Sadly most dogs are over weight and under stimulated.
They’re over fed with dog food, treats and people scraps, but the main problem is lack of exercise. Poor diet choices certainly need to be corrected to have a happy and healthy dog, but I’m not changing his name to Chicken Cheese Steak just yet.
If the main exercise a dog has in his day is having to stand while he eats, then a controlled and proper diet isn’t going to scratch at the door of healthy living.
Not to mention the total lack of mental stimulation!
Ever been bored on a weekend with nothing to do but sit around the house? You walk from one room to the next, and then back to the room you started in. You flick thru the channels again and again hoping you missed some wonderful stimulating show that will entertain and relieve your boredom. What activities did your dog do today?
"The oldest age reliably recorded for a dog is 29 years and 5 months. The old timer was a Queensland "Heeler" named Bluey from Victoria, Australia."
• One in every three dogs is over weight.
• Extra weight leaves dogs prone to joint problems. When the extra weight is dead weight (fat) it is just weight. Muscle has a purpose. It’s part of what holds your dog up (including his extra fat) and keeps him moving.
• Excess energy is going to get expended. Under exercised dogs are apt to outlet their energies thru a variety of ways, most of which are undesirable. It might come out as a frustration with excessive licking, self-mutilation and destructive chewing or as hyperactivity with him bouncing of the walls or any number of other behavioral problems.
• Dogs that exercise live up to 30% longer.
Signs of an under exercised dog:
• Chasing his tail.
• Running back and forth from one room to another for no apparent reason.
• Restlessness.
Sadly most dogs are over weight and under stimulated.
They’re over fed with dog food, treats and people scraps, but the main problem is lack of exercise. Poor diet choices certainly need to be corrected to have a happy and healthy dog, but I’m not changing his name to Chicken Cheese Steak just yet.
If the main exercise a dog has in his day is having to stand while he eats, then a controlled and proper diet isn’t going to scratch at the door of healthy living.
Not to mention the total lack of mental stimulation!
Ever been bored on a weekend with nothing to do but sit around the house? You walk from one room to the next, and then back to the room you started in. You flick thru the channels again and again hoping you missed some wonderful stimulating show that will entertain and relieve your boredom. What activities did your dog do today?
"The oldest age reliably recorded for a dog is 29 years and 5 months. The old timer was a Queensland "Heeler" named Bluey from Victoria, Australia."
• One in every three dogs is over weight.
• Extra weight leaves dogs prone to joint problems. When the extra weight is dead weight (fat) it is just weight. Muscle has a purpose. It’s part of what holds your dog up (including his extra fat) and keeps him moving.
• Excess energy is going to get expended. Under exercised dogs are apt to outlet their energies thru a variety of ways, most of which are undesirable. It might come out as a frustration with excessive licking, self-mutilation and destructive chewing or as hyperactivity with him bouncing of the walls or any number of other behavioral problems.
• Dogs that exercise live up to 30% longer.
Signs of an under exercised dog:
• Chasing his tail.
• Running back and forth from one room to another for no apparent reason.
• Restlessness.
Puppy Precautions:
• Too much exercise at too young of an age can hinder proper growth development. Growth plates generate new bone growth and are located near the joints. These can become injured thru excessive exercise and may prevent a puppy from developing properly.
• Different breeds mature at different rates. Smaller breeds develop more quickly then larger breeds. A rough rule to follow is that smaller breeds (25 pounds full grown) can exercise full out at about 8 months. Breeds that reach about 45 to 90 pounds when full grown can exercise full out around 12 months old. Larger breeds should be held back until 18 months old.
Basic Exercise Guidelines:
• It’s best not to exercise after a meal. The digestion process is a lot of work for the body. Was mom right? Don’t swim for an hour after eating?
• Make considerations for the weather.
• Warm up. Always start his exercise slowly so that his muscles and cardiovascular system have a chance to be prepared for the workload.
• Build up slowly. There is little benefit in stressing his body and his mind. Not only are you risking injury, but also we want him to crave exercise not dread it.
