Practicing exercise is essential for any adult dog, although its intensity and duration will depend on its specific age, size and physical characteristics. Exercising your pet will help prevent obesity problems, will make him feel stress-free and will ultimately make him have a good time.
We will also give you some basic tips such as whether to practice it before or after eating, what is the level of intensity for a dog that practices agility or how that helps them with self-control.
Keep reading this comprehensive post on our site about exercise for adult dogs and choose the option that suits you best. Some proposals will make you get in shape too so pay attention:
Benefits of exercise and basic tips
Encouraging your dog to exercise or something much better: Exercising with your dog has a myriad of he althy benefits for both of you. To begin with, you should know that physical exercise is ideal for dogs suffering from stress or behavioral problems in general, as it helps them to release the discomfort that they have accumulated.
On the other hand, physical exercise is an effective way to prevent obesity in dogs, a very common and common problem. Keeping your dog away from being overweight also means keeping him away from the early onset of arthritis, osteoarthritis or dysplasia. Although these diseases usually develop in the elderly stage, cases can sometimes occur in dogs with an excessive weight that corresponds to them.
It is very suitable for dogs that work on obedience in general, either advanced (as in the case of Agility) or basic. Being with your dog practicing exercise outside helps him to continue relating with the environment, with dogs and with other people.
How? When? Where?
If your dog has not exercised before, you should not force him suddenly. It must be a progressive process and in which he is the protagonist: the objective will be to make him enjoy himself. Before practicing exercise we should walk our dog quietly so that relieves himand we don't have to constantly stop the rhythm
It is very important to bear in mind that the dog should not practice exercise if he has just eaten, we will always give it to him later to avoid gastric torsion
We will choose a suitable time of day to exercise, such as sunrise or sunset. Avoid times of the day when it is too hot, we must avoid a heat stroke in the dog at all costs.
Finally, it would be ideal to practice exercise in a safe environment, where the dog feels comfortable and outdoors. Even so, don't worry if you can't fulfill these three options, we must adapt the physical exercise to our possibilities.
Although there are exercises in which we do not actively participate, the truth is that the dog appreciates that we exercise with him, that is, being participants in this activityIf he sees that you are hardly paying attention to him or is running around alone, he will probably stop exercising in a short time.
Be careful if your dog belongs to the Molossoid breeds as they have trouble breathing properly. These breeds should practice moderate exercise. Some examples are:
- Boxer
- Pug
- Rottweiler
- Dogue de Bordeaux
- Bullmastiff
- English bulldog
Jogging with the dog
If you like running and your dog seems to like it too, you can start jogging with him. You won't need many things: your sneakers, a leash (if you don't leave your dog unleashed) and a suitable place for it. Enjoy running around and having your dog follow you for a while for active exercise.
The canicross
Canicross is a very complete exercise for tireless dogs that allows you and your pet to run together on a leash. Melee, without using the arms. It is super good for dogs that need to do a lot of exercise, but remember that they will need an adaptation time that allows them to start to muscle up and pick up the right rhythm. You should be aware of him and the sensations he manifests as well as his level of tiredness.
A competition level It is recommended to carry out a veterinary examination before starting the dog in active canicross since it is a very demanding exercise.
Tips for jogging dogs
- Check your pads regularly to make sure they are not damaged.
- Especially in the case of canicross, take extra care to prevent your dog from suffering from heat stroke.
- Always carry a small portable drinking fountain with you, it can be useful.
- Adapt the dog's diet to his level of physical activity
- Visit the vet regularly to make sure everything is going well.
- Adapts the pace and duration to his ability
In the image we can see Sarah Pepper (first woman in the Karnten Lauft in Austria 2013) together with her dog Rolo in a competition.
Walking a bike with the dog
Bicycling is a fun and suitable sport for active but obedient dogs, in this way we actively exercise them in the city, mountains or other places with the advantage that we won't get so tired.
