Dogs need exercise every day, and each dog is going to need a different amount of exercise based upon their individual situations. Puppies need more exercise than adult dogs, and dogs that have different health conditions or ailments are going to need different amounts of exercise in order to manage their weight, keep their heart strong, and keep in good physical health. Walking with you does not work out a dog’s entire body, but instead works out mainly the front legs due to the fact that when walking dogs carry about 85% of their weight on their front paws. This changes when they begin to run at their own pace their gate changing in order to shift more towards their rear legs in order to push forward. This is why walking is simply not enough for many dog breeds, because they are not bred to walk all the time. Instead, they were bred to move up and down hills, and move at faster paces during short bursts (think foraging for food and hunting other smaller animals.) Dogs walking alongside us as we exercise by walking are not being served what they need, as we almost always choose the types of paths that we prefer, like flat pavement surfaces lacking hills and uneven ground. While walking is fine for socialization, thinking that it is enough exercise to keep your dog healthy and in good condition is simply not true. Ask any veterinarian how much exercise that a dog should be getting every day, and you will probably be surprised that the answer is almost always far more than you have ever dreamed of providing. In almost every case unless you are spending at least two hours every day walking your dog at a moderate pace, then your dog isn’t even getting the bare minimum of exercise. Most dogs need at least a few hours of walking at your pace every day, and at least 30 minutes spent running at their pace. Even medium sized dogs will generally run at a pace nearly twice what a human will, and energetic dogs will run at almost 20 miles per hour. The fastest human being runs at roughly 23 miles per hour, so that you understand just how difficult it is to run a dog adequately alongside us.
In order to get a general idea of how much exercise your dog needs, we are including the following list of generalities by breed that serve as daily exercise suggestions. Each case will be different and should be suggested by a veterinarian who has examined your dog in person but for generalities and ideas of about how much exercise you will need to provide to your dog in order to avoid health issues, the following list can act as a guide.
Bichon Frise 20 minutes walking daily + indoor play daily
Lhasa Apso 20 minutes walking daily + indoor play daily
Pug 20 minutes walking daily + indoor play daily
Shih Tzu 20 minutes walking daily + indoor play daily
Miniature Dachshund 20-40 minutes walking daily
Yorkshire Terrier 20-40 minutes walking daily
English Bulldog 20-40 minutes walking daily + 30 minutes strenuous running every 7 days
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel 40-60 minutes walking daily + 30 minutes strenuous running every 7 days
Cairn Terrier 40-60 minutes walking daily + 30 minutes strenuous running every 7 days
Cocker Spaniel 40-60 minutes walking daily + 30 minutes strenuous running every 7 days
Great Dane 40-60 minutes walking daily + 30 minutes strenuous running every 7 days
Miniature Schnauzer 40-60 minutes walking daily + 30 minutes strenuous running every 7 days
Toy/Miniature Poodles 40-60 minutes walking daily + 30 minutes strenuous running every 7 days
Shetland Sheepdog 40-60 minutes walking daily up and downhill + 30 minutes strenuous running every 3 days
Bassett Hound 60-80 minutes walking daily up and downhill + 30 minutes strenuous running every 3 days
Tibetan Terrier 60-80 minutes walking daily up and downhill + 30 minutes strenuous running every 3 days
Whippet 60-80 minutes walking daily up and downhill + 30 minutes strenuous running daily
West Highland Terrier 60-80 minutes walking daily up and downhill + 30 minutes strenuous running daily
Golden Retriever 80-100 minutes walking daily up and downhill + 30 minutes strenuous running daily
Siberian Husky 80-100 minutes walking daily up and downhill + 30 minutes strenuous running daily
Border Terrier 100-120 minutes walking daily up and downhill + 30 minutes strenuous running daily
Staffordshire Bull Terrier 100-120 minutes walking daily up and downhill + 30 minutes strenuous running daily
Border Collie 100-120 minutes walking daily up and downhill + 30 minutes strenuous running daily
Dalmatian 100-120 minutes walking daily up and downhill + 30 minutes strenuous running daily
German Shepherd 100-120 minutes walking daily up and downhill + 30 minutes strenuous running daily
English Springer Spaniel 100-120 minutes walking daily up and downhill + 30 minutes strenuous running daily
Labrador Retriever 100-120 minutes walking daily up and downhill + 30 minutes strenuous running daily
Rottweiler 100-120 minutes walking daily up and downhill + 30 minutes strenuous running daily
Weimaraner 100-120 minutes walking daily up and downhill + 30 minutes strenuous running daily
