Dog Training & Behaviour Therapy - Flying Dog - Guelph, ON

Exercise


Healthy Exercise Is One of the Most Important Things to Provide to Your Dog

Dog are Programmed to Run to Survive

Dogs are direct descendants from wolves and still hold much of their instincts and behaviours, even though they have been domesticated. Wolves walk several miles a day in search of food; chase at speeds of 30km an hour to bring down prey; dig pits to store their food in, to sleep in, and raise their young in.

Almost all the things that dogs needed energy for in order to survive in the wild are now provided to them by humans. That unused energy, however, is still in the dog. If your dog is driving you crazy at home, it is probably because he is not getting enough exercise to release all of that unused energy.

Minimum Requirements

Dogs need a minimum of two, 30-minute exercise sessions each day. An exercise session should involve an increase in the dog's heart rate that leaves the dog panting when he stops. For most dogs, a 30-minute stroll on the leash is not enough.

Depending on breed, your dog may need much more exercise than the amount mentioned above. Herding breeds such as Border Collies, sporting breeds such as Setters or Pointers and Terriers need between 2 and 4 hours of vigorous exercise each day.

Exercise should be in the form of running, with lots of speed changes and stops and starts. This type of exercise burns calories and builds muscle to help support bone structure.

Small dogs need just as much exercise as large dogs! Small breeds are often more active that large and giant breeds which can often be couch potatoes, because their organs must work harder to sustain such a large body (my Jack Russell needed WAY more exercise than my Newfoundland!).

Dangerous Exercise

Did you know that taking your large-breed growing puppy for long walks or jogs on leash can be bad for him? It can! Constant repetitive motion like walking and trotting at the same speed for longer that 15 to 20 minutes can cause bone and cartilage damage in growing puppies.

Let your puppy exercise at his own pace by taking him to an enclosed area where he can run and play.

Different Types of Exercise

There are many different ways to provide your dog with healthy, invigorating exercise that will keep him fit and relaxed:

REMEMBER: If you don't provide your dog with safe and acceptable outlets for his energy he will find his own outlets that may not be to you liking: like tearing apart the sofa!

Some Popular Breeds Sorted By Exercise Requirements

You will not there is no No- or Low-Exercise requirement list. That is because all dogs need a sufficient amount of exercise to be both mentally and physically healthy. There is no breed of dog that requires no exercise whatsoever.

Extreme -Energy

Many of these dogs are referred to as Sport dogs or Performance dogs. They are the breeds you will see in most dog sport competitions such as Agility and Fly Ball. These dogs require not only a lot of physical exercise but mental stimulation as well. They will need active involvement in a sport (agility, fly ball, frisbee, tracking, herding, obedience, etc). They need daily training sessions as well as 2 to 4 hours of vigorous exercise.

High-Energy

These dogs need a lot of exercise to maintain health and prevent behaviour problems. Two hours of running, playing or swimming is required.

Moderate-Energy

These dogs are content with roughly an hour of quality exercise and play each day.