Watching Sports with Your Dog

If you’re a huge sports fan and an avid dog lover, then there’s probably nothing that sounds more fun than having the two together. Watching your favorite sports team play with your canine companion by your side can feel like living the dream. But, watching sports with your pooch isn’t as simple as it may sounds. Here are some tips on what you should and shouldn’t be doing when watching the game with Fido.

Keep Things Moving

Your four-legged friend most likely gets excited when they start watching moving objects on the television. And nothing says “moving objects” like sports, so you can bet your pup will be excited. Sometimes your canine might not even need to physically exert themselves because watching all that movement on the TV could keep them engaged on the couch for hours. There are certain sports, though, like golf, that is probably not going to be as entertaining to your pup as football and basketball probably are. So, the point here is – if you want your furry friend to join you in watching the game, you might want to be sure it’s a fast-paced one. 

Refrain from Cursing

Sports can be suspenseful, exciting, but also sometimes frustrating. And sometimes, when expressing that frustration, we might drop a few f-bombs. Unfortunately, this will not usually fly very well with Fido. Just like your pooch can’t stand the sudden booms on the 4th of July, they’re also not too fond of you suddenly bursting with anger. You know that you’re yelling at the referee for making a bad call, but your canine does not, and they might assume you’re upset with them. Dogs are also masters at reading body language, so sometimes they can tell when we’re upset just by analyzing our physical posture and action. 

If a bad call or play is made, maybe consider walking it off and coming back when you’re cooled down. Maybe even bring a treat back with you to help Fido forget what all the fuss was about.

You Might Want to Avoid Tennis

If your dog reacts to dog commercials or any other animal-related commercial like the Budweiser Clydesdales – then you know the easiest thing is just to change the channel. Since many dogs love their tennis balls, the sounds and visuals of a tennis match might seem like a cruel trick or taunt to them. So, for tennis matches, that might be another example of when the best move is to change the channel. 

Watching sports with your furry friend can be fun, but sometimes you have to work with your pup on what they can and can’t handle so that the game is fun for both of you.