12th Nov 2024
They say it’s a dog’s life. That’s certainly something that can be said for life at Linmere. The active spaces and 5 minute-connections to green space we provide for our 2-legged residents also apply to our 4-legged ones too! Furthermore, our vision for Linmere is to create the right place for our trusted companions, to improve the quality of their lives too.
It’s important to keep your dog active for many reasons. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to obesity in dogs, which can shorten their life expectancy and lead to health problems such as joint pain, diabetes, and respiratory issues. Additionally, an active dog is a happy dog! Regular exercise helps to keep dogs mentally stimulated and can help prevent behaviour problems such as boredom, chewing, and separation anxiety.
April is Active Dog Month, a time to explore how we create healthy and happy lives for our dogs. Living with a dog can easily fall into routines and whilst we do our utmost to kept them walked, there are other aspects to keeping a dog healthy in body and mind. Dogs are smart beings, and they enjoy variety and stimulus in their lives, to help them physically and emotionally.
Exploring Active Dog Month, we came across some interesting suggestions for adding variety in their activity, building the relationship, and improving their overall physical and mental well-being. Our family dogs play a big part in our lives, so we thought it would be worth sharing some of the ideas we found. Enjoy!
Indoor activities for dogs
Dogs spend most of their time indoors and we tend to fall into the routine of only exercising them on the outdoor walk. Here’s 2 simple ideas to keep them stimulated, whatever the weather. These are ideal for younger dogs and puppies.
01 Create an obstacle course
Grab some boxes, piles of old clothes and anything you can to create a course for your dog to navigate. Be prepared to get involved and help your trusted friend crack the course. Ideal for puppies and getting the kids involved.
02 Hide and seek
Call their name, run and hide. When they find you, reward and praise them for their efforts. Of course, you’re going to run out of new places, but dogs will play no matter. This is a great activity to tap into their hunting instincts and burn off some of their energy.
Outdoor activities for dogs
03 Find a new walk
Break the routine and find a new walk. A chance to find new trails, new sights and new smells is incredibly stimulating for dogs. Try one of the Linmere loops [link here] or different routes around Linmere park, especially as the weather and daylight has improved.
04 Get them running
You don’t have to do this every time you take the dog out for a walk, but opening their lungs on a good sprint is going to do them the world of good. Of course, dependent on breed, dogs are well-built to put a bit of pace into daily routines. Playing fetch is fail-safe option to make them do most of the work, if you don’t want to join them.
05 Take them for a swim
It’s no secret that most dogs don’t enjoy a bath and they only reluctantly take part. So why do many dogs love swimming? Firstly, they’re in control. If it’s their doing to jump into a lake and paddle around, it’s far less stressful than a bath. And, more importantly, there are many breeds who come from an ancestral line trained to swim. For many dogs, it comes entirely naturally.
Around Linmere, there are 2 recommendations. Firstly, Priory Park in Bedford offers a shallow beach into a lake, that Trip Advisor recommends for dog swimming. More details are available on this All-Trails link here.
As a real bonus, Bedfordshire offers a dedicated indoor aquatics centre for dogs, in Ridgemont, just off jct 13 M1. This is an ideal location to get your trusted friends to build their confidence in the water, and enjoy some fun, resistance, exercise. Details on the link here.
Linmere is designed to be a place for communities that embraces the natural environment, and where all generations can enjoy a great quality of life. This exciting new collection of leafy and walkable neighbourhoods, situated north of Houghton Regis Bedfordshire, located close to M1 Junction 11a. Nestled into verdant surroundings, its first homes completed and inhabited in 2021. The Land Trust will maintain and preserve these spaces on behalf of Houghton Regis Management Company.
Linmere is designed to be a place for communities that embraces the natural environment, and where all generations can enjoy a great quality of life. This exciting new collection of leafy and walkable neighbourhoods, situated north of Houghton Regis Bedfordshire, located close to M1 Junction 11a. Nestled into verdant surroundings, its first homes completed and inhabited in 2021. The Land Trust will maintain and preserve these spaces on behalf of Houghton Regis Management Company.
