Does your dog get enough exercise?

Does Your Dog Get Enough Exercise?

Help, this dog is driving me crazy!

If you started this journey reading every thing you could get your hands on about how to solve destructive, hyper-active behavior, perhaps you've finally reached the right article!

The answer is exercise!
Tired, physically satisfied dogs sleep!

After a healthy romp, your dog will be content to snooze on the couch with you!

If what you want is this >

Then it is essential that you provide plenty of this:

A TIRED PUPPY IS A GOOD PUPPY!

"But I take him for a walk every day!"
A walk is great - it's a change of scenery, a chance to sniff and see the world outside his yard. It's a social opportunity, a great "together time" for you and your dog. But it isn't really the kind of "exercise" that totally satisfies the stir-crazed canine athelete. He needs to get out and really stretch his legs.

Flat out running, chasing - feeling the wind in their ears. This is joy!

The typical 9 month old dog is smart, driven, active - often with too much unsupervised freedom. The result is a hyper, overstimulated, destructive pup. The answer is hands-on training and direction, a minimum of 20 minutes of fast aerobic exercise daily (the kind that gets his heart rate up and makes him pant) playing directed games with rules, with you - not left alone, wreaking havoc on the yard or house. Play ball or frisbee, go hiking or to the dog park. Enroll him in doggy day care!

If he's destroying your belongings, he needs better superVISION.
If he's in the yard, you are there, too. If he's in the house, you are there, too. You need to be there to interrupt and redirect him to an appropriate behavior. He needs a job. He needs to learn and think and problem solve so he doesn't run amok.

When you can't supervise him, he needs to be confined to a dog-proof zone with a variety of interactive pacifier toys (the kind you stuff with food and hide all over the yard) that are rotated every few days to keep them novel and interesting. All that energy must be carefully channeled so he can never practice unwanted behavior.

"If your dog is fat, you aren't getting enough exercise!" says the old adage.

If your dog is an outdoorsy type and you are a couch potato, you will be at odds. He'll be challenging you to a catch me if you can game with your underwear while you just want to watch a movie. You may need to hire someone to get your dog out - or follow his lead and get out and get some fresh air!

Embarking on a new exercise regime?
Get your vet's ok before you start. Build time, speed and distance slowly. Check pads for injuries, be alert for signs of overheating. Concussive trotting on hard pavement can damage joints in young growing pups. No high jumping or long jogs until your puppy's growth plates close - after a year of age.

Bicycle attachments:

The Walkydog Dog Jogger at left, the popular Springer or the BikerDog attachment can make that ride safer for both of you.

Added bonus: People who walk their dogs live longer, too!

Go take a hike!

In Spokane, contact Karen Jurasin to find out about dog-friendly hiking excursions.
Inland Northwest Trails Coalition
Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/InlandNWOutdoors/

Smiling dogs and smiling humans getting some fresh air.

Now that's exercise!