As pet parents, it’s our responsibility to ensure that our fur-babies stay active and healthy. Regular exercise is important for our pet’s physical well-being and can also improve their mental stimulation and overall happiness! In this article, we’ll explore various fun and engaging methods in which you can keep your furry friends active, thus creating a healthier and happier lifestyle for them! Here are 8 fun ways to keep your pet active.

Playing With Interactive Toys:

Using interactive toys during play times are an effective way to ensure your pet stays active. Some interactive toys like the All For Paws Frenzy Roll or the CatIt Play Treat Dispenser involve your pets solving puzzles to retrieve treats which not only keeps them entertained and engaged, but also provides them with mental stimulation. Using puzzle feeders like the All For Paws Cat Puzzle Feeder or Interactive Food Maze for dogs can help improve their problem solving skills while also helping them lose weight.  

Training Your Dog:

Training your dog can be a fun and rewarding way to keep your dog active and provide them with mental stimulation at the same time. For agility training, you could set up your own personal obstacle course in your backyard if you have the space, which can include tunnels, jumps, or even cones to weave through. This will help strengthen the bond between yourself and your dog, as well as provide them with exercise in the process! Not only does training sessions provide your dog with exercise, but obedience training can also help mentally stimulate your dog, while teaching them new commands and reinforcing existing ones. 

Treat Hiding Games:

Hiding treats around the house or yard for your cat or dog to find is a fun way to stimulate them physically and mentally! This encourages them to use their natural hunting instincts and can be played by pets of all ages!

Fetch Games:

Dogs love playing fetch! Fetch is an excellent way to get your dogs to run around and burn calories and stay active! We have a variety of fetch toys that your dogs are guaranteed to love like the WestPaw Flying Disk or Hurley Bone which are both chewy and durable, or you could opt for classic tennis balls from Gigwi or All For Paws.

Swimming:

Swimming is a great way for your dogs to get exercise! If you don’t have a pool at home there are some dog friendly beaches you could take your canine friend to, or you could look into doggie daycares that also offer swimming! Your dog will burn off excess energy and will also lose weight in the process!

Regular Walks:

Walks aren’t just for dogs, you can also train your cat to walk with the right harness and leash set! Consider taking your pets on regular walks in different areas. This will allow them to explore new sights and scents to keep them mentally stimulated and engaged. If you don’t feel like taking your pet on jogs, you could extend your walks making them longer, so long as they’re not out when it’s too hot. Changing routes regularly can help make walks more enjoyable and interesting for both yourself and your pet. 

Cat-Friendly Games:

Even though cats tend to be less high-maintenance and more independent, they still require regular exercise and can benefit from engaging and interactive activities. You can use toys like teaser wands, laser pointers or catnip toys to help encourage them to run, jump and pay to stay active. You can also build cat shelves, vertical walls or assemble cat trees for them to climb and scratch which will also help them remain active around the house. 

Doggie Playdates:

If your dog is friendly and gets along well with other dogs, we recommend arranging a playdate with fellow canine-parents. You could have them meet at a dog friendly park, beach or in your own backyard. Dogs are pack animals, and engaging socially with others will contribute to their emotional well-being and mental health, as an added bonus, running and playing with other dogs will also help burn off any excess energy and provide them with exercise. 

Customized Exercise Routine:

You could consider creating a customized exercise routine based on your fur-baby’s individual needs while considering factors like age, breed and health issues. A tailored routine can ensure that your pet will receive the right type of exercise to ensure a happy and healthy lifestyle. 

Helping your pet maintain an active lifestyle doesn’t have to be a difficult task, in fact with these methods you’ll find that it can be a rewardable and enjoyable experience for both yourself and your fur-babies! You could try each of these methods and see which one works best for your pet and remain consistent to ensure that your furry friends have the healthiest and happiest life possible!