Dog Exercise

Exercise is essential for the every day health and well-being of your dog. The importance of exercising your dog not only reduces the risk of obesity, it will lessen health concerns and also decrease socialization problems. Dogs that are well exercised are less likely to develop behavioural issues such as destructive chewing and digging up gardens. Dogs that do not receive adequate exercise can become hyperactive and can suffer from separation anxiety. Regular exercise is necessary for proper growth and development of your dog, as it helps your dog build stronger bones and muscles, and improves their cardiovascular system.

While some dogs may be more demanding for exercise than others, all dogs will benefit from participating in activity. As people are becoming health conscious, it is seen more often owner and dog exercising together. Dogs can make great training partners as they love being active and will enjoy your company whether it is for a walk, jog or run. Unlike a gym partner that may not be able to make every session, however, your dog will be happily waiting and eager to join you in exercise. With people living busy lives, spending long hours at work, the time for 30 minutes exercise per day, can be a great opportunity to release stress and wind down.

A couple of considerations to acknowledge are the age and breed of your dog. An adolescent dog is going to have more energy to expel, whereas an older dog will not have such high demands. You should keep the breed of dog in mind. For instance, dogs with short snouts like Bulldogs, Boxers or Pugs may not tolerate overly intense workouts in hot weather, or small breeds should not be jogging or running if they have luxating patellas or other joint problems.

You should monitor your dog in order to determine the amount of exercise and what kinds of activities your dog enjoys. If your dog is showing no sign of exertion and is still full of energy then the exercise may not enough. Gradually increase the duration and intensity of exercise of the course of a few weeks as this should satisfy the need for more activity. Being consistent and committed means a daily, not just a weekend exercise routine. This approach will enable you and your dog to gradually build up stamina. This is particularly important for puppies, senior dogs, overweight dogs and dogs with any health condition.

There are many high energy activities for keeping your dog healthy and well. The Hypro Petcare research and development team has listed some suggestions below to help you choose an activity for your dog:

• Swimming
• Frisbee
• Ball fetch
• Agility training
• Jogging
• Dog friendly parks
• Obedience competition
• Tracking
• Therapy visits
• Running
• Lure coursing
• Fly ball

Remember: As the saying goes, a tired dog is a well-behaved dog.