How Much Exercise Should Your Dog Get Daily?

Both excess and lack of exercise can cause behavioral or health problems in dogs, so moderation is essential to enjoy physical and mental well-being.
How much exercise should your dog get daily?

Television shows and park companions constantly tell us that dogs have to exercise more. However, it  seems that yours prefers to lie down on the sofa instead of running around the garden. But do you know how much exercise your dog should get daily?

the nature of dogs

It is important to exercise physically, not just humans, but all animals as well.

In many cases,  physical health depends on bodies being in motion and exercising frequently. 

Not only diseases related to weight or obesity are prevented. Because exercise is also good for the heart, mind, hormones…

A dog that gets little exercise every day is prone to developing illnesses, but also likely to misbehave. 

All living things have a certain amount of energy to expend on a daily basis: if they don’t expend it for exercise, it will turn into undesirable behaviors.

But excessive exercise is also dangerous, as injuries, pain and many other ailments can arise from there.

Excessive exercise also turns into bad behavior,  often destructive behavior.

If a dog gets tired muscles, he will try to relax by tearing or chewing whatever is within his reach.

How Much Exercise Your Dog Should Get Daily

Dogs, in general, are quiet animals. They have a reputation for being lazy, and this is true: they like to sleep long hours a day.

Even in the wild, they don’t travel long distances to look for food: they are content with what they find nearby.

run with dogs

It is also important to take into account the age of the dog, as well as its size and other physical characteristics.

The physical exercise that we require from our pets must include these and other details.

Although they are very restless,  we shouldn’t make a puppy exercise. All the energy he has will only be spent playing.

We should play with him and make room for him to tire, but until he’s finished developing – when he’s between a year and a half and two years old – we shouldn’t make him run or exercise beyond that.

Adult dogs from two to five years old can exercise with us whenever they want.

We must not forget that, like human beings, they need to warm up first.

From the age of seven, bones and joints begin to degenerate, so these physical demands must be reduced  until induced exercise is completely eliminated.

However, except in very specific cases that the veterinarian will determine,  it is not necessary to force a puppy to run with us or chase a ball.

Usually three  quality tours  are enough to cover your needs.

For adult dogs

For an adult dog,  three walks a day, which include about an hour and a half in the street, are enough for exercise. 

Dogs don’t walk in a straight line, so they add a lot more meters than we do. We also hope that he will meet at the park with a friend who will make him participate in some races.

dogs playing happily in the park

This habitual, daily and natural exercise is the most beneficial for dogs. It will be doing interesting things as it moves its body, and it can stop when its body asks for it.

The size of each dog is important

Nor should you ignore the furry’s size and physical characteristics before we think about how much exercise your dog should get daily.

Small dogs not only need to make a greater effort to perform the same exercise as a medium  or large dog, they also have a more delicate body.

Likewise, giant dogs tend to have joint pain. Dogs with short legs and long backs should not exercise beyond their routine walks. 

For a dwarf dog  , daily walks are much more than recommended.

To find an answer  on how much exercise your dog should get , you should get to know your dog.

Your physical and health condition, your age, your vitality… there are many factors that will answer.

don’t forget the mental exercise

When we think about exercise, moving the body always comes to mind, but few people think about mental exercise.

It is useless for a puppy to run for half an hour after a ball if he then comes home and gets bored. 

Boredom also leads to destructive behavior and bad behavior.

As the vast majority of dogs already have their physical exercise needs met only with their routine walk,  we should be more concerned with mental exercise.

mental exercises for dogs

It’s very easy to give dogs something to exercise their minds. Dedicating 10 minutes a day to mind games is enough. 

This we can do without toys: chase odors, go to a new block to sniff and see other dogs… or hide bits of food around the house and let the dog find them.

We can also do this with toys. Interactive toys, puzzles for dogs  – or scented mats are some of the basic methods of mental stimulation for dogs.

Before deciding how much exercise your dog should get on a daily basis, you should consider his age and physique.

Also,  don’t neglect mental exercise, as  your friend’s happiness and good behavior also depend on that.

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