Allowing a child to care for a dog offers many health benefits. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health has shown that children who have dogs are more likely to be physically fit, since a stimulating and active environment is necessary for a dog's health.
"The more active lifestyles of children from dog-owning families is really interesting - is it that owning a dog makes you more active or that more active families choose to have a dog? It's a bit of a chicken and egg question," said Christopher Owen, one of the study authors, via Discovery.
Aside from daily walks or taking the dog for a swim, the child can also do routine exercises with their furry pet. Here are five suggestions:
1. Stretching
With the child standing behind a sitting dog, have him slowly reach for his toes, and as he is bending up let him pet and embrace the dog. Do this at least 10 times, while including some deep breathing exercises.
2. Sit ups
Let the child lie down on his back while the dog is sitting by the side of his feet. Slowly let the child sit up to reach and pet his dog. Hold the position for as long as comfortable, then do at least 8 cycles.
3. Pushups
The dog should be in front of the child and as the child is planked on the floor, he can execute the pushup routine, while making sure that his shoulders and hands are square and flat. As he pushes himself down to the floor, he must aim to reach the dog.
These exercises helps with the child's health, but it will also "build a solid relationship between your child and dog," according to Adventures of 8.
For older kids:
4. Running indoors
The child can use the stairs to go up and down the steps with the dog. To make this more interesting, use a toy to play throw and fetch on the stairs.
5. Tug-of-war
Have the child do tug-of-war games with the dogs using ropes and toys. However, as with all of these exercises, be aware that there are some risks, according to Cesar's Way. The dog must be properly trained and must have developed their trust and respect towards their masters to achieve a successful execution of exercises.
