Lucky is a bundle of fur with a couple of big bright eyes sticking out. His tail wags as soon as you look at him and he spends most of his days lying on your lap drooling. However, although Lucky seems timid and worried a lot of the time, it doesn’t seem to be affecting his appetite. In fact, he's happy to hoover up any food that is put in front of him. Now, this might be entertaining to watch and harmless at this stage. But you know if Lucky is going to continue eating everything in sight then he needs to start exercising too.
Training your puppy to exercise is absolutely essential. Firstly, exercise is a great way for you both to bond and for a dog to put their nose to good use in nature’s backyard. But exercise is also important if they are to grow up to be fit, strong and healthy.
The good news is training your puppy to exercise is going to be both fun and relatively straightforward. Your little buddy simply needs the right motivation. Food and toys will be used to that end. The other thing they need is an upbeat, playful owner. Puppies mirror their owners' feelings, so the more fun they see you have, the more they will want to play and the easier it will be to train them.
If your pup is keen to get on your good side and follows instructions then you may see results in a matter of days. However, if they're stubborn and would rather spend their days lying around, then you may need a few weeks before you see regular results. Training Lucky to exercise could well save them from illnesses and ailments when they're older, such as arthritis. Breeds like Labradors, in particular, are susceptible to developing such conditions.
Before you start training you need to make sure you have everything you need. The most important requirement is space. You don’t want to break anything, so a large yard or local park is a good place to work. You will also need a friend or family member.
You will also need a decent supply of treats, as well as some toys to get your pup excited about. You’ll need about 15 minutes each day for training. The more often you train, the sooner you will see results.
Once you have all that, just bring optimism and some sneakers, then work can begin!