Do Pet Dogs Need Exercise?

The question, “Do pet dogs also need exercise like us?” is answered in the affirmative. Pet dogs like human beings need exercise as every pound of excess weight brought down their life expectancy and led to various health issues. Exercise for all dogs whether big or small was necessary to keep them mentally, physically and emotionally healthy.

 
Dogs were born to work to earn a living and have done so for thousands of years now. Most dogs were bred by humans for purposes like herding livestock, hunting and providing protection. It is also significant to note that most of dog’s wild relatives do a lot of jobs like scavenging, hunting for food, caring for their offspring, defending their territory and playing with each other. They lead very complex and busy lives interacting socially and solving problems for survival.

Most pet dogs today are “Couch Potatoes”, who no longer have to earn their keep and they lead sedentary lives getting their food free in a bowl. Also they are confined alone and are inactive during a major part of the day; this lack of purpose of their life leaves them with no outlet for their active physical and mental tendencies. This leads to various behavioral problems like barking, chewing, whining, biting and chasing. Pet dogs not exercised develop various emotional and mental issues like anxiety and depression.

This removes the common misconception in the minds of many a pet owner that even normal and underweight pet dogs need exercise. Pet dogs need to be exercised by their masters; they are to be taken for a leisurely or swift stroll for at least 20 to 30 minutes each day at an average pace of about 22 minutes a mile. The walk is to be done with pauses that allow your pet dog to smell interesting objects as well as mark territory. The ideal pace is one that keeps the dog’s heart pumping; an increase in the pace is recommended for some breeds of dogs. 

 
The saying, “An idle mind is just like a devil’s workshop”; also applies to dogs that have nothing constructive to do. Our pet dogs are like young children whose energy is to be used constructively; if not they would develop destructive tendencies like garbage raiding, destructive digging, chewing or scratching, hyperactivity, excitement and night time activity, unruliness, knocking over furniture, play biting and rough play, and attention getting behavior like barking and whining.

To conclude your pet dog needs exercise on a regular basis; this will help tone up his muscles, improve blood circulation, build strong bones, and pump “feel good” hormones in him. A well exercised fit pet dog is a happy dog.