Dogs need lots and lots of exercise. And I have to admit, sometimes dog walking becomes a chore. I’m always glad I went once I get back, and 99% of the time I enjoy the walk once I hit the pavement, but sometimes the walks can feel boring, mundane, ordinary.
We live in the city, not right downtown, but in a large metropolitan city, so we have a veritable concrete playground at our fingertips. Adam came up with a series of ‘moves’ he got Juno to do on her walks all by using what’s available to us in the neighbourhood; benches, landscaping rocks (public ones, not private), curbs, tree stumps, you name it.
We’ve never tried a concrete pillar at the ATM like this guy:
We’ll have to add that one to the list! And while Juno is certainly no competitive agility dog or a Border Collie or Hound of any sort, she’s managed all of the challenges just fine.
Turning our dog walks into urban agility challenges tired Juno out like never before – in both body and her brain, and we were all happier for it. It took the ordinary and made it extraordinary.
Some tips if you decide to try turning your next dog walk into an urban agility challenge:
1. Use what’s available – You don’t have to go far to get the most out of this challenge.
2. Get creative – See things for what they are beyond their intended use. Just about any city’s hardscaping can be turned into a fun obstacle for you and your dog – let us know what you come up with!
3. Be realistic – Take into account your dog’s health, fitness level, and body weight – you don’t want this walk turning into an unplanned vet visit.
4. Have fun! – This one’s just mandatory!
Check out this article on the Mother Nature Network for more tips and specifics as well as some great photos of dog urban agility in action. There’s also a pretty amazing video of one particularly agile pup demonstrating some creativity on the course – this guy is seriously well-trained!
Have you ever tried urban agility with your dog? Or any agility for that matter? How did it go? Do you guys spice up your everyday walks in other creative ways? If so, how? Please share with the class!
(image via)
If you happen to be living in, or travelling to, the United States, check out this list of the 10 Most Dog Friendly Cities in the USA by our friends at SpareFoot.com for tons of unique settings and activities for you and your dog. Have fun out there!
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