When you think about finding a job for your pup, there is no question that bikejoring sounds like hard work. This activity involves riding your bike, with your dog attached and pulling you. If your dog is in need of a job and has a good amount of energy, this is a great activity to involve them in, as it will benefit their physical and mental health. Bikejoring will give your pup a task that will keep them busy while allowing you the chance to spend time together. This activity has the additional benefit of allowing your dog to run at the pace he prefers, which is likely faster than you are able to keep up with. After putting in some major effort bikejoring, you pooch will likely be tired and calm, at least for a little while. For all of these reasons, bikejoring is becoming more popular and may just be the perfect activity for you and your canine companion!
Search and rescue is an excellent activity for working dog breeds. Should your pup get involved with search and rescue, their training will involve the job of learning how to locate someone who is lost. Once your dog is trained, they will be ready to embark on the job of finding someone who may be missing in the wilderness. Between search and rescue missions, your dog can continue to work by practicing finding someone and by going on hikes to build their endurance level. An added bonus of this work is that you and your canine can do it together; not only can you and your dog make a difference in your community, but you can enjoy quality time with one another. You can also join a search and rescue group, where you and your pooch can make new friends as you embark on missions.
Time in the water is great for working dogs. While "fetch" is a good job for your dog, playing fetch in the water adds an additional element. This activity can be done with a pool, a river, lake or in the ocean. Once you know your pup is comfortable in the water, and understands the idea of "fetch", throw a ball or toy into the water for them to retrieve. Your pup can run to the water, jump in, and grab hold of the item. Then can then (depending on the depth of the water) swim or run with the item to bring it back you. This can be repeated over and over until your pooch is pooped!
Agility activities are great for working dog breeds. These will give them something to focus on (a job), which will keep them physically and mentally stimulated. Even better, these activities will offer you and your pup a lot of time to interact and further develop your relationship. Start small and simple; for example, with PVC pipe, set up a low jump. As your pup masters the jump, you can then raise the height of the pipe. A similar thing can be done with a hula hoop; start by placing it on the ground and having your dog walk through. You can slowly increase the height of the hula hoop as your dog achieves each height. A kiddie tunnel is also a great agility activity to introduce to your pup. As your dog masters a few activities, you can combine them for an obstacle course!
A great job that your dog is sure to love: finding you! If your dog struggles with "stay", you can have a friend hold their collar until you are ready. Once you have hidden, it is time for your dog to find you. Start with some easy hiding spots and gradually makes things more difficult. This is a great way for your pup to practice tracking! You can increase the difficulty of this activity by having multiple people hide, or change things up by hiding your dog's toys. Hide and Seek is a great way to increase your dog's skills, keep them active AND spend quality time together.