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Whether you’re the new owner of a rescue dog or pup or you’ve had a fur baby for years, this is a question that needs to be answered: how many times a day do I need to take my dog for a walk?
Before we dive into the various factors that affect how much exercise your dog needs, let’s start with the basics: most breeds of dog should get at least two walks a day. Both of those two walks should be at least fifteen minutes long.
Try to do a walk every day if you can. If weather or other factors prevent you from getting out of the house, a puzzle toy (like a treat inside a ball) can at least keep your pet moving around for a while trying to figure it out.
Humans don’t necessarily have to exercise all the time, but that’s a choice that most of us get to make for ourselves. Dogs, on the other hand, are living by our rules. We decide when they go outside and when they don’t. It’s important, then, that we give them the opportunities to let out the energy they need to.
According to Dog Breed Info,
“For a dog to be mentally stable, you as an owner must take your dog for daily walks to release mental and physical energy. The proper way to walk a dog is the dog walking either beside you, or behind you, and never in front of you. This may seem petty in a human’s mind, however it means a lot in a dog’s mind. When a human allows a dog to walk in front, they are sending signals to the dog that he is leading the human.
“Instinct tells a dog that the leader goes first. A lack of exercise allows the buildup of the mental energy which would otherwise be released in a proper walk, and permitting a dog to be pack leader can cause many behavioral problems in a dog—such as, but not limited to, hyper-activity, neurotic and/or obsessive-compulsive behaviors—all of which are signs of a dog that is not mentally stable.”
The breeds that tend to have high energy and need more exercise are:
Every dog is different. Certain breeds need more walks than others, and your particular dog might have more or less energy than their breed typically has. To find out what your new pup needs, take them out and get a feel for their energy levels.
