During the global pandemic getting out for a daily walk become the most essential part of our day. Keeping you mentally and physically fit, as well as being the only form of an ‘outing’.
Majority of us are now hooked to our regular walks. It’s only natural that we want to bring our canine companions on our walks with us. However, is this always what’s best? You could be over exercising your dog.
Here are some tips on how you can set up a safe exercise regime for you and your pet!
How much exercise is necessary on a daily basis?
We find out more and more everyday just how similar our pets are to us humans. Just like us, dogs need to increase their fitness over time and build up their stamina.
Most healthy adult dogs will enjoy 30-60 minutes of physical activity each day, but if your pet is health compromised or has mobility issues, there should be exceptions.
It is always best to discuss with your vet what is best for your pet.
Things to consider when planning your dogs exercise regime
There are many factors to take into consideration when planning your pets exercise regime, such as:
- Age
- Energy level
- Breed
- Heath
- Individual personality
Not all meets one’s requirements, and every dog breeds exercise will differ depending on their needs.
Amount of exercise required for a puppy
The amount of exercise puppies have should depend on their age. Puppies should increase exercise by 5 minutes per month of age up to twice a day. so a three month old puppy should require fifteen minutes of play, whilst a four month old would require twenty minutes.
Large and medium sized breeds
Generally speaking, large dog breeds will require more exercise than smaller breeds, however, it takes longer for their bones and joints to fully develop so if they’re still growing, you should take this into consideration.
Small sized breeds
Although small, these breeds of dogs still require plenty of play time, but often in smaller doses than larger breeds. They also grow much faster and will be able to do certain activities sooner than larger breeds. So it’s best to keep exercise sessions fairly short, but spaced out throughout your day.
Flat-face breeds
Some breeds are bred to have flat faces, which in return gives them problems breathing and exercising. This makes it a challenge to keep fit even when they’re just puppies! But ensuring they are appropriately exercised is important as carrying extra weight can cause further breathing difficulties in these breeds of dogs.
Be sure to have much shorter exercise sessions and have plenty of breaks in between. Free playtime is much better for this breed as they can rest when they need to.
Exercise in hot weather conditions for dogs
The weather also plays a vital role in determining exercise for your dog.
When the weather rises above 20 degrees, your dog may overheat and is 9 times more likely to suffer from heatstroke, which is extremely dangerous. Therefore your pet’s walk should be limited to half its time in conditions like these.
Also pay close attention to the surface your pet walks on, as the pavements tend to be much hotter in higher temperatures, and can pose a threat to your pets paw pads, causing serious burns and blisters.
Try this:
Place your hand on the floor for 3-5 seconds, if it’s too hot to keep your hand comfortably on the pavement, it’s too hot for your pet to be walking on it.
Fun ways to exercise your dog
There are plenty of fun activities you and your dog can participate in that are beneficial to their health.
Games such as fetch, letting your dog ‘take you for a walk’, following them wherever they go, given that it’s safe of course and obedience training.
Here is a list of a few fun things that you might want to include in your next walk.
- Training
- Fun with food
- Fun with toys
- Running/jogging together
- Exploring the parks
- Games the require rewards
- Try and teach your dog something new
