How to Make Sure Your Dog Is Getting Proper Walks

No Secret Formulas For Exercise

• You aren't going to find an exact formula that determines precisely the length of walk your dog needs to meet his minimum physical activity requirements. This is because every dog is an individual, with his own size, build, age, health problems, fitness level and personality. Generally speaking, young dogs are more energetic and active than seniors, small dogs generally don't want to walk as far as large dogs do and fit dogs can hold up to a lot more rigorous activities than those who are fat or suffering from health problems.

Talk With Your Veterinarian

• The goal of walking your dog is to keep him at a healthy, maintainable weight with good muscle tone. Before you start your dog on a daily walking regimen, take the time to bring him into your veterinarian's office for a fitness and health evaluation. Your veterinarian will be able to tell you whether or not your dog has any health concerns you need to keep in mind while you are walking him. Your veterinarian will also tell you if your dog needs to lose weight in order to increase his fitness level. Let your veterinarian suggest how long your walks should be to keep your dog healthy and happy.

Trial And Error

• Keeping your veterinarian's recommendations in mind, you can use his suggested ideal walk length to build your own exercise program. You don't have to start off by walking for miles, especially if you do not think you or your pet is physically up to the challenge. Start small and gradually increase your daily walk length until you have settled on a length of walk that provides you and your pet with exercise, but does not exhaust you or leave you feeling extremely sore and tired the next day.

Make Walking Work For You

• Pay attention to your dog's behavior on your walks. If he begins to act lethargic, pants heavily or becomes unwilling to continue on the walk, then chances are you are pushing him too hard. If he is still bouncing off the walls of your home even after you took a quick walk, then you may want to consider adding more length to his walks to tire him out. Young, active dogs may benefit from a walk every day, while senior dogs may only be able to handle a couple of short walks each week. Even a small walk is better than no walk at all, so figure out a walking schedule that works specifically for you. You can vary the distances your walks cover to fit your own free time and available schedule. As long as both you and your dog are enjoying the walks, there is no harm in changing up your walking pattern.