Are you afraid that your lazy, laid-back lifestyle has affected your pet's daily activity and health, especially since the lockdown? Are you out of ways to keep your pets engaged while being entertained and mentally stimulated?
Well, the solution for all of the above is pet sports or training. An essential part of psychological and physical development, sports are more than just a medium of strengthening your bond with your pet.
Sports training helps build confidence in pets, keeps them physically fit and entertained, and most importantly, enhances their mental stimulation.
Not capable of communicating and humans, animals' psychological instincts and physical strength are their best assets for survival.
Here are five sports that will help achieve and develop those qualities in your pet.
Skijoring
Skijoring came from a Norwegian term that translates to ski driving. Thus, the unusual sport has its roots in Scandinavia. With the syllable 'ski' stating the obvious fact of Skijoring being a winter sport, the fun part is the involvement of animals.
Mostly involving dogs and, at times, horses, this fun sport requires your pets to run while pulling along your ski with them.
Demanding equal efforts from both, the owner opting for the cross-country skiing technique is best to provide maximum assistance to the pet.
The equipment necessary for skijoring is a harness or skijoring belt for the skier and a sledge harness, and best dog boots for the pet.
Dock Diving
Another educative, fun, and active sport that your pet will love is dock diving. Dock diving requires the pet to jump off a specific platform, which is immensely helpful in nurturing the life-saving ability of swimming.
This sport often involves a toy or a stick, and it requires your pet to jump as far as possible while chasing it. A popular and enjoyable sport, dock-diving competitions are held worldwide, mainly during the summer season.
No extensive training for the pet or owner efforts is required for dock diving. The physical benefits it carries are note-worthy. Try it out and evaluate the results yourself.
Feline Agility
Comparatively new among the other pet sports is the fascinating sport of Feline Agility. The sport is developed considering the ever-so-curious animal species of cats and will indeed become their favorite soon!
Amusing for both the owner and the pet, Feline Agility requires the cat to finish a race filled with hurdles like hoops and tunnels. Fulfilling the dual purpose of physical activity and mental stimulation in cats, feline agility is highly entertaining to watch.
It is the reason behind its growing popularity among cat owners, with frequent competitions occurring worldwide. With mostly positively assuring reviews of cats being highly intrigued by Feline Agility, it's worth trying with your pet.
Nose Work
Nose work or scent work is the sport to opt for if you develop your pet's communication skills. Not demanding much physical movement, it is highly impactful on pets yet perfect to fit into our tight daily schedules.
The sport of nose work is a treasure hunt for animals. It requires the pet to sniff out cotton swabs previously dipped in different essential oils hidden in multiple spots. Of course, the pets need to alert their owners after every find, and the fastest one to do so is the winner.
So, communication is critical in this sport. So, double up the excitement of this already super-fun sport by involving your beloved pets in it.
Schutzhund
Originating in Germany, the meaning of the name of this unusual animal sport is protection dog. Therefore, it is only fair to consider Schutzhund the ultimate package of a pet sport with its significant contributions to your pet's overall development.
Schutzhund is popularly known to develop an animal's intelligence, strength, and utility. In addition, this sport helps enhance a pet's tracking skills, obedience, and protection abilities to be the most purposeful and loyal to the owner.
Schutzhund teaches an animal to properly utilize its strengths to be a fierce protector for you as well as for itself. Investing your time in this thoroughly engaging animal sport will surely yield positive changes in your pet. Try it out! You'll be amazed by the results.
Discussed above are only a few of the diverse sports options available for pets. When it comes to unusual sports for pets, there are plentiful.
However, the pet owner must take their pet for a thorough veterinary examination before engaging them in any sport. Only once the vet gives an all-clear the pet owner should consider the sports to challenge the pet’s mind and body.
It's best to accommodate two or three sports to their playtime to see better engagement and development in pets. Each sport has its unique approach and focuses on different areas of your pet's well-rounded development.
Incorporating more than two sports options will also break the monotony of your pet's playing routine and keep them interested.
