How much exercise does a dog need every day Can a puppy run？

Dog breed determines exercise

Exercise is something we must do in our daily lives, and dogs also need to exercise to maintain their health. If dogs do not engage in reasonable exercise, they may suffer from obesity, muscle atrophy, indigestion, cognitive decline, brain aging, cardiovascular disease, and other problems. Therefore, it can be seen that reasonable exercise is very important. However, in daily medical care, we often encounter joint problems in dogs’ legs, and many of them are not caused by normal joint diseases after entering old age, but by young onset due to excessive activity at an incorrect age. As a pet owner, it is very important to know how and how much exercise your dog should do.

The breeds of dogs vary greatly, resulting in very different physical conditions. Therefore, their reasonable activity level is determined based on the breed, age, physical condition, and their interests and hobbies.

The breed of a dog is the most important factor that affects their reasonable activity level. For example, a dog may enjoy strolling around the living room with its owner, gnawing on toys for a while to vent its energy, while a Husky may experience mental depression if it is not allowed to run and play outside, and may rebel and damage furniture at home. The body structure of different breeds of dogs can also affect the intensity of exercise, and the Bago dog is the most suitable example. Dogs with short noses and flat faces may be satisfied with walking outside for 20 minutes, and they also need to consider the weather not being too cold or too hot. If they exert too much force during exercise, they may experience shortness of breath, heart failure, and even heatstroke in summer. Husky, border collie and Fox Terrier may need to run quickly on the nearby grass for 1-2 hours to consume their energy.

The amount of exercise for puppies

Age is also an important measure of activity, especially in terms of health. Puppies are definitely the most active. Although they may not have good physical strength, they do not know self-control and always play until they are exhausted. They immediately lie down and rest. However, intense activities can damage the growth plate of puppies. Therefore, puppies in their growth stage should not participate in activities such as running, hiking, and long walks until they reach the appropriate age.

The appropriate age for small dogs is 6-8 months, for medium dogs it is 12 months, and for large and giant dogs it is 12-24 months. When they reach adulthood, their growth plates are roughly closed and they can move freely. After research, some veterinarians believe that puppies can continuously increase their exercise time according to their age. They can schedule 1-2 times a day, with a 5-minute activity time for puppies of different ages. For example, if a puppy is one month old, it should be about 5 minutes each time. If it is two months old, it should be 10 minutes, and if it is three months old, it should be 15 minutes. If this continues for about six months, each activity time should last for 30 minutes.

In addition to small dogs that require special attention, elderly dogs also need to control their activities. They should not stop exercising just because they feel they are old. Generally speaking, elderly dogs should consider health factors when engaging in activities, such as arthritis, wear and tear of the patella and hip bones, heart disease, asthma, obesity, etc. They are more suitable for low-intensity and relaxed walking, stop and go, rather than just moving forward.

The last point is their individual preference for sports. Even dogs of the same species can have differences in introversion and extroversion. For example, some Labrador Retrievers are very lazy and overweight, lying next to people every day and sleeping after eating, while others may love swimming and running, making them good helpers for boatmen. Therefore, pet owners also need to consider their dogs’ mental stimulation and interactivity.

The purpose of dog sports

What are the principles that dogs need to follow in their exercise activities?

1: Exercising every day is better than engaging in occasional activities, as there is a significant difference in the effectiveness of both dog habits and activities;

2: Short term activities every day are more effective than accumulating together for a long time to exercise. Of course, due to current work reasons, there may not be much free time in daily life, so we can only engage in a small amount of activities on weekdays and increase our activity time appropriately on weekends;

3: For toy dogs that are not suitable for exercise or dogs with slightly weaker bodies, they should take at least 20-30 minutes of leisurely walks every day. And these energetic sports dogs, hunting dogs, and terriers should take at least two brisk walks of 30 minutes or more every day;

4: Pay attention to the impact of weather changes on dogs, such as snow and cold winters, which may bring joy to Huskies and Samoyed, but can be very painful for Beagle and Bug. And the hot summer noon is not suitable for any dog to come out and play; When going out, it is important to bring sufficient water, even if you are not preparing for activities for a long time, to avoid accidents;

5: In addition to walking, activities such as outings, ball picking, hide and seek, tug of war, safe water swimming, agile drilling with drill pipes, and playing with other dogs are all very suitable;

6: If a dog lies down and cannot walk during the process of strolling, gasps for breath, has difficulty breathing, drools heavily, teeth and tongue turn red and purple, and walking posture is not coordinated, you need to hold it to a cool place, give it some water, and then observe whether there is any injury or discomfort;

If your dog experiences anxiety, whining, and barking at home, wanders around the house, damages furniture, or even bites itself, repeatedly bringing toys to you, it may need more exercise and activity. As a loving owner, you will definitely meet their needs.