Prioritise Play Time with your Puppy
I doubt that anybody would consider playing with their doggy friend to be a chore. But did you know that there are many benefits to doing so regularly?
Read below for more information.
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Builds your bond
Spending quality time with your puppy is a great way to strengthen your connection with them. Dogs love play time – especially when it’s with their human!
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It’s a workout for you both!
What better way to workout than playing with your favourite furry friend? Playing with your puppy is surprisingly a great form of exercise for you both.
It doesn’t need to be a mammoth marathon session of hide and seek – just 5-10 minutes a day can make a huge difference.
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Provides Mental Stimulation
Everybody knows how important it is to take your pet on walks and encourage physical exercise – but it’s also important to keep their minds active too.
Playing simple games with them such as ‘catch’ can encourage decision making (whether to return the ball) and helps to build focus (concentrating on catching the item).
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Stress Relief
It’s a super simple way to improve the mood of your puppy. Studies have found that spending time with your dog can help improve symptoms of depression and anxiety for both of you.
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Training your Furry Friend
A great benefit is that it’s a great way to sneak in some daily training. It helps to reinforce desirable behaviour by showing your dog the consequences of their actions.
For example – if you are playing with your pooch and they started to get too rough, you could simple stop playing the game.
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Boredom Busting to Stop Bad Behaviour
Engaging in regular play with your dog can help cure their boredom and prevent negative behaviours such as chewing shoes or excessive barking.
By playing with them, you are keeping them busy and engaged and limiting the chance for them to cause trouble by finding their own form of entertainment.
So, the next time you find yourself procrastinating by playing with your puppy - there's no need to feel guilty!