Activities for Caucasian Shepherds – Playtime and exercise

Embarking on a journey with a new dog into your family will bring with it a new range of activities and a commitment to providing for its needs of play and exercise. A Caucasian mountain dog is a massive dog and although it generally has a low range of energy, it is very intelligent and needs plenty of mental activity so it would be very useful for you to know how to do best in satisfying its needs.

We have put together some essentials in what concerns engaging and healthy activities for Caucasian shepherds and some tips from our experience of more than twenty years of raising these beautiful giants.

Leashed walks and hikes

Walking on a leash with your Caucasian Shepherd puppy is very important from an early age, no matter if you live in a house with a large yard and you consider there’s plenty of space for movement. First of all, it brings a good dose of mental activity for the if you do a couple of walks per day, due to all the new landscapes and smells it can see and a good dose of physical exercise if you walk with them for at least 20 minutes.

Also, walking with the Ovcharka dog on a leash is crucial to their social education and their basic training needs. You can ask for the help of a dog trainer in the first stages so that you know exactly what to do and how to assist your puppy in learning how to interact properly with other humans and animals.

Toys

Toys are essential for any dog, no matter breed or size, you just have to adapt to the each and buy the adequate toys. For large dogs such as Caucasian mountain dogs it is important to have dimension suited toys so that there is no risk for swallowing. The pups have their tethering period and they will look for things to chew around the house and yard. Also, they can get bored when left for more hours on their own so providing some fun dog toys can be a great benefit for them.

Squeaky rubber or latex toys are great for younger dogs, they can have a lot of fun tossing them around, they enjoy the sound they make and also they can spend quite some time in chewing them. Another great chewer and pastime for any dog is the Kong-type toy which you can give to your canine friend stuffed with food when you leave home and it will keep him surely occupied. You can also use the Kong to play fetch with the dog or to hide is and to ask the dog to look for it.

Balls and Frisbees are also great for Caucasians, as long as you buy them from a pet store and pay attention at their size and material. It is best to get flexible toys from chewable materials so that to avoid any risk of injury for the dog.

Dog training and games

The best environment for a Russian Shepherd dog will always be the rural areas where they can exercise their natural abilities of guarding and herding. So it would be ideal for an Ovcharka to be around a herd of sheep and for sure this will keep him or her naturally occupied, knowing by instinct what to do.

However, if it is not the case and you do not have sheep available, you can improvise different games for your dog to keep entertained. Hide and seek could be a success, especially if you have a big yard or a forest nearby to explore, teaching your dog to stay and wait until you hide and then inviting him to look for you.

Tug of war is also a very popular game for all dogs, using a specific rope toy to pull around with your furry friend. Be prepared for quite a workout for yourself, as Caucasians are powerful creatures.

Except for the games, taking your Caucasian pup to training obedience classes will be one of the best investments that you can make, learning thus how to work with him efficiently and preparing him for a balanced social life.

So it is clear that your life with a Caucasian mountain shepherd will be a colorful and dynamic life and for the well-being of both owners and dogs it is essential to know how to provide the needed activities for Caucasian shepherds’ playtime and exercise.

At the Titans Family kennel we always provide toys for our pups to have fun with and take them to daily well-deserved leashed walks. You can share always more ideas and tips with your local Caucasian shepherd community or online on canine lover forums.