How much exercise should your dog get? Well, just as with people, there is not necessarily one that that will fit all of us. A good fitness routine for your dog depends on a few things: your pup’s physical condition, your likes, and, most certainly, your dog likes.
First, you are able to determine some of his or her preferences, in part, by the breed.
| Description | Breeds in this type |
Physical/activity tendencies | Good exercises |
|
| Herding Dogs | Bred to herd larger animals |
|
Moderate/high energy levels, highly intelligence, adventurous | - Almost any games or sport, the more challenging the better Runs and challenging hikes are good too. |
| Terriers | Bred to catch small prey like vermin and rabbits. |
|
Clever,high energy, bold | - Chasing games, - Games with obstaclesBest activities will engage the mind and body with active play and more complicated games like obstacle courses or Frisbee or exercise toys like Petflex. |
| Hounds | Bred to search based on either sight or scent. |
Scenthound
Sighthound
|
Single-minded, switch easily between work and play | - Walking - Running - Hiking Long, low key walks are actually extremely interesting to them. |
| Guardian Dogs | Bred to guard homes, people and livestock. |
|
Hearty, strong, dependable, steady energy | - Runs - Games with obstacles Establish limits when playing games, as they can take them seriously quickly |
| Companion / Toy Dogs | Bred to be easy companions as opposed to workers. |
|
Tend to have minimal exercise needs | - Walking At least a walk a day. Some working companion breeds like Dalmatians and Yorkshire terriers may need more walks or more vigorous walks. |
| Gun / Sporting Dogs | Bred to accompany hunters |
|
Bred for lots of activity requiring stamina | - Hiking - Walking - RunningThese require long walks all their lives. |
| Northern Dogs | Defined by the geographical region of their origin |
|
Energy to burn | - Runs - Hikes - Games/activities with packs like sledding Because of their energy, keeping these dogs active is a good idea. |
Personality counts
Both of you will be happier if you incorporate activities in your routine that are compatible to your dog’s style. What kind of personality does he have?
Dominant dogs are harder to train, insistent, and competitive. Because they can easily be provoked into biting, a walk or a run (in an area without crowds) may be preferable to games. When you do play games, you should keep them short and you must maintain control before Fido gets serious.
On the other hand, confident dogs are dominant, but they readily accept their owner’s leadership. Most any type of physical fitness will suit this type of pooch, especially games or sports that challenge them or play that includes other dogs.
Apprehensive or shy dogs will likely prefer quiet walks in less populated areas. If you want to work in games in your routine, start very slowly with mild games. In fact, she or he does best with predictable, structured routines that are not overly demanding.
A dog with an independent personality is not demonstrably affectionate and has a low need for human companionship. These dogs sometimes seem so low-key you may think they don’t need much exercise. Not so. If in good health, these dogs do well in steady, endurance activities like runs, bike rides (with proper equipment), and hikes.
You will probably need to experiment a bit to find a fitness routine that is a good fit for you and Rover. But do take some time to do just that. If the routine doesn’t work for the both of you, it will be harder to stick to it. Find something fun for the both of you, you both are rewarded.
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- Cycling With A Dog
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I spend my hours playing with dogs and showing others how to play with theirs. Whether you call it play, games, or exercise, it’s all good for the pooch and good for us too.My husband Reg and I have been playing with pooches officially for 5 years. That is–when we started to look into new ways of exercising...
I can’t even keep up with my dog when we go out for a ride! I don’t know where he finds the energy from.