Exercising Your Dog in Summer Heat

It’s not what you think! When temperatures soar or your time is limited, the traditional exercise you give your dog may not work.  During the summer months hiking for miles can be unsafe for your dog. They simply cannot effectively cool themselves as well as we humans can.  Some dogs even become more irritated when they are hot lending themselves to unfriendly greetings with strange people or dogs. If you have an energetic breed, you already know how vitally important exercise is in order to have some peace and quiet at home!  This can also be true for energetic puppies whose joints are still developing and are yet too young for long hikes to take the edge off.

Instead of physical exercise, think of MENTAL exercise!  Mental exercise is so fun and provides many benefits to both you and your dog. While hikes are gorgeous, especially here in the Wood River Valley, dogs tend to become interested in the scenery and the smells that surround them. This is a great mental stimulation for them and huge fun, but does not always increase the bond between you and your dog.  The focus for both you is usually on the environment or socializing with other hikers and dogs, not always each other.

Now, bring yourself inside to the cool of your home.  Teaching a new behavior helps to deepen your relationship with your dog.  It will also stimulate your dog’s mind almost like reading a book might do for us. This stimulation is just as good as physical exercise.  After dogs have had a fun training session, most frequently, they take a long nap; sometimes for hours!

Even short learning sessions can help take the “edge” off of an energetic dog or puppy.  There are endless simple things to learn.  I happen to love scent games where I will put one of my dogs in a bedroom, while I hide food all over the living room.  For a dog finding that food uses up enormous energy!  

Other fun games could include teaching your dog to place his head in your extended hand.  This can be incredibly useful when taking your dog to the vet!  Now, instead of worrying about what the vet is going to do, your dog can focus on putting his head in your hand knowing a treat will follow!

New games being taught to many dogs for physical strength are to teach them to put their back or front feet on a common inflatable exercise disk. Not only is this fun for the dogs, it will help them develop their “inner core” just like we humans do!  Now teach them to turn while still keeping their feet on the disk!  If you don’t have a disk, use a box or an upside down pan or short bucket.

Games like this are incredibly fun for the dog especially if your dog is clicker savvy.  The list of fun exercises to do is endless. There are wonderful books available that show you step by step how to teach these simple exercises and suggest many other fun activities.

If you want help, contact a qualified trainer/instructor to help you, especially an instructor that does clicker or marker training. A few lessons with an instructor or investing in any number of great books might pay off big time in terms of solving the problem of the energetic dog during hot summer days!