Motivating yourself to exercise can be challenging, especially when managing a busy schedule. Fortunately, canine owners have their own four-legged source of inspiration to help them get up and on their feet. Exercising your dog is essential to keeping him healthy and happy - and is also beneficial to you as the human. Here is how exercising with your dog is beneficial to both of you!
1. Health Improvement
Sounds obvious? Apparently, it isn't obvious enough to make most dog owners exercise their pups as much as they should be! With numerous benefits all the way from drastically reducing heart disease risk and cardiovascular problems to fighting away nasty infections and depression, exercise is one of the least costly (and most effective) medications you can give your dog. One of the best ways to have a positive exercise experience with your pet - is to gear up with all your hands-free necessities. Leashes that wrap around your waist as well as doggy-doo bags that you don’t have to carry are a great place to start!
2. Fighting Obesity
And with obesity comes a whole new world of problems, such as pancreatitis, arthritis, diabetes and depression, all of which you obviously don't want your dog to go through. Once you start on a track to improve or prevent your overweight dog from developing diabetes, consider starting him on a low-calorie diet too! Bringing treats to reward your exercise partner is a great way to keep things fun and rewarding, try a low-calorie treat as well.
3. Reduces Unwanted Barking
Generally speaking, dogs bark for a reason, and that's to communicate something to you or someone else. If your dog isn't barking because of an apparent reason (them being afraid of something, an imminent danger they are warning you about, etc ..), then one of the most common reasons they bark is due to boredom. An inactive dog is a bored dog, and a bored dog which doesn't have the opportunity to channel all the energy inside of them is an unhappy dog that will bark all day long! Meanwhile, if you focus on giving your dog the daily fix of exercise they need, you'll soon experience it firsthand that a tired dog is a heavenly one.
4. Strengthens The Bond Between You And Your Pet
Getting out and about with your canine companion provides an opportunity for both you and your pet to spend time together. By going out for a walk, run, or hike with your dog you are creating a new level of trust between you and your four-legged friend. If your dog is a family dog, bring everyone out on weekends to spend time enjoying the park or walking trail!
So, now that you know some of the benefits of giving your dog daily exercise, exactly how much should they exercise for every day? Of course, there's no one size fits all answer to this question as a lot of factors come into play, such as your dog's age, size and health history. However, if you're giving them a challenging workout, generally 30-45 minutes of vigorous exercise a day is a great place to start. A healthy dog is a happy dog, and a happy dog means a happy YOU, so get to it!
