Dogs need daily exercise to remain physically and mentally happy and healthy. Just how much exercise, and what kind, depends on a seemingly unending number of factors. Factors like the age, breed, temperament, and health of your dog play into their exercise needs. In addition to your dog, determinants such as the weather, facilities, toys, tools, and training play a large part in the daily exercise routines of both you and your dog.
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How Much Exercise Does a Dog Need Every Day?
This can be a tough question to answer. How much exercise your dog needs to be healthy depends on several different factors. How old is your dog? Younger dogs are usually much more energetic than older dogs, and too much strenuous activity can actually be detrimental to the health of a senior dog. What is his or her temperament and breed? Different dogs have different energy requirements. Some dogs may get tired after 5 minutes of fetch, while some can run alongside your bicycle for hours on end. Does your dog have a health issue? Many health problems, such as hip dyspepsia or arthritis, can severely limit the amount of daily exercise your dog should have.
How to Trick a Lazy Dog into Exercising?
Whether it’s old age, health issues, or plain laziness, some dogs just don’t seem interested in exercising. Sometimes a dog we think is lazy is really just unmotivated. To engage your dog in the exercise, you sometimes have to get creative and make physical exertion fun. Here are a few considerations to get your dog up and moving.
Is it better to feed a dog before or after exercise?
Feeding your dog after the walk is always advisable but not immediately after the walk. Leave a considerable time, say half an hour to 45 minutes, before you give him his meal. Feeding your pet while he is still warm and panting from his walk can cause digestive problems.
Everything you need to know about Muscle Building in Dogs
If your dog has the potential but he/she hasn’t built the muscle, then it might need a little bit of exercise. If your dog is still a puppy then you might have to give them some time as puppies grow at a different rate. But, if your dog is about 1-2 years, then it is time to concentrate on muscle building.
Exercise Tips for an Overweight Dog
According to the Obesity Prevention study, 55.8% of dogs in the United States are overweight or obese. That number equals about 50 million dogs. As we go through our busy lives, we humans often push exercise to the bottom of our to-do list for ourselves, so it is not surprising that so many of our dogs are suffering from obesity, too. Fortunately, exercising your overweight dog can be simple and fun for both of you.
Best Dog Exercises By Breed
While all dogs require exercise to live healthy, thriving lives, not all breeds are equal in this arena. Exercise programs should be catered to a dog’s breed, temperament, size, and confirmation. Some breeds, like the Border Collie, are high-energy working breeds that require immense amounts of exercise to remain physically and mentally healthy. Other breeds, like Great Danes, are very low-energy animals. In addition to the intensity and length of exercise, the type of exercise (agility, scenting, hunting, running, jogging, hiking, swimming, etc) should be catered to your dog’s breed as well.
Outdoor Activities
The backyard is a perfect area where you can keep your pet entertained. They can run, chase, sniff, and properly be canine. It’s amusing to play with your dog on sunny days. Games are another way to keep your dog fit. Proper dog-friendly games like cane Frisbee, tug of conflict, flirt pole, disguise and attempting to find, digging field, football hobby, water sport, and much more.
Indoor Dog Exercises
When the weather is poor or the temperatures are too extreme to go play outside, you may be faced with an overactive, under-stimulated, bored dog. This can be a recipe for disaster, as bored dogs will find ways to entertain themselves in ways you may not like. To mitigate this situation, it’s best to find something to occupy your dog before he or she finds something for you. There are many indoor exercises you can do with your dog to get both their mind and their body working hard, and hopefully, tire them out in the process. After all, a tired pooch is a well-behaved pooch.
Mental Exercises For Dogs
Dogs develop disastrous habits when they’re bored. Whether you have a puppy or a senior, a speed demon or a lazy boy, mental exercises are beneficial for all dogs. Great for days when you may be stuck indoors or in a small backyard, mental exercises can be just as tiring as physical ones. Using challenges in training, cognition, and problem-solving can get the gears grinding in your dog’s brain. All that thinking is hard work and hopefully will lead to a better-behaved, tired-out dog. Even better, these exercises will get you engaged with your dog and deepening your overall bond and understanding.
Cardio Exercises for Your Dog
Did you know that 56% of all dogs were considered to be obese? According to the Association for Pet Obesity, 50 million dogs in the United States are significantly overweight, leading to an increased risk of arthritis, heart disease, and even cancer.
Fortunately, dogs can lose weight by decreasing the calories they consume and exercise, just like we do as humans. It is extremely important to always check with your vet on how to reduce calories without starving your dog or before starting any new exercise program.
In the meantime, here are some fun cardio exercises for you and your dog to do together.
Dog Exercise Equipment
When it comes to our dogs’ health, there’s not much we won’t try, especially in terms of physical exercise. Did you know there is exercise equipment for dogs? Canine exercise equipment is great for any dog to use inside, but is especially useful for dogs that have undergone surgery or otherwise require closely-monitored physical therapy. Older dogs can also benefit from utilizing exercise equipment, as they may not be able to sustain the energy for long walks or strenuous play sessions.
Ways to exercise your dog during winter!
The Winter season is not ideal to spend a lot of time outdoors but your pets still need to burn off the energy and relax. Here are some of the ways by which you can help them get their exercise during winter.
Signs & Symptoms of Over Exercising in Dogs
Exercise keeps your dog fit. It helps your dog with various mental and physical benefits. It helps maintain muscle mass, which prevents injury, decreases obesity, and maintains cardiovascular health.
