Dogs have heaps of energy that needs to burned off. If not there can be some negative impacts on the wellbeing of the animal. Because all that energy is not being released it can build up resulting in various behaviours. This can include:
· Obesity, which can lead to a range of health problems including diabetes, heart problems, breathing difficulty & stressed ligaments and joints.
· Digging up gardens or some cases raiding garbage bins.
· Unnecessary scratching or chewing.
· Aggressive interaction or biting.
· Excessive barking to gain attention.
· An increased sense of hyperactivity.
· Staying up late at night due to over excitability.
· Difficult to control, leading to jumping up on people and wondering into things.
HOW OFTEN YOU SHOULD EXERCISE YOUR DOG:
How often you exercise your dog will depend on a variety of factors including breed, age and personality. The frequency of the exercise could be affected by a dog’s bladder size, these vary from breed to breed. A younger dog will have more energy than an older dog thus will require more exercise. You have to be able to read the interests of your dog by reading what kind of activities it responds to best. Do a variety of things that involve aerobic exercises and see what best matches the brawn and brains of your pet. This can involve games like food puzzles, playing fetch, hide and seek, trick training and obedience exercises. Reward your dog with treats to build its self-esteem and give it a sense of satisfaction. But also build discipline.
While it is always best to ask for advice from your local vet for a walking schedule that best meets your dog, as a rule of thumb it is recommended to walk your dog for half an hour every day or two 15 minute walks a day. It is also recommended to mix up the paths you may take walking your dog as it will challenge it both physically and mentally. That way your dog will also encounter a new variety of smells every time. Taking you dog to the park and letting the leash off playing & running around and interacting with other dogs is very much desired. This can reduce fear and anxiety levels. But it is important to identify if your dog is social and actually enjoys being around with other dogs.
Exercising your dog is important to keep it happy, healthy and calm. Always look for clues for what excites your pet and continually mix it up to avoid boredom and challenge your dog. But it will also keep you the owners happy, as it will reduce excessive barking, bad behaviour and hyperactive activity at night.