The best exercise for your dog, both physically as well as mentally, could be the various games which you can play with it. The health of your dog could be determined by how active it is in mind and body. Playing games to improve your dog's fitness is far better than to just take it for a walk or jog as it will lead to both the physical and mental well being of the dog. A few of the games which you can play with your furry friend to maintain its health are...

The Frisbee
One of the best games, which you can play with your dog is Frisbee. This game involves complex movements and calculations which the mind of the dog has to perform so as to comprehend the trajectory of the disc to catch it. This will act as the mental exercise for the dog. Apart from this, the game also involves running and jumping which will give the dog the physical exercise it needs.

Hide and seek
Hide and seek is a great game, which you can play with your dog to enhance his sensing capabilities. By playing this game, the dog will learn to use his senses better so as to track you down. This enhancement of the senses will help the dog's development.

Chase
This game involves you taking some object, which is of value to the dog and running, and the dog will chase you down. Try to outrun and try to run in varied patterns so that the dog has to use the mind and the body to catch you. The game is great for the health of both you and the dog as you will also end up getting some exercise. Similarly, you can reverse the role and let the dog run with something, which you have and you should chase the dog.

Fetch
The classic game of fetch involves you throwing an article like a stick or a ball and your dog will run to retrieve it back. In this the dog can get physically healthier and mentally more alert as well. To improve mental alertness of the dog you should sometimes just pretend that you throw the stick and see if the dog runs.

 Wrestling
Mild wrestling with your dog over stuff can increase his strength. But in this game care should be taken that the game doesn't get out of control. Don't overdo it or else either the dog or you will get hurt. Also playing this game a lot is not good as it could hamper the way the dog looks to you. It is better to play this game only occasionally.

These are just 5 out of the many commonly played games by dog owners with their furry friends. You can even develop your own personal game with your dog depending on its nature. It is very important the game which you play matches the behavior of your pet, so choose wisely and enjoy yourself.

Article by: Mikael Rieck