Puppy Health
I probably don’t have to tell you that a healthy diet and plenty of exercise are good for your puppy to help avoid obesity and future health problems. But, because these things are so important, I feel it’s worth mentioning here.
In the feeding lesson, you learned that certain foods are better than others and that there is a definite benefit to feeding on a schedule. We won’t reiterate on that again here.
To amplify the benefits of a healthy diet for your puppy, exercise is vitally important. Exercise helps your puppy stay fit, gain muscle and coordination, and it helps with training.
How does exercise help with training? Well, we always say, “A tired puppy is a good puppy”! By giving your puppy plenty of time and space to run and play, they will wear out and be much happier in their crate. Enriching exercise and play also keeps their mind busy so they don’t become bored and destructive.
Some ways to help your puppy exercise are:
Take him on a walk
Play with toys
Go to a dog park (after he is fully vaccinated)
Run around in a fenced-in yard
Many puppies are naturally energetic and will find ways to burn energy and, thus, exercise on their own if they have the space to do so. This means giving them plenty of space and time outside of the crate or house is important.
Guess what! Baxter & Bella provides ideas and instructions for games and activities to do with your puppy to help them get the physical and mental exercise they need. This section alone is worth the membership, not to mention the free professional video calls, week-by-week lessons, and helpful PDFs.