30 Minutes of Exercise:

One of my favorite sayings:  A tired dog is a good dog!  I say this in every class every time and stress this everyday.

People come to me with questions about their dog’s behavior then I ask, “What kind of exercise do you give your dog?”  Most people answer with, “I just let him run around in the back yard, but it’s a big back yard.”  Unfortunately dogs will not exercise themselves.  We must be responsible owners and get out there and walk, play, or train with your dog to give him the adequate exercise to prevent many of those behavior problems.

Having problems thinking of new ways of exercise?  Of course the best way to exercise your dog is for a walk or jog.  This will give your dog both physical and mental exercise.  A couple of other ideas are playing fetch, training classes and sessions, hide and seek, chase you and chase him, laser light, and even a treadmill.  There are many ways for you to wear out that extra energy your dog has pent up inside.  Keep in mind that 30 minutes would be the minimal amount of time a day to exercise your dog.  It, also, depends on the breed of dog you have,  a pug or shih tzu will not need as much exercise as a Pointer or a Labrador Retriever.

Some of the behaviors I have seen without adequate exercise are aggression, restlessness, anxiety, “Out of Control”, jumping, barking, excessive chewing, and much more.  Make sure you keep your dog exercised and you will have a healthy, happy relationship with your dog!