Your Dog Is Not a Potted Plant: 6 Easy Tips to Include Your Dog in Your Daily Activities

Can you include your dog in more of your activities?

You and I are no strangers to the love of a dog. Dogs can brighten our days with their eager-to-please attitude and loyal companionship … so long as we can fit them into our busy schedules.

Unfortunately, in real life, we’re often too busy to set aside time for dog play and the many beneficial rewards to both parties that come with such activity.

You and I also know that a lonely and isolated dog can turn out to be a bored and destructive dog, one that won’t benefit anybody or anything.

The answer? Don’t leave Doggy out of your day. Instead, try these six easy tips to include your dog in more of your daily routine. You’ll be amazed at how much happier and more productive your days will become.

1. Be Exercise Partners    

Regular exercise is important for everyone including your dog. Doing your workout together will keep you and your pup busy, healthy, and connected to each other. Take a walk, go for a swim, do yoga, play an outdoor game. Having a canine exercise partner has many benefits: dogs keep you motivated and moving, dogs won’t burden you with idle chatter, and dogs are happy to join in any activity you choose from jogging to yoga to working out in the gym.

2. Make Social Events Pet-Friendly

Most people include social time in their day, so why not bring the doggy along?  Meet a friend for coffee at a shop with a pet-friendly patio. Go to a dog show or other sporting event that welcomes your pet. Head to the dog park for an afternoon of mingling, sniffing and socializing. There are many ways to include pets in social affairs these days. Find something that interests you and then bring your four-legged companion along for the fun of it.

3. Include Your Dog by Talking Aloud

Chores and duties at home can make it difficult to give your dog attention. But dogs are happy just hanging around you and listening to your voice. Don’t be embarrassed to talk out loud so your dog can hear you. Even better, engage your dog in conversation while you go about your business. This behavior may cause you to question your sanity at first, but talking things over with your dog can actually help organize and understand thought processes. You may also be surprised to learn that dogs have bigger vocabularies than you might think. They will appreciate both the attention and the task of deciphering your words. 

4. Get Structured Together

Structure keeps humans organized and focused, but structure is even more important for dogs. Dogs that follow a daily routine tend to be more confident, obedient, and happy. You can include your dog in your daily schedule of home activities by making him a part of what you routinely do. Get in the habit of regular walking time, meals, activities, naps, and bedtime. Maintaining a routine for your dog that corresponds with your own will keep him satisfied, stimulated and involved in your daily life.

5. Enlist a Passenger

Got errands to run? Include your dog as a passenger. Going for a ride in the car is a welcome and exciting diversion for many pets. Car time provides a special time to bond while stimulating your dog’s senses with a change of scenery. You might even stop for a romp at the park. Just make sure you put safety first. Never leave a dog in a hot vehicle, lock the doors if your pet is alone for any amount of time, and get in and out of the store as quickly as possible.

6. Inject Spurts of Quality Time

If you can’t spend long periods of time with your dog during the day, at least make the most of the time you can be together. Take short breaks during the day to work on obedience skills or do some retrieving. Use the evening hours to have a long grooming session or play interactive games. Injecting spurts of quality dog time in your schedule can keep you connected – and give your pet something to look forward to.

If you think your busy schedule doesn’t have room for your dog, please think again. There are many ways to include your pet in your daily activities. Get him or her involved, and enjoy a routine that’s more beneficial for two.

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