Physical and Mental Exercise

When most people are thinking about getting a dog, there is an understanding that the dog is going to need exercise to stay healthy. Owners typically take their new furry friends on walks to exercise them, which is excellent for both the human and the dog. However, depending on the breed of dog, a walk alone rarely meets the dog's physical needs.

On average, a dog needs a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise per day. Again, it's very important to know the type of breed you have or plan to get to fully know how much exercise is best for them. Before we get into breed specific exercise needs, let's talk about some of the different types of exercise you can do with your pup:

• Walking: This is most people's go to way of exercising their dog. It is beneficial for both the human and the dog, but has its limits - weather conditions, time of day, scheduling conflicts determine how long the walk will be, and people's motivation.

• Running: Let's be real, this is not most people's favorite form of exercise, and depending on the the dog, it won't be theirs either. Just like walking, running is beneficial for dog's and people, but has similar limits.

• Hiking: Depending on where you live, you may have a smooth hike with minimal elevation increases or a full workout with quick elevation increases. With the latter, elevation sickness is always a concern and if you and your dog do not regularly exercise, this is not the best option safety wise. If hiking is your thing and you have a high energy dog, this is a great way to meet a dog's exercise needs.

• Swimming: This one can be great for older dogs or dogs with an injury. The down side, not everyone has access to a pool or live close to a body of water that is safe for a dog to swim in. Also, not all dog's enjoy swimming.

• Games: A lot of people don't realize you game have a blast playing games with your dog. Most games you can play both indoors and outdoors, which is perfect when the weather conditions are not idea. A few examples are Hide and Seek (you hide, the dog seeks), Chase (the dog chases you), and Catch (toss your dog a toy or treat and they catch it. Games such as Fetch and Tug are common and most people have heard of them, but getting a Flirt Pole is another great option.

• Dog Sports: These are probably the most beneficial for your dog, but not your wallet. All dog sports mix training, which is wonderful mental stimulation, and physical exercise.

Of course the type of physical activity you do with your dog is completely up to you, my hope is that after reading this, you'll have a better understanding on why exercise is important. Especially if you have a dog with behavioral issues, and physical exercise is only one of the ways to help alleviate those issues. Making sure you dog also receives enough mental exercise is equally important. Just like us humans, brain games are extremely important for dogs.

Without proper mental exercise, your dog is going to get bored and a bored dog will find a way to entertain themselves. There are a ton of ways to meet this need for your dog. A few of my favorites are:

• Training: Of course any time people or dog's learn something new, we are exercising our brains. Training not only helps us teach our dog's how to comfortably live in our world, but it also gives them something to do.

• Puzzles: These can be store bought puzzle games or toys, or you can make your own with a box, newspaper, and kibble.

• Shredding: Didn't think you'd see this on the list did you? Letting your dog shred their toys or old boxes is so so wonderful for them. Of course you have to make sure they are not eating the thing they are shredding. However, it is a natural instinct for a dog to shred things.

• Chews: Chewing is a great way to keep your pup entertained and have better dental hygiene. My favorites for my dog are No-Hide Chews, Bully Sticks, and Cod Skin Chew Sticks, and Yak Milk Chews. Avoid any chews that are made of rawhide.

• Lick Mats and Stuff-able Toys: Not only can these keep your dogs busy for up to 40 minutes, but the act of licking is also self-regulating for dog's, so it helps them relax.

• Sniff Walks and Sniff Games: Along with licking, sniffing is also a great way to help your dog relax. It is also one of the best ways to make sure you dog is meeting it's mental exercise needs. Compared to humans, dog's have about 300 million olfactory receptors in there nose. Humans have about 6 million. Where as most humans see the world through their eyes, dog's see the world through their nose.

Now the best part is, you can combine your dog's physical and mental exercise. A few methods I use to do this mixing play and games with training. Depending on what type of training we are working on, I will start with play to help my dog burn off some energy and better be able to focus during training. I will also use play as a reward instead of treats, and I always give my dog something to lick or sniff after training to help bring his arousal levels back down.

When you mix physical and mental exercise, you are actually tiring your dog out quicker. This is beneficial when weather conditions are bad or your short on time. A quick energy burner is 15 minutes of tug or 5 - 10 minutes of practicing known training Cues and Fetch as a reward.

On average, dog's need between 30 to 90 minutes of physical activity per day. The size of your dog isn't the only factor to consider. You also have to consider what they were bred for, their leg and snout lengths, and any medical issues your dog may have. Keep in mind, most dogs were breed to perform certain tasks. It's important to look up what your dog was originally bred for and find exercises that stimulate those natural instincts as well as how it affects their energy levels.

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