Remember that it is essential that your dog is obedient and understands the basic commands "stay", "come on", "right" and "left" so as not to cause an accident.
If you are wondering how to teach your dog to ride a bicycle, here we offer you a simple step by step that you should practice for a time before start:
- Introduce the bike to your dog if he doesn't know it, he lets him smell it, look at it and watch it move without fear
- Get an adapter that connects the harness, the leash and the bike.
- Practice going around the dog and the bike without being on it to see how it reacts. We recommend that you find a quiet place so that they cannot be distracted.
- If the dog adapts to riding the bike, try riding it at a moderate speed.
Tips for dogs on bicycles
- Start working in quiet places and gradually ease the difficulty.
- Don't go too fast, watch your dog's rhythm and get along with him.
- Check his pads regularly to make sure he is not damaged
- Travel through safe places, do not expose your dog to an excessive approach to cars.
- Get a suitable and comfortable equipment for the animal. Look mainly at those that have good cushioning.
Getting started in Agility
Getting started in Agility, whether in competition or not, is a great way to practice obedience and actively exercise your pet and it is that it is a very complete sport that you could even carry out at home if you had space for it. It is indicated for curious and agile dogs that have the ability to memorize, as border collies tend to be.
Agility consists of a certain obstacle course that the dog must follow and overcome. Circuits include fences, walkways, tunnels and wheels among many others. It's fun and actively exercises the dog while we just have to guide him.
Swimming and hydrotherapy
Just like people, taking your dog for a swim in the sea or in the pool is a complete form of exercise, besides being very funny. For this it will be essential that our dog accepts and tolerates water, if he does not like it better we will think of another option.
Especially in this case we must take precautions to avoid possible drowning or gastric torsion, something that can happen if we have recently fed him. Pay attention to your dog at all times.
On the other hand, hydrotherapy is perfect for dogs suffering from muscle problems, injuries, dislocations, dysplasia, arthritis or osteoarthritis. It helps them exercise without feeling pain in their extremities. It is highly recommended to keep delicate dogs he althy.
Tips for swimming dogs
- Swimming is a very active exercise, hydrate it properly.
- If you are going to start swimming regularly with your dog, you should consider adapting his diet to a more complete one.
- Check their paws so they don't stay wet for hours, otherwise you could encourage the appearance of fungi.
Dog Group Sports
Mushing
If you have several athletic dogs with a lot of energy such as a group of several Siberian huskies, you could consider practicing Mushing, a sport in which a group of dogs pull a cart carrying a passenger either on snow or on dirt.
Skijoring
This is a sport that requires a high level of obedience, at least from "guide" dogs. This is a fantastic way to exercise them in a pack as long as they are not forced and their pads are properly checked.
Taking advantage of the snow we will mention Skijoring, a sport that consists of a dog and a skier joined by a harness such as the one that it is used in canicross, although it has a longer leash that allows adequate separation between skier and dog.
It is a very complete sport that will transport your dog to a totally different place. Remember that it is important to have a portable drinker at your disposal as well as spending a few minutes always checking your dog's pads to prevent them from burning from the cold.
More relaxed options
Let your dog run in the pipi-can
This first option allows your dog to run freely and exercise on his own, something he should be able to do on every walk at least 5 minutesas recommended by ethologists.
Practicing exercise without a leash strengthens your bond and your dog will love feeling free and untethered outside. It is also important to practice obedience if we think about going on a hike or simply as a way to prevent a day from being lost.
Games
When exercising without a leash you can use a ball to chase, a Frisbee a log as a fence to jump All the options are valid as long as your dog enjoys with you. The optimum walk time is usually between 60 and 90 minutes long, divided into one, two and even three walks. Always combining exercise and walking.
First aid
Having a basic notion of first aid is really useful for our dog. Here are some links so you know what to do in certain situations:
- Wounds
- Poisoning
- Burns
However, remember that if you have a real emergency, the most important thing is to go to the vet. The sooner we treat our best friend, the better and the sooner he will recover.
