{"id":9827,"date":"2020-10-28T10:00:59","date_gmt":"2020-10-28T15:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/?p=9827"},"modified":"2023-10-04T04:15:29","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T09:15:29","slug":"dog-walk-routine-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/blog\/health\/exercise\/dog-walk-routine-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Walk Off Boredom While You Walk Off Your Dog\u2019s Weight"},"content":{"rendered":"

Daily exercise is vital for your little buddy<\/a>, whether he or she is overweight or in great shape. This is why walking your dog can (and should) become a routine. The problem with routines, however, is that they can become ruts if you\u2019re not careful. And the last thing anyone \u2014 dog or human \u2014 needs when they exercise is a rut.<\/p>\n

So how do you keep the routine fresh? Mix it up. It\u2019s that simple, really. Do something different on your walks, every day. Check out different places, even if that just means making a right instead of a left when you step outside. Offer your dog (and yourself!) new sights, sounds and smells. You\u2019ll be amazed at how the smallest shift in your routine can stimulate your mind and your dog\u2019s senses.<\/p>\n

Some of the following tips seem pretty obvious, but sometimes when you\u2019re on autopilot, all you need is an obvious idea thrown your way. We hope these ideas help you and your dog find the fun in walking once again.<\/p>\n

Ask around<\/h3>\n

No one knows every nook and cranny of their own town. There\u2019s always a hidden trail, an out-of-the-way park, a forgotten landmark, etc. Start with asking your veterinarian if there\u2019s a recommended \u201chidden gem\u201d for dog walking, but think outside the box. Bike and outfitter shops are great places to find intel on local trails. If you don\u2019t have one of those, even asking a clerk at a big-box outdoor retailer can open up whole new worlds. These questions can help you look at your own neighborhood through fresh eyes, and if you\u2019re in a new place, asking questions can cut to the chase and get you where you need to go.<\/p>\n

Head to the city<\/h3>\n

If you live in a rural area, heading into the city for a few blocks of concrete and car horns can seem like you\u2019ve traveled to a different planet to your dog. So many foreign sights and sounds and fire hydrants! The only drawback is that your dog will want to sniff everything<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Head to the country<\/h3>\n

On the flip side, if you\u2019re used to pounding the pavement with your pooch, taking in some rolling hills and mooing cows can be a breath of fresh air. Literally.<\/p>\n

Check out the parks<\/h3>\n

Again, even if you think you know your town or neighborhood, there\u2019s a solid chance that there\u2019s a park you haven\u2019t explored recently, if at all. Check out your city\u2019s website for a full list of parks and greenspaces that allow pets. You might be pleasantly surprised. Don\u2019t forget to expand your search to include county and state parks. There could be some beautiful places that you never knew about right in your own backyard.<\/p>\n

Go for a hike<\/h3>\n

\u201cHike\u201d can mean a lot of things, but for our purposes, we mean \u201chead to the woods.\u201d Checking out an off-the-beaten path (or a nicely beaten path, if you prefer) can add a whole new realm to your exercise routine. We recommend sticking to marked trails and making sure that the trail matches both your and your dog\u2019s fitness level.<\/p>\n

Invite others<\/h3>\n

Letting your dog \u201cinvite\u201d a few four-legged buddies can make walk time infinitely more enjoyable. Your dog gets to share all their favorite spots, and you get to hang with more dogs. Everyone wins! Oh, and you could invite other people, too. Some socially distanced conversation can make the miles sail by.<\/p>\n

Switch up the schedule<\/h3>\n

This one can be a little harder to incorporate. You\u2019re probably in your routine for a reason. You exercise when your schedule permits. But if you can vary the times, even by a few hours, you\u2019ll notice a world of difference. Shadows come at different angles. Traffic patterns change. But the best benefit of switching up your dog walking routine is that since others are probably also on a routine, you\u2019ll encounter new people and critters to smell.<\/p>\n

Keep within your limits<\/h3>\n

No matter how you shake up your dog\u2019s exercise routine, it\u2019s important to make sure that the activity is within their physical limits. Age, weight and physical condition all play a part in how vigorous your exercise regimen can be. For more on that, check out this post<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It can be so simple to make walk time exciting again for both yourself and your dog. All you have to do is bust the routine a little bit.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

RELATED POST: Start Boosting Activity to Help Your Overweight Dog Lose Weight<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Daily exercise is vital for your little buddy, whether he or she is overweight or in great shape. This is why walking your dog can (and should) become a routine. The problem with routines, however, is that they can become ruts if you\u2019re not careful. And the last thing anyone \u2014 dog or human \u2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":9832,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"Exploring The Benefits of Walking Your Dog","_seopress_titles_desc":"Dog walks should become a routine, but how can you keep it fun? Learn more about the benefits of walking your dog & how to discover new pet-friendly routes!","_seopress_robots_index":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[238,28],"tags":[154,499,70,386,54,168],"class_list":["post-9827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exercise","category-health","tag-diamond-care","tag-dog-exercise","tag-dog-health","tag-dog-weight-management","tag-dogs","tag-weight"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9827"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9827\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}