Does Your Dog Get Enough Exercise?
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For the third time this week, Leia is sitting with her face smashed up against my leg, whining for attention. She has also been barking at all hours of the night, digging holes in the garden, destroying what ever she can get her claws on, and raiding the trash.
Sound familiar? These are all common signs that a dog isn’t getting enough exercise. But how much exercise is the right amount? It depends on the breed and the individual dog.
Well great. Most of us can’t afford a personal trainer for ourselves, let alone for our dog. If there’s no blanket response for every animal on the face of the planet, how do you figure out what’s right for your dog?
If this question has plagued you, look no farther. We’ll show you how to measure your dogs exercise requirements in 3 easy steps.
Evaluate Your Pet
If your dog is under a year of age, elderly, sick, deformed, morbidly obese, or has a squished in face that makes breathing difficult, ask your vet before starting an exercise program. Dogs with unique physical issues need an exercise program tailored to them by a medical professional. Young dogs should be leash trained, but running or very long walks are out of the picture for those developing bones!
If your dog has no medical problems that might make exercise a challenge for it, we need to group him into one of three energy groups. Low energy, medium energy, high energy.
Low energy dogs are happiest when they are on the couch. They don’t want to exercise, and their idea of a good walk is a gentle stroll from couch to food bowl. Medium energy dogs need some exercise, but won’t go to quite the lengths a high energy dog will to get it. High energy dogs act like five-year-old children after drinking a six pack of soda if they don’t get their daily 10 mile run.
Don’t rely on the internet to tell you which energy group your breed falls into. I found a website informing me that chihuahuas get enough exercise running from room to room. HA! Tell that to Leia. Instead, spend a day observing your dog.
If your dog:
- Doesn’t seem to care about walk time.
- Spends most of his/her time laying down.
- Doesn’t display any restless behavior.
He or she may fall under the category of a low energy dog (or you’ve met its energy requirements, in which case why are you here?)
If your dog:
- Gets excited about walk time.
- Spends equal time playing, exploring the house, and resting
- Only displays restless behavior when cooped up for long hours
You may have a medium energy dog. (Corrections appreciated here. All of my dogs have been either FLOOR IT dogs or Couch potatoes, and the couch potatoes all became FLOOR IT dogs after a couple weeks on my food.)
If your dog:
- Is trying to shovel its way out the door, regardless of whether your coming or not.
- Has holes dug half way to China in the backyard.
- Barks over nothing.
- Destroys the toys meant to amuse him.
- Goes nuts at the sight of a leash.
- Gets “the zoomies” in the house.
- Is a Jack Russel (just kidding, there are some relaxed JRTs…I saw one once!)
Your dog may be a high-energy dog. These are just guidelines to help you group your dog to an energy level. You know your dog. If you have a gut instinct about it, its probably true.
Start Slow
Even if your dog is very high energy, starting it in a triathlon his first day isn’t going to help either of you. Remember your dog can be out of shape just like you, and if he hasn’t been getting regular exercise, he probably is. Before exercising your dog, warm him up first. Start by giving his major muscles a light rub to get blood flow going, and then ask him to turn a complete circle in both directions. (You can bribe him with a treat if necessary.)
After he’s limbered up, start by walking him on a leash for five minutes. If your dog is very out of shape or low energy, this warm up may be all you want to do for one day. If he’s still vibrating at the end of your leash, now is the time to choose what direction you want to go with your dogs exercise program.
- If you don’t want to do much exercising but want him to, try playing frisbee or fetch. Start with 10 or 15 tosses in an enclosed off leash area.
- If you are a jogger, start your dog off as you would a new recruit. Include as little as 30 seconds of jogging in your first run with your dog.
- Some dogs will drop dead before they say, “No.” Use common sense even if your dog seems eager for more.
- If you can’t keep up with your dogs pace, consider training him to run beside a bicycle. You may need professional help with this one, and I don’t recommend it for pullers!
Evaluate your dog throughout your exercise program. If he’s heavily panting or needs to sit down and rest, its probably time to quit for the day.
Gradually increase your dogs daily exercise like you would if you yourself just started the program.
Keep Changing It Up
Just like in humans, dogs benefit from a change in their exercise routine. If you normally walk, try fetch instead. If you normally fetch, try a brisk run. If you always walk the same path, go the other way. If your exercise is always physical, try a dog puzzle that exercises your dog’s brain instead.
To help get you started, here’s a sample exercise program, which I came up with for Leia:
Day 1:
Evaluation. (High Energy)
Warm-Up. (Massage, turns, 5 minute on leash walk.)
Work-Out. Fetch, 25 tosses in backyard.
Cool-Down. 5 minute on leash walk. Turns. Massage.
Day 2: Recovery day.
Day 3:
Warm-Up. (Massage, turns, 5 minute on leash walk.)
Work-Out. 10 minutes Power Walk
Cool-Down. Slow walk back to our house, massage, turns.
Day 4:
Mental exercise: Sit/Down Drills. Dog puzzle with kibble in it.
Day 5: Warm-Up. (Massage, turns, 5 minute on leash walk.)
Work-Out:
Tug 5 minutes. Fetch 25 tosses in backyard.
Cool-Down. 5 minute walk on leash, massage, turns.
Day 5: Recovery day.
This is just what I came up with for my specific dog. Do you have a training program? Share it with us!
