Maintaining a reasonable fitness level in your dog is essential to a healthy life for your pet. Exercises are very important for dogs, just as they are for humans. The activities don’t have to be too intense; the frequency and consistency are vital to your pet’s health.

To carry out an effective fitness session, you need to kit your pet up with pieces of pet-modified equipment that make the exercises enjoyable for them. Some of such items are listed below:

1. Dog collars and leashes

The essential tools for walking dogs are collars and leashes. They offer the dog handler enough control over the dog’s movement, checking it when it tends to go out of hands.

The collars fit around the dog’s neck, while the leashes are attached to collars and held by the handler. The collars must be soft; they also must not choke the dog, as this will cause discomfort to the dog during the exercise session.

2. Water containers

Like humans, dogs also need water breaks. Water breaks can be taken every 20 to 30 minutes to maintain hydration in the dogs. This is even more essential when the exercises are taking a long period.

For this reason, you should have water containers handy. Such containers are a dish for serving the dog and a bottle for holding the water. They are vital when the fitness training is something like a hike or a running session, taking place on a trail away from your house.

3. First aid kit

Accidents could occur during exercises. As a result, you should pack a kit of first aid supplies and have them accessible before you start the exercises at all.

A typical first aid kit should contain ethanol or methylated spirits, iodine tincture, cotton wool, bandages, and hydrogen peroxide. These will come in handy for disinfecting surface wounds. However, if the injury is grave, the dog should be transported to the nearest veterinary clinic in the region for proper attention.

4. Booties and Paw wax

Booties refer to unique clothing material made for dogs’ paws during exercises. They may be disposable or reusable.

Booties are worn on the dog’s paws for protection against sharp surfaces. This is essential if you are planning a hike on dirt trails. Your dog could easily injure itself on those trails. The injuries could lead to worse implications later on if not noticed on time.

The downside for booties is they are not comfortable for dogs using them for the first time. Hence, you have to be slow and patient in introducing your dog to it.

An alternative for using booties is paw wax. Although this might not work if your exercise takes place on rough terrains, it is practical to hike on less hazardous paths.

5. Floatation vest

For swimming exercises, a floatation vest is needed for your dog. Most dogs, especially those swimming for the first time, are not very good at swimming and could easily drown. Hence, a floatation vest is an advisable option during swimming.

Getting your dog set for fitness sessions is excellent. Even better is using the proper equipment for your dog during exercises. A list of essentials needed can be found above.