How Much To Exercise Your Dog
How often and how much exercise your dog needs depends on several factors—the first factor being breed. There are hyper dog breeds, like Border Collies and Goldendoodles. These high-energy, hyper dog breeds will require more daily exercise to help keep them calm and healthy. For hyper dog breeds, we recommend at least 60 minutes a day.
If you have a low-energy dog breed, like Bulldogs or Chow Chows, we recommend 30 - 45 minutes every day. We can also look at small and large dog breeds when looking at different dog breeds. For smaller dogs, like pugs and chihuahuas, we recommend 30 minutes every day. Larger breeds, like Labs and Australian Shepherds, will need 60 minutes or more every day.
Not every dog is the same, but a good rule of thumb is giving your dog 30 - 60 minutes of activity every day. You can break this up throughout the day or all at once. It is best to find a routine that works for you and your dog's life and give you both the daily activity needed to be healthy!
Dog Exercises
Now that you have an idea of how much and how often your dog needs to exercise, you will need to know what to do to keep your dog active. The easiest way is, of course, walking! Dogs love to go on walks, and it is the easiest and most realistic way to give them daily movement.
But there are countless other ways to give your dog proper exercise that go beyond a walk around your neighborhood. Bring your dog on a hike with you. A new environment, full of fresh smells, with a new walking route, is a fun and exciting exercise.
Go swimming with your dog! Swimming is a super dog exercise. It is very easy on their joints; it's fun and will really wear them out. (Get a dog life jacket to help assist them so they can stay in the water longer).
Playing with your dog's toys. Suppose it's a cold or rainy day and you're leaving the house for bathroom breaks. In that case, involving your dog in a crazy round of playing is an excellent form of exercise. Play fetch down the hallways, run up the stairs, and lots of tug-o-war. You can switch up your routine and incorporate new ways to get your dog active, find what works for you and your dog. As long as you're getting 30-60 minutes every day - you and your dog will be healthy and happy!
What if I have Dog Health Issues?
If you have a dog with an illness or a senior dog, then your dog is probably low energy and lacks the muscle to do everyday tasks. While they may be spending more time resting, they still need daily movement.
There are dog exercises that can build muscle, help joint pain, and keep your dog healthy - without making them too tired or weak. If your dog can still walk comfortably, then daily, slow and steady, walks for about 30 minutes is the best way to get them moving.
If your dog is struggling to walk or can't handle 30 minutes, you can do other forms of movement. Our favorite exercise for senior dogs is doing obedience training. This means doing different tasks and repeating them to create an exercise routine. Have your dog sit and stand. Have your dog retrieve an item. Have your dog shake each hand. Have your dog step up on a bench and back down. Repeating these different movements will help build muscle and positively move their joints. In addition, it is a great mental exercise for your dog as well.
Keeping your dog active doesn't have to be difficult, but it is a vital part of dog care and dog health. With daily movement for more than 30 minutes and bringing them along to all your adventures - you and your dog will be living their best healthy life!
