your dog as to where his boundaries are and teach him to stay within this area.. 

With the best electric dog fences, the level of shock intensity can be dialed down to where you cannot even feel it, allowing an incrementally increasing approach to training.  These electric fences allow the intensity to be adjusted, because good training requires far less pressure.  Some dogs can be controlled by a very low level – such as a strange sensation that they feel when they cross their boundaries, whereas other dogs may have a higher drive level that will require a stronger charge for them avoid the underground dog fence. 

It’s important to note that the manufacturers of electric dog fences do not want, nor do they expect, for any animal to be harmed in any fashion, particularly not using their dog fence products.  In the hands of a neglectful or careless pet owner, most pet training tools or containment products can harm your pet - even a simple collar and leash can be deadly if misused.  Responsibly used, an electric dog fence delivers lifetime yard freedom for your pet, in exchange for that early training period.

Spending time with your canine companion is essential and there is no place to spend that quality time than within the comfort of your own back yard.  Providing your pet with a safe place to play is essential to his well-being and to your peace of mind.  Check out an electric dog fence today and, in no time, you will be running and romping with your dog - devoting all your time to play and wasting none of it on worry!

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