Starting a New Activity with Your Dog - It's Never too Late

It's pretty common knowledge that owning a dog keeps people a lot fitter and healthier. Our lovely canine companions also bring a lot of pleasure into their owners lives and the more they interact with each other, the stronger the bond becomes. Lots of people decide to start a new activity with their dogs and if the truth be known, there is no age limit whether you want to take part in agility or some other activity you can do with your canine companion.

All it really takes is a little determination along with some will power and you and your dog can start something new together that will benefit the both of you. It's a great way of meeting new and like minded people. It's also a brilliant way to get your dog to do more exercise which in turn will get them fitter and could even prolong their lives!

There are many activities that dog owners can get involved in and this includes things like the following:

Cani-cross

This is a great sport that sees handlers and dogs run off road. Canine running companions wear a padded harness and their owners a waistband with a lead that attaches the two of them together.

The events can be quite long trail runs or they may be shorter runs. Whether you want to take part in a long or short even, they are great fun with a lot of walking and a little running in the great outdoors which makes it a very social activity. Dogs love it and so do their owners with each of them egging the other on!

Any breed of dog can take part in this activity and because all dogs are attached to their owners by their leads, it's very safe with both dogs and their owners being nice and relaxed albeit tired when they reach the finish line!

What About Heel-work to Music?

Heel-work to music is another brilliant social activity that many dog owners love to take part in and it really doesn't matter what age you happen to be. Younger dogs partnered to older people can take part in HTM and the best part is that it really does help when it comes to training a either an older dog a few new tricks or a younger dog who is just learning the ropes.

Taking part in this type of activity really does strengthen a person's bond with their canine companion. If you love music and enjoy dancing, it's a great activity and dogs really love it too.

Agility Training is Not Just For the Young

You may think that taking part in agility might be better left to younger people, but you would be wrong! Lots of older people get involved and any breed of dog is always welcome as long as they are well behaved. You'll find Miniature Poodles along with Border Collies and Great Danes all enjoying agility along with teenagers and people in their eighties all having a lot of fun and even competing at pretty high levels!

There is no doubt that dogs love doing agility and get very excited when they know they are on their way to a training session. The same can be said for their owners because going along to this type of activity allows them to meet new friends, enjoy each other's company and a passion for their canine friends!

Flyball a Fun Filled Activity

Flyball is another great activity that knows no age barriers. All breeds of dogs can take part which means you get to see tiny dogs and larger dogs all enjoying what has become a very popular canine activity over the last few years.

You'll find most towns around the country now have someone who organises and teaches flyball with more dog owners than ever wanting to get involved even if it is only to take their pooches along for the training sessions rather than get involved in the competition side of things.

Sponsored Charity Walks for Great Causes

Sponsored charity walks with our canine friends tagging along are also extremely popular activities to get involved in these days. It can be a fantastic day out with your dog as you raise money for a very good cause. There's no age limit to who takes part and all breeds of dogs are naturally welcome as long as they are well behaved!

Sheepdog Training

If you would like to get involved in something a little more demanding on both you and your canine companion, consider taking part in sheepdog training. It can be great fun while at the same time, it teaches dogs new commands and to obey them instantly.

It's a great activity and there is no age limit as to who can get involved. If your pooch is hyper active, it could be a brilliant solution to keeping them physically and mentally stimulated which means a very happy dog all round!

Other Great Activities to Try Out with Your Pooch

• Search and rescue
• Scent work
• Registering your dog for Pets as Therapy work
• Rally obedience
• Voluntary work