• Get him slightly out of breath. This way he is definitely building himself up, but doing so at a healthy pace. Injury can be kept at low risk and enjoyment stays high.
• Gage all exercise by your dog’s breathing. This is a great guideline. Your dog might not be 100% some days, but he might appear fine. If he isn’t well, then your not pushing as long as you watch his breathing and keep it at his usual pace.
• Cool down. End exercise slowly. Just stopping abruptly stresses your dog’s heart.
• Feed something nutritious immediately after exercise. Human athletes call this the post work out meal. Soon after use the muscles are primed to draw in nutrition for development.
• A rest day should follow after a particularly hard bout of exercise. The body develops during the healing process after exercise. A rest day should have mild exercise to it.
• Cross train. Cross training refers to working out in different ways. This keeps exercise exciting and promotes development.
Walking and biking are two activities that offer exercise for both the dog and the owner.
Exercises:
Walking.
Walking is a good safe exercise (as long as there is no pulling! See "Walking On A Loose Leash"), that is good for under aged young dogs and for old timers. It promotes muscle and bone where a dog is likely to need it. It stretches out the muscles and lubricates the joints.
Biking.
Jogging along side a bicycle is definitely not for every dog
Some dogs that should avoid this activity are:
• Dogs with medical problems.
• Dogs under two years of age.
• Senior dogs.
• Short-legged breeds.
• Dogs with respiratory problems. Breeds with shorter snouts have impaired breathing.
If you think your dog is up for this strenuous exercise:
• Have your veterinarian evaluate your dog for this specific exercise. Riding a bike is much easier then trying to keep up with one!
• Plan on using a bike attachment device designed for dogs. The one thing you’re not going to do is bike holding a leash in your hands. Besides being horribly dangerous the dog and bike will jerk each other constantly. There are different manufactures that offer different devices. A product called SPRINGER (Pet Directory) seems a good choice. It comes with a harness for your dog to wear, it is spring loaded for absorption, has a safety release, keeps the dog in place, is installable on either side of the bike and mounts or dismounts in 2 seconds without tools.
• Treadmills. Astro? A treadmill is a great tool for exercising your dog.
Swimming:
You can put away those water wings. Your dog already knows how to swim so no need for swimming lessons.
• Use your own judgment whether the water temperature is too cold or not. Certain breeds can handle very cold water and some dogs love swimming so much they are willing to jump in regardless of water temperature, but exercising cold muscles is a bad idea. A cold muscle is short and tight and is less apt to follow thru a movement, than a warm muscle. Swimming in cold water can have your dog going thru a full stretch without his muscle following properly.
• Ear cleaning. Water (and what ever is in the water) is going to flow inside your dog’s ear canal. Even after the water evaporates bacteria can remain.
Rinse him off. Your dog’s only souvenir from swimming should be health benefits. Chlorine from a pool or fountain, salt from the ocean or what is in lakes, rivers and creeks can cause skin irritations among other things.
Catch.
Dogs love to play catch. Some dogs love to play catch so much they will do it till they drop! This is also an exercise that has cross training built in. One day throw the ball down an incline, one day up an incline (your dog probably chases the thrown object at a different rate than he returns it). Other days toss the ball on level ground.
• Don’t use a fabric ball. Fabrics hold in way too much dirt and slobber and take too long to dry. I’ve seen tennis balls that I’m sure held entire universes of bacteria on them. A solid rubber ball stays much cleaner, which is good for man and dog!
Puppy Precautions:
• Too much exercise at too young of an age can hinder proper growth development. Growth plates generate new bone growth and are located near the joints. These can become injured thru excessive exercise and may prevent a puppy from developing properly.
• Different breeds mature at different rates. Smaller breeds develop more quickly then larger breeds. A rough rule to follow is that smaller breeds (25 pounds full grown) can exercise full out at about 8 months. Breeds that reach about 45 to 90 pounds when full grown can exercise full out around 12 months old. Larger breeds should be held back until 18 months old.
