Correct exercise is essential for a healthy dog. Just as in humans, a sedentary lifestyle creates harmful consequences. When dogs lack proper exercise, they turn to unpleasant behavior such as excessive barking and chewing on objects. To determine just how much exercise your dog needs, you need to consider his age, breed and health status.
Puppies, like human children, have loads of energy and need to have much more exercise than an older dog. Similarly, certain breeds of dogs need more exercise than others. Active breeds such as herding and water dogs have a particular biological need for high amounts of physical activity. Smaller toy breeds also need higher amounts of exercise because they are generally inside dogs which can present weight problems due to inactivity. A dog’s health status is very important in determining proper exercise plans. A fit and healthy dog can endure heavy physical activity, whereas dogs suffering from injuries or illnesses need to have their activities limited.
So just how long should you exercise your dog? Dogtime Media Network states that a dog should have “30 to 60 minutes” of physical activity daily (“Dog Exercise Needs”). One can give or take time away in accordance to the their dogs specific exercise needs.
The type of exercise that your dog gets is really up to you. Walking or running with your dog at a desirable pace and duration can easily account for a healthy pet exercise regime. Playing with your dog for a sustained amount of time will also do the trick to ensure proper exercise. Perhaps you want your pet to engage in play with other dogs for exercise; the dog park is perfect for this. At a dog park, your pet has plenty of energized canine playmates to keep them busy during their exercise regime. If you do not have time to adequately exercise your dog, enroll them into a day care. Pet day care centers have daily play time and/or walking schedules for dogs to follow.
We all want our pets to live a life of longevity. A healthy exercise regime is critical for your dog to live a happy and healthy life. Not only will your dog benefit from proper physical activity, but you will benefit because your dog will be better tempered and engage less in annoying behaviors. Gather facts about your dog and make an exercise schedule. You can rest assured that when your pet is properly exercised, your relationship with them will enhance dramatically.
Works Cited
“Dog Exercise Needs”. Dogtime. Dogtime Media Network, n.d. Web. 10 Sep. 2011. <http://dogtime.com/exercise-needs.html>
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