Physical Stimulation: Balancing Body and Mind
Crystal Clear Canine Training LLC
Crystal Close
Certified Canine Training & Behavior Specialist
Intro for the article:
In the previous article, Crystal talked about mental stimulation. The mind is a powerful thing, but so is the body. If your dog’s body isn’t getting what it needs, neither will the mind. Therefore, it is important to discuss physical stimulation as well.
Physical Stimulation: Balancing Body and Mind
Physical stimulation means getting out there and being more active so we’re healthier and not so “blah” feeling. Exercise can make your dog feel a lot better than when they go without it. Exercise has multiple benefits including maintaining a healthy weight and a strong heart… but how can you make sure your dog is getting their physical needs met?
For dogs, a back yard doesn’t count. When a dog is in a back yard and it is their only means of physical exercise, it is pretty much the equivalent of us going to the gym… getting on the elliptical for 30 seconds and then getting off of it….proceeding to get back on for one minute, to just get off again. Granted this IS something- however when it is the only means of physical exercise, after a while it will do little to nothing for you. (Not to mention its incredibly boring- mental stimulation will suffer)
Now, on the flip side of this… let’s say we have a very enthusiastic pup- with a high drive and what seems to be an endless supply of energy: A “hyperactive” dog as some might say. Their owner realizes this and takes the dog running with them a LOT. At first it seemed to really curb that enthusiasm, but now… it hardly fazes them. They need to run further, faster, and more often to even get close to the effect that running once had on the dog. Now what we have is an athlete of a dog- a conditioned, toned running machine….with a hyperactive mind. What gives?!
How do we get a balance of the two above situations?? Make your dog think more while they get their daily exercise in. Thinking a lot can tire you out just like exercising can. Just think about taking a complicated exam that lasts for hours… at the end of it, you’d probably feel exhausted.
Ways to get productive activity in with your dog:
The most common choices are to take your dog on a walk or play a game of fetch with your dog. However, now that the colder weather upon us these options may become not as easy as they were over the fairer weather months. You can work around that by making your dog think more while they exercise…
Make up for that lack in physical stimulation by increasing their mental stimulation while they move- interactive toys make your dog think and get them moving around. (See “Mental Stimulation” article posted previously)
Playing tug with your dog can be a huge release for pent up frustration and is great for physical stimulation- not to mention it can be done in your living room. (If your dog has any underlying behavioral issues, consult a professional trainer before implementing tug since some dogs need a more structured form of tug to keep things balanced and beneficial.)
Trick Training can be another excellent way to fulfill your dog’s physical and mental needs without stepping out into nasty winter weather. Consider taking one of our trick classes at Angel’s Pet World! Not only will your dog benefit from the mental and physical challenges that trick training provides, but you may find your trick sessions to be very fun and therapeutic for you as well!
Learn more about our training classes here: http://www.crystalclearcanine.com/Pages/GroupClassesandSemiPrivateLessons.aspx