Dogs are naturally playful and enjoy having opportunities to play independently and with others. Not only is play fun for our dog, but it’s also extremely important for our dog’s overall well-being. Just as play is an essential part of human development, the same is true for dogs. Play helps puppies to learn as they explore the world, develop motor skills, and learn to engage with other dogs and people. Playtime is equally essential for our adults and even our senior dogs providing much-needed mental and physical exercise and enrichment.
Benefits of play for physical health
All dogs, regardless of breed or size, need physical exercise and enrichment. Play is a great way to inspire our dogs to stay active. Dogs who get regular exercise are often healthier. Play can support keeping your dog active, which can improve overall health. Regular play can support your dog with building and maintaining their general fitness, including coordination and balance. This can help keep dogs at a healthy weight and prevent weight-related health issues from developing. Regular play also helps dogs to build and maintain a healthy muscle tone which can support aging more gracefully for our dogs and help to prevent injuries in the future. Making play a regular part of your dog’s day is an easy and fun way to inspire your dog to get the health benefits of staying more active. Playing with your dog might even increase the amount of exercise you get!
Improving mental health
Play isn’t just about keeping our dogs physically active and exercising. Play can also help our dogs to feel their best mentally. Making sure your dog has a variety of outlets for play can support your dog to relax and decompress if they have been stressed or worried. Play can help dogs to emotionally self-regulate and problem solves, helping your dog to be less stressed and upset in daily life or when they are experiencing changes like while traveling or if the family is moving to a new home. Engaging your dog in play can also help to build your dog’s confidence and help improve your dog’s focus during training. Mentally challenging your dog through play with games and puzzles is essential at all stages of life, from puppyhood through adulthood. Play can even help keep your senior dog mentally sharp as they age.
Stress relief
For dogs who are struggling with stress and anxiety, play can be a perfect way to help your dog blow off steam and help them to relax. Engaging your dog in play can help to reduce the levels of stress your dog is experiencing, which can decrease stress-related behaviors like barking, digging, and pacing. Providing your dog with play opportunities can support your dog with managing their feelings during stressful situations. It can help your dog to be calmer, happier, and more capable of adjusting to changes or stressors in their environment.
Boredom buster
When dogs become bored, not only does their mental health suffer, but they also quickly begin to develop various behavioral problems, including excessive barking, digging, to chew, and other destructive behaviors to alleviate their boredom. Making sure that your dog has lots of outlets to play, both interactive and independent playtime, can help to treat and even prevent your dog from getting bored. Avoiding boredom can help your dog to be calmer and display fewer negative behaviors around the house.
Bonding
Playtime is an excellent way for dogs and their people to bond and an opportunity for us to learn more about our individual dogs’ personalities, feelings, and behavior. Building playtime into your daily routine with your dog can improve your dog’s physical and mental health and can even have a positive impact on our mental health. By strengthening the relationship that we have with our dogs through play, we can live together with less conflict and a greater understanding of each other. To help your dog get the best physical and mental impacts from play, explore different types of toys, games, and activities to discover what you and your dog most enjoy.
