What's the Secret to Engaging Your Dog in Play?

Have you ever felt challenged when getting your dog to exercise or even play? Many pets, for various reasons, start to slow down as they age. 

Maybe they've put on a few extra pounds over the years making movement more difficult. Perhaps they are beginning to feel the effects of stiff, painful joints and not wanting to move as much and as fast.

As pets age, they can lose muscle tone through a process called atrophy. And when muscle atrophy progresses, your pet can end up with a weakened skeleton. This combination is often not a healthy one for your pet - it can open the door to various types of disease. And when it's more difficult to move, many pets want to move less, meaning that the disease gets worse as time goes on. 

And here's another thing... When your pet loses muscle or lean body mass, fat usually takes its place. So you're likely to end up with a pet that is over-fat and under-muscled. When this happens, your pet is more likely to suffer with back weakness, hip problems, a higher risk of injuries along with deteriorating nerves.

Maintaining your dog's physical well-being must be an important goal for your pet as she ages. Without a strong body, your dog could eventually become confined to her bed or dependent on you to move her around. I'm sure that's not what you want for your beloved pet. 

How do you help ensure she'll maintain healthy muscle tone? Through exercise.

All pets of all ages need sufficient exercise to help keep their joints moving easily, bones healthy, muscle tone maintained, and their heart and vascular system humming.

Research shows that dogs (and cats) need to be exercised at least every three days to help maintain muscle tone and prevent atrophy. During those exercise periods you want to raise your dog's heart rate for a continuous 20 minutes. 

Please don't make the mistake with your pet that many humans do when it comes to exercise - cramming a week's worth of exercise into the weekend just doesn't work for your aging pet. Doing so can damage delicate tissues, or wear your pet out so much that they are unable to move well. 

If your dog is overweight or out of shape, start slowly and gradually build up to 20 minutes. Each time encourage him to go just a little further than last time.

In addition to those 2 or 3 "workouts" each week, your pet needs some type of aerobic exercise every day. A good way to help get that is through a daily walk and lively play. It doesn't have to mean a trip to the park;even a little indoor play is great for your dog's health and happiness.

To help ensure an energetic play session, choose a toy that really fires up your dog.

A recent poll at PetPlace.com found that the two TOP dog toys, according to readers, were stuffed animals and squeaky toys. 

 

You get BOTH with an intriguing toy called Hide-A-Squirrel™   It's a puzzle toy designed to exercise and entertain your dog. Because it relies on your dog's natural instinct to search, stalk and capture its prey, dogs naturally respond. You'll be amazed at how well it "wakes up" the most sedentary dog!

Unlike ordinary squeaky toys, Hide-a-Squirrel™ challenges your dog to use his intellect and problem-solving skills, something that not many toys do. Your dog must use his wits to locate and remove the plush, squeaky squirrels from their home nestled in the plush "tree trunk".
And there's not just one, there are three squirrels for him to hunt and seize! 

Not only does this creative toy stimulate your dog's thinking, it helps to strengthen eye-paw coordination skills, too, all while engaging in a rousing game of movement and aerobic exercise!
Any toy that makes a dog become healthy and active is a win in my book, and the Hide-a-Squirrel™ is definitely one of those.