Importance of an Exercise Routine for your Dog: Part 1
Veterinarians recommend that dogs of all ages and activity levels need regular exercise to stay happy, healthy, and fit.
Similar to humans, the most common reason you might want to exercise your dog is for physical health. Maintaining good physical health prevents obesity, promotes healthy bones, joints, and muscles; as well as keeping their hearts strong and healthy. However, your dog likely doesn’t care too much about having a great beach bod, and he probably isn’t exceptionally conscious of his joint health either.
Developing an exercise routine will keep your dog healthy, happy, and safe. The old adage, “a good dog is a tired dog,” is not completely off the mark.
After a good walk, or high paced romp with his pals, your dog comes home happy, and curls up for a nap. What your dog doesn’t do while he’s sleeping: chew on things, bark, beg for attention, and any of the other distracting or destructive behaviors you may struggle with. So it’s not too surprising that good exercise does more for your dog than keep them in a healthy weight.
Firstly, what are the effects of obesity on my dog?
“It’s estimated that 50% of dogs are overweight, and 25-30% of those dogs are obese.” (VCA) The fact is, that obese dogs have a shorter life than a lean dog. On top of that, they will suffer joint problems, heart problems, and it will effect their quality of life.
Fat used to be considered inactive cells, that contain excess energy stores. But, “scientific evidence now reveals that fat tissue is biologically active. It secretes inflammatory hormones and creates oxidative stress on the body’s tissue, both of which contribute to many diseases. Thinking of obesity as a chronic, low-level inflammatory condition is a new approach.” (VCA)
Obese dogs develop an increased risk for many health conditions, such as diabetes, urinary bladder stones, heart disease, hypertension, mellitus, many types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.
“An overweight dog strains their heart and joints with every movement,” (PetCoach) So when you are deciding to help your dog lose weight and get more active, it’s a good idea to check in with your vet to create a safe plan for your dog.
How much exercise does my dog need?
To be completely transparent, the amount of exercise your dog needs is up to your dog, and up to you. There is no one size fits all template for dog exercise. However, there are a few guidelines that you could follow:
Puppies have a lot of energy bouncing around in their bodies, but they usually do better with short bursts of activity.
Adult dogs have a varying amount of energy depending on the breed. Working and sporting dogs generally need more exercise, and in higher intensity, than that of companion dogs.
Senior dogs require much less exercise and less intensity than a younger dog.
Remember - your dog can’t tell you they have had enough. It’s your job to keep an eye on their body language to gauge when they have had enough exercise. Keep an eye out for altered gait, laying down/taking a break, and heavy panting.
At the end of the day, what matters is you get outdoors with your pup. Stay tuned - in our next blog, we will talk about the best steps to take in order to develop a routine with your dog!
Written By: Gabby St.Martin
Gabby has been a dog walker and writer for Dog Tired Adventures. She loves being active, the great outdoors, and loving on her Doberman.