The Importance of Exercise for Your Dog

 

Cheryl’s voice trembled with frustration as she described Luther’s latest antics, “We have to put him in the crate whenever people come over. He’s just out of control. Nipping for attention, jumping up on people. He runs around the house like – an animal!”
 
Luther is an 11 month old male German Shepherd. A big, friendly boy, his 85 pounds of boundless energy was beginning to overwhelm the entire family.   
 
Most dogs don’t get enough exercise. But when your dog is a young, high drive dog like Luther, lack of sufficient exercise, play and mental stimulation is a recipe for all kinds of behavior problems.
People come up with lots of reasons why their dogs don’t get the exercise they need:
  
“I can’t take him for walks – he pulls on the leash.” A good obedience trainer can teach your dog to walk nicely on the leash in a very short period of time, without complicated, expensive equipment.
 
“I can’t take him to dog parks because he is dog-aggressive.”  Dog parks are not appropriate for every dog. But luckily, the dog park is not the only way to exercise your dog. Fetch, jogging, long walks in the park or around town, swimming, taking your dog to work and playing games like tug-of-war are all great sources of exercise, play and mental stimulation.
 
 “But we have a big back yard.”  Dogs need to play with you. They should not be left alone to exercise themselves. Too much time alone in the yard will not solve behavior problems. In fact, it will often lead to more behavior problems like excessive barking, digging, chasing critters, fence fighting and eating foreign objects. It may actually increase, rather than decrease, a dog’s level of frustration.  An active, involved owner with a small back yard is a lot more fun for a dog than a detached, aloof owner who banishes the dog to “go play” in a big back yard.
 
“We were thinking about getting another dog to keep him company.” Okay, so now you have 2 bored dogs instead of one? Not a great plan. There is no substitute for human attention, love, guidance and companionship.  
 
Exercise is extremely important, but it’s not a “magic pill” that will solve all behavior problems. Don’t assume that the solution for all bad behavior to simply wear your dog out.  A total solution involves exercise and interactive play along with good obedience training and proper pack structure and communication.

The Risk of Treadmills for Dogs

The use of treadmills has become popular with dog owners, giving them a seemingly easy way to provide exercise for their dogs. Owners who are unwilling or unable to give their dogs the exercise they need through traditional activities such as walking, jogging, swimming and games are turning to the treadmill in ever-increasing numbers. But there are significant drawbacks to putting your dog on a treadmill.   

First, dogs will often run or walk beyond exhaustion. Owners must be trained in how to recognize physical signs of tiring in their dogs, such as how fast they pant, excessive salivation and other subtle changes that occur in body language as their heart rates climb.    

Second, dogs who panic and fall off the treadmill can be seriously injured.  If you absolutely must use a treadmill to exercise your dog, take the time to follow a gradual training protocol for teaching the dog to run on the treadmill without fear, since this is not a natural device for a dog to use.  Consider attaching a kill switch to the dog’s collar or harness so that the treadmill will stop running if the dog falls off, and never leave the dog unattended.

Third, in addition to the chance of slipping off, there is a chance that some dogs might find the electrical components a bit too interesting – chewing on cords, controllers and such. Again, if you absolutely must use a treadmill to exercise your dog, never leave your dog unattended.

Fourth, in addition to physical exercise your dog needs mental stimulation. A big part of the reason why dogs benefit from walking or running is the fact that they are doing it with the owner and exploring the outside world.  Like their canine nomadic-hunter ancestors, dogs find “traveling with the pack” to be a natural, enjoyable activity.  They might get a similar amount of physical exercise on a treadmill but they won’t get all the other highly enriching components inherent in walking or running outside with their owners.  

So what’s the bottom line? In my opinion, for the average dog owner treadmill training is ill-advised.  Don’t get me wrong – I have seen some excellent uses of treadmill training for dogs by dedicated owners who have done it the right way. And for physically challenged owners it can be a godsend. But for the average dog owner the potential for misuse or injury can far outweigh the potential benefits. 

One more thought about exercise for dogs – exercise is extremely important but it is not a quick fix for behavior problems. Exercise, play and mental stimulation are vital but they are not a substitute for training.  Treadmill or not, don’t assume that the solution for all rambunctious behavior is to exhaust your dog.  Most common behavior problems are caused by inconsistent rules in the home and lack of proper training - not lack of exercise. 

Best Ways to Exercise Your Dog

Exercise means doing things with your dog, not just letting him run around alone in the yard. Dogs are social animals and require interactive play – they must play with you, their owner. Time spent alone running around in the yard will not solve your dog’s behavior problems. In fact, it may lead to more behavior problems, e.g. barking, digging, fence fighting.  It may actually increase, rather than decrease, a dog’s level of frustration.  An active, involved owner with a small back yard is a lot more fun for a dog than a detached, aloof owner who banishes the dog to “go play” in a big back yard. Steven Lindsay, in The Handbook of Applied Dog Training and Behavior concurs, “Putting a dog outside in a fenced yard is not enough to produce adequate exercise. The owner must become directly involved in the exercise activity, insuring that the exercise is done in a way that produces physiological and psychological benefit.” 

Dog parks and day care are not appropriate for every dog. But luckily, those are not the only ways to exercise your dog. Dogs enjoy fetch, jogging, long walks, swimming and playing games like tug-of-war and flirt pole.  

Tug-of-war is a great game to play with non-aggressive dogs, as long as you follow some basic rules. The owner should be the one to start and end the game, use only one object as the tug toy, put it away when you’re done and  teach the dog to drop the object on command.   

A flirt pole is simply a wooden pole with a length of rope and a toy tied to it.  Dogs with high prey drive love to chase and try to catch the toy. Dogs are not cats though, so be careful not to use the toy to make the dog jump up into the air, or your dog may be injured when he lands. Instead, make the toy “run” along the ground, simulating the movement of a running critter.  

Food games (like food puzzles or balls that dispense treats when hit a certain way by the dog) can be fun for dogs, providing much needed mental stimulation. While mental stimulation is not a substitute for exercise, don’t underestimate its impact on your dog’s overall well-being.  

Occupying your dog’s brain can be just as tiring as physical exercise. Take your dog with you wherever dogs are welcome.  Invest in a good obedience training program so that your dog will learn to be more pleasant and well-mannered, and he will be welcome in more places. (Plus the training itself is another great way to occupy your dog’s mind.)

By the way, if you’re thinking about getting a second dog to keep the first one company, think again. You just might wind up with 2 bored dogs instead of one. There is no substitute for human attention, love, guidance and companionship.