· By Minou Tpain
Author: Denise Partlow
Instagram: @modernk9 Carolinas
Lately, I have been seeing a lot of posts with people rehoming their dogs due to not being able to keep up with the dog’s physical needs. Many state that they cannot seem to fulfill the dog to the point of exhaustion so it made me wonder if other owners are aware that dogs may not need as much exercise as we think.
I’m not saying to not exercise your dog. Exercise is extremely important for your dogs’s overall health. Every dog deserves time to sniff, explore, walk or run BUT a 30-45 minute daily walk should be sufficient for the majority of dogs. This can vary, but typically a 45 minute walk should be enough.
You might be thinking:
“Nope. Not my dog. He still has a ton of energy after a 3-mile hike”.
Most of the time this is because we are missing a very important component into the dog’s routine…..mental stimulation.
Mentally stimulating activities are ones in which require the dog to use their mind/senses to figure things out.
Some examples are, but are not limited to:
-15 minute training session running through tricks or commands your dog already knows
-Practicing any position stay with some super challenges at home
-Teaching your dog a new trick
-Structured play
-Sniffari
-Food puzzles
-Food scattering
-Find it games
-Hide and seek
-Puppy Ping Pong
-Hiking
-Body Confidence Building
When you pair mentally stimulating activities with physical exercise every day, you will have a dog that is more fulfilled and capable of following through with a healthy routine when at home. It is also possible to combine the two activities to one if you are limited on time. For example, I bring my dogs to an open field often to allow them time to run at their pace, explore, and play, but during that time we have there, I may also practice some obedience skills with them to make the most of my time.
So before you decide to block out three hours of your day, just to give your dog physical exercise, make sure you have added mentally stimulating activities to your dog’s day first. And lastly, don’t forget to add in opportunities to practice resting, as most dogs don’t know how to do this without our guidance.
#mentalstimulationfordogs #dogenrichment#dogtraining
