Exercise My Dog

The Right Exercise for Your Type of Dog

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	Border Collie Welsh Corgi Collie German Shepard English Sheepdog Schnauzer	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.	American Pit Bull Terrier Irish Terrier Jack Russell Terrier Scottish Terrier Welsh Terrier	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 Coonhound Dachshund Harrier Sighthound Basenji Greyhound Irish Wolfhound	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.	Bullmastiff Doberman Pinscher Great Dane Great Pyrenee Rottweiler	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.	Bichon Frise Chihuahua English Bulldog Pug Shih Tzu	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	English Cocker Spaniel Irish Setter Labrador Retriever Standard Poodle	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	Chinook Chow Chow Siberian Husky Malamute	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.