Mans Best Friend: Dogs, Your Workout Motivation

Dogs are great! They love us and we love them. They also love being outside! If you have a dog, you need not look any further for your workout motivation, especially if your dog is an active breed. Let your best friend help you shed the pounds. Taking the time to train your dog how to workout with you will do wonders for your energy and happiness. The process could take a while depending on your dogs age and breed, but it will be worth it!

I took a service dog training class while I was in college and they would always stress that patients and persistence are hands down the most important things when training a dog. This is another opportunity for you to do some research. Look up some training tips and read about what other people have found works best.

The dog in the picture is Simon. He is half Springer Spaniel and half English Setter. He is not my dog. We just really like him.

Training your dog to be your workout partner will not only help you, but it will help your dog. An active dog is a happy dog, and doing this will do wonders for your best friends health. Which, in the long run, could save you thousands of dollars in veterinary bills. You can also think of it as a bonding experience. Your dog will love you more than ever when you two start working out together. Dogs aim to please. They are pack animals, meaning they are meant to live in a group/family where everyone has a job to do. A dog will actually get depressed if it does not feel like it has a roll to play in the family. Giving your dog jobs to do, or in this case a regular activity like running will give your dog a sense of purpose and keeping it happy.

Workout ideas for you and your pooch!
For any workout you do with your dog remember that they might not be in the best shape either. You two will work up to your goals together. And think about the breed! Some dogs aren't meant to be runners, so don't hop on your bike and think your Chihuahua is going to keep up. You'll be more likely to end up in jail for animal abuse when people see your toy dog getting dragged down the sidewalk behind your bike.

Running: Running is of course the easiest and most obvious way for you and your dog to workout. I recommend getting a harness once the dog is trained if it is going to be on a leash so that you do not have to worry about affecting the dogs breathing while out.

Sprints: This is my personal favorite and I guarantee you'll see a happy look on your dogs face the whole time. Which, will make it more fun for you! Just like a workout that you would do on your own, set up two cones, and sprint from one to the other, walk back and repeat. Continue this at full speed ten times and regardless of the distance I'll bet you get tired.

Hill Sprints: Just like above, but on a hill. This will be surprisingly easy to train. You can even add a level of competition to it by teaching your dog to "stay" and "go" on command. This way you can start your hill sprint and teach your dog to start after you. Giving you the perfect lead to set up a close race to the top!

Sled Pulls: This is a resistance sprinting workout similar to parachute sprints and is very natural for dogs in the "working" breeds. You can look online and find a dog specific sled, or just use the same one you can get for yourself at your local store. Treat this the same way as the "Sprints" workout above, but you will have to help your dog turn around.

Have an idea for more dog workouts let me know by post a comment below. Get creative and have fun!