When people began to give up the rural lifestyle in favor of more urban living, our lives changed. Our dog’s lives also changed, and not for the better. Working dogs were bred and built to have tasks and work alongside their humans, and as a result they are built for exercise. When we moved to urban types of settings, our dog’s lives became more of sitting around the house waiting for us to engage them, instead pf working outside all day. We convinced ourselves that walking our dog for about 30 minutes each day was enough exercise for them, but unfortunately this is almost never the case. Most veterinarians suggest that dogs need between 30 minutes and two hours of low to moderate exercise (walking) every day. They also recommend that high energy dogs or working breeds get around 30 minutes of rigorous high intensity exercise IN ADDITION TO one to two hours of moderate exercise every day see this article. Even if you have a walking service that comes to your house every day and walks your dog for 30 minutes, it is probably not even close to what they really need. Dogs also need mental simulation every day or they get bored. Sniffing some flowers or plants during our walk around the block, and the noise from Netflix being on the TV while you are at work gets boring for them very quickly, this is why they look for new ways to keep themselves amused. For dogs, this is usually ripping up pillows or destroying furniture. We all know that isn’t what we want, but imagine if you were confined in a room all day every day, with the exact same thing on television and no internet to keep yourself amused. You would lash out too,
Hiring a professional service to provide your dog with the stimulation and exercise they need is probably going to be the best bet, if you have a full time job and other commitments that will not let you spend the amount of time that is necessary working your dog out. There are many types of workouts that you can provide even while you are at work, and these workouts generally involve not only the exercise and socialization itself, they also involve people spending time with your dog. Having people engage with your dog keeps them mentally sharp as well as physically fit, which is just as important to their well being. While it is nearly impossible in today’s urban setting to provide your dog what they really need, services like RUN DAWG are here to provide some. We can give your dog the 30 minutes of vigorous exercise that they need often, even if it isn’t every day. It will enrich your dog’s life and also help them live longer.