Kim and Kip
I asked an Australian Breeder how long I should walk Kip and was told 20minutes in the morning and in the evening should be fine. I’ve managed to walk Kip 15-20mintues in the morning and 20-30minutes in the evening. I think this isn’t enough for Kip though, because most of the times he will resist going back inside. If he manages to get loose in the hallway he’ll tear down the hall and it literally sounds like he’s tearing up the carpet. Sometimes I let him loose in the back stairwell (carpeted) and he’ll run up and down the stairs like crazy too.
I’m trying to think of a way to give Kip enough exercise without having to take him to the dogpark every weekend and without buying a bike (Kip likes to RUN towards any other dogs he spots during a walk).
amkuska
I just asked two people I know in person what they do to exercise their dogs. One has 3 medium energy dogs that she used to walk 4 miles every day. That seemed like enough exercise to her. They were relaxed and ready to sit around the house when they got back. Another lady has 2 large high energy dogs and walks them 2 miles every day. That’s not enough.
I’m going to see if I can rustle up some experts to give us some real answers. I wonder if you could train a dog to lunge like a horse? Then you could keep control and the dog could have its run.
Hmm.
We need to get to the bottom of this!
Georgia Little Pea
Funny great post. Where were you 2 years ago? I would have loved this advice then
Georgia used to be über high energy. When we first got her at about 8 months, she was unstoppable. She got 2 big walks and playtime a day, about 3-4 hours if I recall correctly. Luckily neither of us were working at the time and were able to give her this sort of workout. When she got home, she’d have a short rest and about an hour later, would be ready for more action. She tore through a lot of things and my hubby and I basically didn’t leave the house together for about a year or more! I blogged about it a lot as it was a good way for me to let off steam and have a laugh.
I still remember meeting a man whose dog and Georgia had a good play for about 15 minutes. He said, “your dog’ll sleep the rest of the day now.” LOL If only he knew!
Anyway, she’s all grown up now. It happened very suddenly and I was frightfully grateful when she became a medium energy dog. These days, she gets 2 walks most days, about 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours in all. Leashed walk, explore and/or play time depending on what she feels like.
P.S. When I die, I want to come back as your dog. A pre and post walk massage? Woooo.
amkuska
As long as you don’t mind putting up with the dye and the nail polish! Massages aren’t even the half of what I do for my babies. They’re so precious!
And also…needing 1 1/2 to 2 hours of exercise every day still sounds high energy to me! I think you mean “I’m glad she’s gone from an INSANELY ENERGETIC dog to just a high energy one.”
snoopy@snoopysdogblog
Loved this post!!
I think I fall in your medium energy group, however I love to get lots of exercise!! I go running 6 days a week with my Mum and Cosmo (another Beardie) next door and we’re out for about an hour!! On the 7th we go for a long walk instead
I get uber excited when I know it’s getting close to run time, I start doing my stretches – nope, no treats required I just do them and if Mum takes too long I will bark at her to hurry up – Tee Hee
Once she’s got her running stuff on I start doing my warm up run to the basket with my lead in….
Cosmo’s always ready too, he watches the fence and won’t go back into his house at ‘run time’ in case he misses us!!
I started running ages ago – my Vet told my Mum to start slowly and increase by half a mile every 2 weeks and in the end I’d be able to outrun her – he’s not wrong there!! Tee Hee
Ooooh, it must be nearly run time,
Have a fun day,
Your pal Snoopy
amkuska
Rocco here. Sure wish I could join in on the fun! That sounds like just the right amount of exercise to me.
Jodi
I think Sampson is medium energy and Delilah is high, (energy I mean!) I can tell on the weekends that she is bored, there is less morning activity (not walking because I don’t walk them in the morning) but just me buzzing around getting ready for work keeps her mind busy.
On the weekends when I am more apt to park it for a while before getting motivated she will often times try and engage me with play, which is fine. I try to take them for at least an hour long walk on Sat and Sun and we do it in the woods, so we hike trails and often times hike with friend and her dogs. That seems to be great for the dogs.
Even though Sampson is medium energy he LOVES the hiking and he loves being outside. She just loves to run.
So here is our schedule (I don’t warm them up like you do.)
Sat and Sun – at least an hour long walk in the woods
Mon and Wed – a 20 minute leash walk around the block (this will change in the summer when it is light out longer, I will head back to the woods but keep their walks between 30 to 45 minutes.)
Tues and Friday – Half a day of daycare.
Thurs – Obedience class, which I have found is mentally challenging and just as tiring.
Whew! I didn’t expect to write a post. LOL
amkuska
I’m so glad you did though! There isn’t much in the way of actual exercise routines for dogs on the internet. Do you think this is enough for them, or would you say they’d be better off with even more?
Jodi
I think it depends, Delilah could probably use more time in walks, but I think the schedule is perfect for Sampson.
If all the walks were wood walks, I think it would be fine. Because they can be off leash in the woods there is more activity than a simple walk around the block.
Today was nice and I bagged the neighborhood walk and ran them up to the woods, it ended up at about 1/2 an hour and she slept thru her snack time, so I think it was good.
Winters are harder when it’s colder and it gets darker earlier. But the nicer weather is coming!
rahusky
Woooo! This is a pawsome post. A tired huskerboo is a happy, well behaved huskerboo. Play bows,
RA
amkuska
Really, I don’t think there is such a thing as “Enough” exercise.