This is the truth. Dogs need to exercise. They should get exercise for the same reasons that your doctor tells you to do it. If that's not enough incentive for you to find ways to get exercise for dogs, maybe this information will help. A dog that doesn't get any exercise will come up with ways to be active on their own. Ninety-five percent of the time you won't be happy with what they come up with. Getting exercise for dogs can be a bigger issue if you do not have a fenced-in yard for them to play in. You do, however, have options. Right now we are going to talk about getting exercise for dogs using long ropes as a "leash". Surprisingly, there is a learning curve and I'll help you through it.
Using a rope like you would an extended leash is a good option to get exercise for dogs. The dogs can wander around or you can play fetch. My ten year old Lab really likes to go to a a sports park of come kind or a park. These places have a lot of room and we don't bother others. Having a rope vs. a leash means the dog can be free fun
Surprisingly, there is a learning curve if you're planning to use a long rope to get exercise for dogs.
It will not be pleasant if you get a rope burn. I could go on and on and on about avoiding rope burns, but experience may be your best teacher.
Here are a few ideas to help decrease the learning curve.
attempt this to exercise your dogs. This will prevent some issues because you can get the attention of the dog before they see other things they want to chase. You do not want the dogs exercise to come from chasing stuff that they are not really supposed to chase.
Constantly know where the rope is. This is so both you and the dog stay safe. If the rope becomes wrapped around your foot and the dog runs away to chase the wind, it's going to burn your leg.
The other thing that could happen is the rope can get wrapped around something. When this occurs, you won't know until the dog comes to a sudden stop. This can really hurt the dog.
The rope should always be wrapped around your hand. If you try to hold the rope loosely and the dog decides to run... you won't be able to grasp the rope to stop them... and if you try, it will hurt.
It's really important to always know what's going on in your environment. You want to get exercise for dogs, but everyone's safety is also important. You need to recognize the stuff that will make your dog want to run but you have to see it before them. Frequently you can prevent them from running with a sharp and quick "no" or "come here". Other times you will be able to "brace for impact" and gradually get the dog stopped.
It is not really fair (or nice) to jerk the dog to a severe stop when they reach the end of the rope. You should be ready to take a couple steps toward where the dog is running to cut down the force (to you and the dog).
Frequently check the rope for fraying and replace the rope BEFORE it tears. You don't want to realize that the rope needs to be replaced after it tears and the dog chases after a rabbit on the other end of the park. Getting exercise for dogs should be fun for both of you and worrying about bad things happening is not fun.
Stay in an isolated area until everyone gets more comfortable with this new process. That gives both of you a chance to "learn the ropes" (yes, the pun was intended) and still get a little exercise and not having to worry about other animals and other people.
There are many, many ways to get exercise for dogs, the only requirement is the effort on your part to do it. Both of you will be glad you made it a priority.
How bad were your rope burns when you first tried to do this?
Gail Ramberg has spent the last ten years learning and writing about how to live with dogs. TwoDogTownhouse will show you other ways to get as well as how to deal with the other problems associated with our furry friends. |
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