How often should you walk your dog?

Why should you walk your dog?

Socialization

The personality of a dog does not develop without society. Man and other animals are not suitable for this role – dogs have a completely different relationship with us. While interacting with other dogs, your pet will learn new behaviors, learn about hierarchy and how to use reconciliation signals. Without such lessons, the dog will not become complete and will experience anxiety and stress when meeting with relatives.

Physical health

Both in the apartment and in the aviary, the dog does not receive the load that it needs. In nature, dogs run, take long walks, jump over barriers. Without these exercises, muscles, joints, the entire musculoskeletal system, and the heart suffer. Everything is like in people: if there is no sport, there is no health.

Mental health

Without emotional and physical relief, the dog experiences stress and … boredom. To cope with them, she comes up with interesting homework. For example, it gnaws on wallpaper and furniture, howls and whines loudly, jumps and bites the owners.

How often and for how long should you walk?

Most dogs tolerate up to 10-12 hours between walks. It is enough to walk with them twice a day – in the morning and in the evening. But if your dog has problems with the nervous or genitourinary system, then the number of walks can increase to three or four per day.

With puppies walk more often – every 2-3 hours. They can’t stand it longer for physiological reasons, so don’t scold them for homemade mistakes. In a couple of months, the puppy will enter the regimen and get used to enduring between walks for six hours or longer.

The duration of the walk depends on the age and breed of the dog.

For calm, decorative or age dogs, one and a half to two hours a day is enough. For hunting and young dogs, the time increases to three to four hours. Sled dogs need to walk more or include intense exercise in the walk.

A morning walk is usually shorter than an evening walk – 30 minutes is enough for it. An evening walk is more thorough, during which the dog needs to spend all the energy accumulated during the day.

What should be included in the tour?

During the walk, the dog should have time to:

• relieve natural need;

• Run 2-3 times for 5-10 minutes;

• communicate with relatives;

• walk “next to” you, without being distracted by others;

• practice a couple of teams and get a treat for it.

If you include all these items in the walk, then the walk will be complete. The dog will receive emotions from communicating with his own kind, learn information about the world around him, and establish contact with the owner. And he will be tired enough to fall asleep soundly, and not wake you up with night rounds of the apartment. You don’t need to complete all the points every day – today you can run more in the company of other dogs, and tomorrow hone commands and obedience. But try to keep a balance. Only then will the dog satisfy all needs and be happy.

22 2017 June

Updated: 14 June 2018