H is for Hula Hoop – #atozchallenge

Thanks for liking us! Sadie and I really appreciate all the love!

I recently got Sadie a hula hoop to jump through for some fun exercise. We’re still getting the hang of it, but once we get going she has a blast. When I first take it out of the closet she is both curious and scared of it. If I hold it still, she will go up to it and sniff it. But the minute it moves she jumps back and barks at it. Once she’s used to the hula hoop being in her space, I start giving her the jump command and point at the hoop. Sometimes I hold a treat on the other side of the hoop to entice her through it. At first she tries to run around the sides of the hoop to get to the treat. Once she realizes that the only way to get the treat is through the hoop, she starts listening to my command and jumping. Another trick to really get her excited about jumping through the hoop is throwing something she loves through it so she jumps through to chase that item. I usually do this with tissues or paper towels because for some reason that really motivates Sadie, but I’m sure a favorite toy or ball would work with other dogs. Once Sadie is really excited and enjoying the exercise, she happily jumps back and forth through the hoop with her tail wagging and a smile on her face, proud that she’s accomplishing the task I’m asking her to complete. I love this fun activity because it provides exercise and stimulation for my dog, along with boosting her self-confidence.

This post is part of the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge.

Check out Slimdoggy‘s blog hop below to find other great pet blogs taking the challenge with me!

This post is part of Thank You Honey’s Whatever Wednesday blog hop.

Thanks for liking us! Sadie and I really appreciate all the love!