How Much Exercise Does a Dog Need Everyday?

Daily exercise is extremely important for all dogs of all ages. Not only is exercise essential for fidos physical health, but it is also beneficial for their mental health too.

But how much exercise does a dog need every day? There are many factors to consider when answering this question. A lot depends on your best friend’s breed, age, and activity levels, but what is important is that they all need exercise of some description, daily.

 

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Problems from not getting enough exercise

Without enough exercise, dogs can develop health issues very quickly. Obesity is a common problem for dogs that don’t get out and about on a regular basis. Mental health and behavioral issues can also arise. Without exercising, dogs also become bored which can lead to behavioral problems such as destroying things around the home, relieving themselves where they shouldn’t, licking themselves too much, and being overly boisterous!

Walking with your four-legged friend is believed to be one of the best forms of exercise for many reasons. Firstly, dogs are curious creatures, it is in their nature to want to go outside to be able to explore new terrains, sniffing their way around all the new smells they can experience on each trip.

Not only does walking aid in keeping their physical form intact, but their mental health can be improved drastically by them frequently exploring these different environments.

Breeds

There are certain breeds that are a lot more energetic than others. Trust me when I say this, I have a fourteen-month-old jack russell terrier and she just can’t stop running and playing!

There are many energetic breeds out there including border collies, German shepherds, labradors, golden retrievers, and dalmatians just to name a few.

These dogs, in my opinion, need a considerable amount of exercise daily. I would recommend at least 3 20-30 minutes of brisk walking as well as additional playtime back at the ranch.

Age

Whether you have a puppy or a more mature adult dog, giving them exercise is an extremely important part of their everyday regime.

Age can have a serious say in how much exercise your dog needs too. A puppy, while very active at some moments also needs a lot of downtime or sleep, as your best friend matures I have found that they can play for longer, and more intense activities can sometimes come in handy but they are also able to appreciate non-exercise time more as well.

When trained correctly, your pup at this age should be able to tell the difference between playtime and times when they should be relaxing and recharging their batteries!

As your dog enters the more senior years of its life the ability to jump around, play a lot, and walk for hours diminishes substantially. So the amount and also the type of exercise that is needed reduces a lot.

Different types of exercise

There are so many different types of exercise that your best pal can partake in. Walking is the most obvious and universal type of exercise that we give to our four-legged friends but is that all? Of course not, there are so many other activities that can be highly beneficial to your best friend’s health.

Fetch can be a highly productive game when looking to exhaust that extra energy that your dog needs to expel. To begin with, a little training is needed to teach your pup how to fetch a ball or whatever toy you decide to use when playing fetch.

Not only is it a fabulous way to drain that built-up energy but it also acts as a great way for you to bond with your dog and a great lesson in obedience too. 

Swimming is not only a fantastic exercise for humans but a great way for dogs to burn excess energy too! Most dogs love the water but take care when introducing your furry friend to the wet stuff for the first time.

Tug of war is a favourite exercise for many dogs and can be a great bonding experience between you and your best friend thus enhancing your relationship further.

Which dogs don’t like to play a good game of catch from time to time? Catch can be played with either a suitably sized ball for your pup or for an even better experience by playing with a specially made dog frisbee for that extra hang time!

Exercising in the home

Sometimes, due to appalling weather or other factors that are beyond our control, it can be very difficult to venture outside with our canine companions. So what is the best solution in this situation? We can exercise our four-legged pals at home of course!

There are many games and activities that can be set up and played indoors, but a lot depends on the size of your home. These range from a basic game of tug of war, obstacle courses that can be built to drain the energy of your pup, and of course, everyone’s favourite game, fetch!

Thinking outside the box a little, I have come up with a couple of extra games that my 14-month-old Jack Russel just can’t do without when the weather is just horrible and trips outside are limited.

Doggy football

Firstly, and it may not sound very original but football! She just loves to run around chasing football but always with one of her favourite toys in her mouth! It could be her folded over kong frisbee or one of many squeaky toys that she possesses but the most important thing for her as she tears around the apartment is to have something in that mouth of hers as she is playing!

Balloons

Secondly, a balloon. Sounds simple right? Well, it is and can really use up a lot of energy in a short amount of time. A big balloon is not needed. We find that the smaller lighter versions such as a water balloon (without water of course) work the best. They float for a longer time in the air than one of the more traditional balloons that you would normally find at a child’s party for example.

This is easier as a two-person game though, as well as your four-legged friend of course! To get the game going, just simply blow up your balloon, have one of you stand at each side of a bed, and gently knock the balloon into the middle of the bed.

My dog loves this as she just jumps around on the bed trying her best to bite the small balloon. But she continuously hits it with her nose into the air again and again! This is a game that depends a lot on your breed of dog. I believe a smaller active dog should find this exercise very entertaining and beneficial but it may not be the best game to play for a larger animal.

Care must always be taken when playing this game for two particular reasons in my experience. Firstly, never let your dog get too close to the end or side of the bed as falling off could result in an injury. Secondly, if the little balloon ever pops as is inevitable with an animal with sharp teeth, then try your best to retrieve any parts of the balloon before your canine companion is able to swallow and digest them.

Chicken on a stick

But my pup’s personal favourite in-home game or exercise at the moment has to be the quick and slick chicken on a stick! (Otherwise known as a plastic chicken toy, attached to a shoelace or a piece of string and then tied to the end of a stick or an old broom handle or something similar).

With this game, the object of the exercise is for your pup to hunt down the chicken or whatever other type of toy you decide to use. Do this by dragging the toy along the ground at speed, and the hunter genes in your dog will surely follow at a rapid pace until they have caught the animal, and it is within their jaws!

My girl prefers to thrash the toy around a bit whilst making a snarling sound just as with the frisbee or other toy when playing football! This game is also great to play outside in the garden too.

Crazy sounding maybe, but these games certainly have the desired effect when trying to give your pal a great workout when you are stuck indoors for any reason.

So how much exercise does a dog need every day?

As you can see there are many different types of exercise out there there that could benefit your pup in every different way. Depending on the breed, age, or activity level, your pal will always need exercise just like we as humans always need exercise too.

A puppy can be a little hyperactive at times, and generally only needs to exercise in short bursts. They can play hard and run a lot for 20-30 minutes at a time but normally need a lot of downtime or sleep to recover. When my Fifi arrived at two months old she would generally sleep for about 18 hours a day!

Now she is entering ‘doggy adulthood’, at 14 months old, she can play and run for hours upon end but also knows when it is time to stop and rest, she is an active girl without a doubt!

I have found from experience that this behaviour can continue until about 7 or 8 years of age and then they tend to calm down a bit. As our pals enter the more senior years of their lives, exercise is still very important, but the frequency and intensity are reduced, just a few business trips outside to let them smell and see the sights of the world are normally sufficient.

We would always like to hear from you if you have anything to add to the subject above. Any tips you would like to share in regards to exercising your pup would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to leave a comment below.