Five Easy and Fun Backyard Games to Play With Your Dog

dog playing

One of the most fun aspects of being a dog family is being able to get out and get active with your dog. What many people look forward to is the time that they get home from work in the evenings and get to take the dog for a walk. Or maybe they look forward to a long walk first thing in the morning to get the day started off on the right note. Whatever you look forward to, your dog is probably a big part of that. Dogs become such an important part of any family that making sure that they enjoy their days is important to their families. After all, you take the time to plan fun activities for you and the kids, so why not the dog? And don’t worry if you haven’t the time to take a long walk every single day; few of us really do. Between kids and work and our spouses and homes and extracurricular activities, many of us only have time to walk our dogs a few times a week in the long and leisurely sense.

But that does not mean that you cannot get outside with the dog and play right in your own yard. Encourage the kids to get out there with the dog or just do it yourself. You can still get a lot of exercise, keep the dog entertained and thoroughly enjoy some much-needed family time doing things in the backyard, and nothing is too taxing.

Get a puppy pool

This is a great idea during the hottest months of the year. Dogs are just as easily overheated as humans, and they need some cool relief from the heat. Get yourself a blue plastic pool and designate it for the puppy. Your dog is going to love being able to go outside and relax in a cool pool while the family enjoys a little bit of what summer has to offer. Not only is swimming fun for dogs, it’s also therapeutic in that it keeps them cool and comfortable. Your dog is going to love you more than ever if you put a puppy pool in the yard. Just remember to keep the water clean and to empty it every night. Disgusting germs and bacterium are able to thrive in stagnant water, which can cause health issues for you or your dog. Additionally, you do not want the dog’s pool to become a mosquito breeding ground.

Get a sandbox

Another great way to keep your dog cool during the summer, and active outside, is to get a sandbox. The kids and the dogs will love this, and you’ll wonder what took you so long to figure out that this as the best idea you’ve ever had. The sand is nice and cool, and it provides your dog with a place to dig that is not your flower bed, yard or fence line. Additionally, the kids will love to use it with the dog, and I can guarantee that there will be a lot of laughter that happens when the kids and the dogs get together in here. It’s the perfect way to keep the family entertained and active when you’re outside together.

Play fetch

Some people tend to forget that they can play fetch with the dog at home in the yard. There are some people that seem to forget that the yard is just like the doggie park minus the other dogs, strangers and probably the amazing landscaping. Your dog will love to play fetch with anything from a stick to a ball to a Frisbee to anything in between. Just remember to play nicely with the dog and never force anything out of his or her mouth. This could become an issue, especially with kids, if a dog perceives the action as one filled with malice rather than an attempt to play a game with the person taking the ball from him or her. Play nicely together and you’ll get to work on your throwing arm while the dog gets to work off some energy and probably sleep really well together.

Retrieval games

There are some dogs that are working dogs. They work very hard in their lives and they are bred and born for that; and they need to do something that they feel is busy work to keep them happy. Retrieval games are a great idea for dogs like this. One way to play this game is to give the dog something that you want him to retrieve. Let him look at it and smell it and take note of it and then take the toy outside and hide it somewhere from the dog. Now send the dog out to retrieve the item. Some dogs need only seconds to do this even if they don’t see you hide it. Others will take a little bit longer. Either way, however, your dog is going to love this game and want to play more often since it’s such a fun way to use their God-given abilities and stay agile and mentally strong.

Dog-Obstacle course

Dogs love exercise, activity and they need to practice their agility from time to time. You can either buy or create yoru own obstacle course for the dogs in your life in a manner that is not at all difficult. Get some hula hoops, some rope, some real dog courses and set them up in the backyard. All you have to do is let the dog head outside and practice running through them, jumping over them or going under them. It’s going to prove your dog with the ability to practice his or her agility so that he or she can get fit and active, and still stay sharp. Dogs need more than just physical exercise, you know. They need to be stimulated and they need to use their minds to keep them sharp. Give your dog that opportunity in this very simple manner, and enjoy your day outside in the yard.

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