Basic Exercise Guidelines:
• It’s best not to exercise after a meal. The digestion process is a lot of work for the body. Was mom right? Don’t swim for an hour after eating?
• Make considerations for the weather.
• Warm up. Always start his exercise slowly so that his muscles and cardiovascular system have a chance to be prepared for the workload.
• Build up slowly. There is little benefit in stressing his body and his mind. Not only are you risking injury, but also we want him to crave exercise not dread it.
• Get him slightly out of breath. This way he is definitely building himself up, but doing so at a healthy pace. Injury can be kept at low risk and enjoyment stays high.
• Gage all exercise by your dog’s breathing. This is a great guideline. Your dog might not be 100% some days, but he might appear fine. If he isn’t well, then your not pushing as long as you watch his breathing and keep it at his usual pace.
• Cool down. End exercise slowly. Just stopping abruptly stresses your dog’s heart.
• Feed something nutritious immediately after exercise. Human athletes call this the post work out meal. Soon after use the muscles are primed to draw in nutrition for development.
• A rest day should follow after a particularly hard bout of exercise. The body develops during the healing process after exercise. A rest day should have mild exercise to it.
• Cross train. Cross training refers to working out in different ways. This keeps exercise exciting and promotes development.
Walking and biking are two activities that offer exercise for both the dog and the owner.
Exercises:
Walking.
Walking is a good safe exercise (as long as there is no pulling! See "Walking On A Loose Leash"), that is good for under aged young dogs and for old timers. It promotes muscle and bone where a dog is likely to need it. It stretches out the muscles and lubricates the joints.
Biking.
Jogging along side a bicycle is definitely not for every dog
Some dogs that should avoid this activity are:
• Dogs with medical problems.
• Dogs under two years of age.
• Senior dogs.
• Short-legged breeds.
• Dogs with respiratory problems. Breeds with shorter snouts have impaired breathing.
If you think your dog is up for this strenuous exercise:
• Have your veterinarian evaluate your dog for this specific exercise. Riding a bike is much easier then trying to keep up with one!
• Plan on using a bike attachment device designed for dogs. The one thing you’re not going to do is bike holding a leash in your hands. Besides being horribly dangerous the dog and bike will jerk each other constantly. There are different manufactures that offer different devices. A product called SPRINGER (Pet Directory) seems a good choice. It comes with a harness for your dog to wear, it is spring loaded for absorption, has a safety release, keeps the dog in place, is installable on either side of the bike and mounts or dismounts in 2 seconds without tools.
• Treadmills. Astro? A treadmill is a great tool for exercising your dog.
Swimming:
You can put away those water wings. Your dog already knows how to swim so no need for swimming lessons.
• Use your own judgment whether the water temperature is too cold or not. Certain breeds can handle very cold water and some dogs love swimming so much they are willing to jump in regardless of water temperature, but exercising cold muscles is a bad idea. A cold muscle is short and tight and is less apt to follow thru a movement, than a warm muscle. Swimming in cold water can have your dog going thru a full stretch without his muscle following properly.
• Ear cleaning. Water (and what ever is in the water) is going to flow inside your dog’s ear canal. Even after the water evaporates bacteria can remain.
Rinse him off. Your dog’s only souvenir from swimming should be health benefits. Chlorine from a pool or fountain, salt from the ocean or what is in lakes, rivers and creeks can cause skin irritations among other things.
Catch.
Dogs love to play catch. Some dogs love to play catch so much they will do it till they drop! This is also an exercise that has cross training built in. One day throw the ball down an incline, one day up an incline (your dog probably chases the thrown object at a different rate than he returns it). Other days toss the ball on level ground.
• Don’t use a fabric ball. Fabrics hold in way too much dirt and slobber and take too long to dry. I’ve seen tennis balls that I’m sure held entire universes of bacteria on them. A solid rubber ball stays much cleaner, which is good for man and dog!
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