Activities For Bernese Mountain Dogs

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Introduction

How great it is to be best friends with an overly cute Bernese Mountain Dog? Not only are they perfect cuddle buddies, they are also loyal friends, gentle souls, and fabulous looking majestic creatures. However, Bernese Mountain Dogs require daily exercise in order to stay healthy and happy, and in order for their brains to stay fresh. Since running each day can be fun but a bit boring at times, you might consider introducing some new activities that will provide loads of fun and that much needed exercise that will keep both of you in the shape of your lives.

Hoop In, Hoop Out

Popular
0 Votes
Sunny Day
Expensive
Normal
1 hr
Items needed
hula hoops
big tubes
hurdles
crates
treats
hot dogs
jerky
Activity description

To exercise your Bernese, you will need to be an energetic person too. However, you don’t have to rely only to running along the river each day, you can also make a challenging obstacle course that your doggo will surely enjoy. Gather your resources, such as hula hoops, tubes, and even hurdles and start building your course. You can really get creative here and use inexpensive or pricy materials and making the course as big or as small as you desire. This one will definitely be a weekend project that you will get to use for years to come.

Step
1
Build your course
First of all, you need a course to play in, right? Gather your friends and family to help you transform your backyard into an Olympic course made for champions. This game is best enjoyed in a big backyard, and is especially amazing if you already live in an area with a lot of space. Place your obstacles around the backyard, and make sure they follow one another, meaning, they are not randomly scattered around. How easy or hard you make the course is completely up to you, and you can always upgrade the course as you go.
Step
2
Establish the rules
Show your dog that they need to go through all the obstacles to reach a tasty treat at the end. Show them how to go through all the items and what they have to do with each obstacle. For example, jump through hoops, crawl under a crate, jump over hurdles, and wiggle through the big tubes. Take as much time as your dog needs and make sure to include a lot of praise every time they do something right.
Step
3
Live to win!
As Paul Stanley sang, “Live to win, take it all, just keep fighting till you fall”! Place a super tasty treat at the end of the obstacle track and have your dog go through all the hurdles to reach it. You can also follow them by doing the same thing, and even bring your friend’s dogs to join the fun. Both you and your pupper will get a lot of exercise and have a blast while doing so!

Hot Dog Hunt

Popular
0 Votes
Sunny Day
Cheap
Normal
1 hr
Items needed
hot dogs
plates
medal (optional)
Activity description

This game is perfect if you have friends who have their own dogs as well. You can make a fun competition amongst the peers by organizing a Hot Dog Hunt that will surely make your weekend super fun. All you need is some plates and a bunch of hot dogs that you will place some 30 feet away from the starting point. The winner gets to keep all the hot dogs and share them with the rest of the gang, and, if you are feeling really competitive, even a medal! 

Step
1
Get your tools
You will need several plates and a lot of hot dogs for this one. Have someone help you set the whole thing up, by measuring about 30 feet from the starting line and lining the finish line with the plates. Each plate should have one hot dog on it. You can mark the starting point with chalk if you are doing this on a hard surface, or with something else if your court of choice is grass.
Step
2
Compete!
Signal the beginning of the game. Both the dog and the owner should run to the plate. Your Bernese should pick up the hot dog but NOT eat it. Race back to the starting point and pile the hot dogs on each corresponding pile. Someone should place new hot dogs on each plate as soon as they get picked up. In the end, the team with most hot dogs brought back wins, and gets to bask in the glory of victory forever.

Fun Hike

Popular
0 Votes
Sunny Day
Moderate
Easy
2 hrs
Items needed
hiking shoes
water
treats
Activity description

Hiking and light exercise is definitely necessary for a lovely Bernese. Your dog needs to stay happy and healthy and keep that waistline slender in order to thrive. Actually, you will benefit from daily exercise too, and keep your bones and muscles strong and tight all year round. Bernys are always eager to please you and they will be thrilled to join you on an adventure in nature, so get those hiking shoes dusted off and venture into the great outdoors with your best friend!

Step
1
Get outside
Find a nice hiking place. Pick a forested area, as crooked trees will give you something to jump over, crawl under, or walk around, making the hike more interesting. Make sure that both you and your dog do not touch any poisonous plants, and watch your Bern to ensure that they are not eating anything suspicious. Always let someone know where you will be, just in case something happens.
Step
2
Enjoy the outdoors
Hiking with a friend is more fun than hiking alone, and if your friend happens to be an adorable Bern, even better! Make the hike interesting by having your doggo jump over logs, crawl under the low tree branches, and roll around in the grass together. Give them a low calorie treat every time they manage to complete the leap, and include a lot of praise and love. Making this a weekend thing will keep both of you happy and healthy, and keep your dog’s weight controlled.

More Fun Ideas...

Sling Fetch

Get a big slingshot and shoot some toys. Make sure they go pretty far away and have your dog fetch them back to you. Running after a toy will provide exercise and promote the senses.

Musical Chairs

If the weather is bad, play some musical chairs with your big dog. The fun is amplified due to Berny’s huge size, so some cleaning up might be necessary after this. 

Conclusion

As you can see, exercising with a big Bern does not have to be monotonous. You can combine some of these activities and create a mega hybrid of an activity. For example, mixing Hoop In, Hoop Out and Hot Dog Hunt will make quite an interesting weekend competition for you and your friends (and their dogs, of course), so don’t be afraid to get creative!