Create A Healthy Walking Routine For Your Dog This Year
As we step into the new year, many of us are embracing resolutions for a healthier, more balanced lifestyle. Why not extend those positive changes to your furry family member as well? Establishing good walking habits with your dog is not only beneficial for their physical well-being, but also strengthens the bond between you and your pet. At Your Pet Care Connection, we understand the challenges that pet owners face, especially for those who work during the day.
In this month’s pet blog post, we’ll explore the importance of regular walks, offer tips on developing a sustainable walking routine, and highlight how our professional dog walking services can be the perfect solution for keeping your pup active and happy when you can’t be there in the afternoons.
Check out these pawsome tips, below, to help develop a sustainable walking routine for your pet:
Consistent Schedule
Setting a consistent time for daily walks helps your dog establish a routine they can rely on. Consistency helps any pet, especially dogs, eliminate the “stress of the unknown”. Think about your personal work schedule. Does it change, stay the same, or rotate? Which would be less stressful for you, if you knew about changes ahead of time so you can anticipate it, or if you were “on-call”? The same is true for your pet. Adding routine to your pet’s day helps eliminate the added anxiety of the unknown. Having a regular caregiver for your pet provides them with an expected regimen.
Start Gradually
If your dog isn’t used to regular walks, start with shorter sessions and gradually increase the duration. Not everyone can just pick up and run a marathon without practicing for it first. Your pet is built the same way. Speak with your vet, and your professional dog walker, to best ensure that your pet’s activity level meets their personal needs.
Variety in Routes
Within your pet’s daily routine, it’s still good to mix small things up to keep things interesting. You can keep things interesting for your dog, by varying your walking routes, adding playtime in between, and incorporating sniff-n-find activities. Exploring different neighborhoods, or parks, can also help provide mental stimulation. Think outside the box! Something as simple as reversing your pet’s normal walking route can help provide that much needed variety to their daily walk.
Incorporate Playtime
Integrate play breaks during walks, allowing your dog to engage in activities like fetch or off-leash play in safe, fenced-in, areas. Healthy mental stimulation, through enrichment activities, is an equally important component to your pet’s health!
Professional Dog Walking Services
Many people enjoy the convenience of a professional dog walking service, even if they work from home. Having a trusted care service regularly lined up for your pet can remove the stress, worry, and guilt of leaving your pet home alone during long work hours. For those who work from home, having a hyper play-ready pet underfoot can lead to a lurched workflow, and rather disruptive Zoom meetings. Having regular visits set up with your professional dog walker helps give your pet a routine, so they know when’s the best time to be “play-ready”, evening their energy levels out during the day.
Tailored Walks
Speaking of energy levels, did you know that each pet needs their own individualized care routine? Having a professional dog walker who can help tailor your pet’s walks based on your dog’s breed, energy level, and age is vital to ensuring your pet gets the most out of their walks. Having a trusted professional, who can communicate any health or behavioral changes in your pet, provides valuable third party insight as to your pet’s care needs.
Socialization Opportunities
Providing valuable socialization opportunities for your pet, through interacting with other pets and people, helps keep your pup open-minded and stress-free when interacting with others. Consult with your dog trainer, to learn more about how you can safely facilitate positive interactions with others.
All-Weather Support
Don’t let bad weather give your pet’s routine the boot! Your Pet Care Connection’s professional dog walkers can ensure pets get their exercise, and healthy mental stimulation, rain or shine. Your pet’s daily dog walk provides more than just exercise, it lends your pet stability through routine consistency. Through modified walks, enrichment activities, and more, YPCC can provide that consistency to your pet’s daily schedule.
Peace of Mind
YPCC has been providing Moore County NC pet owners with consistent quality care since 2017. We offer more than just pet care services, we offer peace of mind. Let YPCC’s expert pet care specialists put your mind at ease, knowing that your fur-family is getting the attention and exercise they need, even when you can’t be there.
Regular Updates
One of the best parts of having a quality pet care provider in your back pocket are the care updates. Nothing quite beats seeing your pet’s smiling snoot at lunchtime, or when you’re missing them on your vacation. Through our pet care software YPCC’s family members get to see the quality care we provide their pets with, each and every visit. Rest easy, and look forward to fun care journal updates, with GPS located visits and walks, happy pet pictures, and messages from your YPCC pet care specialists each visit.
Walking With It
For dogs, setting and maintaining a routine can help reduce stress and anxiety levels, maintain a healthy weight, reinforce potty training, prevent UTIs, and much more. For pet parents, it helps remove the stress of leaving their pet at home while providing them with a happier, healthier, and more relaxed pet.
Even in inclimate weather, YPCC’s pet care specialists are there to support your pet, and you, through maintaining their daily routine. Through modified walks, potty breaks, and indoor enrichment activities and playtime, YPCC is the key to your pet’s routine consistency.
Rember, just like with our physical fitness, your pet’s exercise routine needs to be established before it’s built upon. We’re here to help you every paw print of the way. YPCC offers a variety of walking lengths (15 min, 30 min, 45 min, 60 min), to help meet the individual care needs of each pup we care for.
YPCC’s dog walking services can seamlessly fit into anyone’s busy schedule, providing optimal care for your beloved pets. Regardless of whether you’re working, vacationing, or simply need a helping hand, YPCC’s pet care specialists are here to help 365 days of the year. YPCC is dedicated to providing your pet with all the time, care, and attention they need. Call Your Pet Care Connection, and help your pet get into a healthy care routine this year!