Games to Help Keep Your Dog Healthy

Games are more than just a way to have a good time, they can also be a great way to keep you, and your dog healthy. Above all, they’re an excuse to exercise and get your body moving.

For example, even if you have a poor diet, playing games that involve physical movement can prevent you from gaining weight. 

It should come as no surprise that this is true for dogs too. If they live a sedentary lifestyle, it can cause health problems and obesity, regardless of their diet.

Obesity is one of the worst things that can happen to your canine friend. For dogs, a sedentary lifestyle can cause problems like:

• Heart defects from fat building up
• Difficulty walking at a normal pace
• A decrease in life expectancy

This is what makes games so great: they can help prevent these problems for your dog. But if nothing comes to your mind, you can look at this short list of fun games!

Games to help keep your dog healthy

Playing fetch (with a ball)

Dogs love this game! We see it all the time in cartoons and in real life: your furry little friend can an absolute ball (no pun intended) by doing this simple activity. 

All this game involves is throwing a ball (or something like it) and having your dog bring it back. You can then do it over again as many times as you want — your dog will run around and have a ton of fun.

But why do they love this game so much? Well, what you’re doing is stimulating their hunting instincts. For them, catching the ball is just like catching prey.

That’s what makes this is one of the best games to help keep your dog healthy. Plus, it will also teach your dog the virtue of patience if you play it several times and make them wait for you to throw the ball.

This is a great exercise for dogs, but you need to make sure you teach yours how to play. It could take a little while, but once your little friend has learned, they will have a great time and be healthy.

So, when you play with your dog, make sure you use a reasonably-sized ball made out of non-toxic materials.

Take them on a walk

This shouldn’t come as a surprise either, but dogs love going on walks! Besides walking, they also get to use all their senses. When they’re out running or walking, your dog will be perceiving all the smells in their surroundings. 

This game can be extremely helpful for your dog’s health. It gives them a chance to interact with other dogs and have an overall good time.

In case you didn’t already know, these are some of the breeds that love this kind of exercise the most:

• Border collie
• Cocker spaniel
• Golden retriever
• German shepherd

If you have an adult dog, you need to take them out for at least 30 minutes a day. 

Hide and seek

This is the dog version of the game we all loved to play as kids. The difference is that you won’t be seeking your dog, and they won’t be seeking you.

Basically, you hide your dog’s favorite toy and have them look for it. It will run and sniff around, so you’ll be helping them stay healthy and fine-tune their sense of smell!

First, you should use a whistle to signal that the game has started. Of course, this means some training will be needed beforehand. Once your dog has heard the signal, they should go looking for the toy. This will require them to use both their sight and smell to find the object.

As with most things, it’s best to reward them with an edible treat once they have found their toy. 

Try out all of these games, they’re a great, fun way to keep your dog healthy!