There is no disputing the fact that dogs need to run in order to maintain good health. For almost any dog that is not being restricted by health or physical issues, exercise is critical to their heart and lungs remaining strong. Exercise and burning calories is necessary for their bodies to function as they were intended to, using the energy they have to move quickly, run, jump and swim. It is a sad fact that dogs, like the humans that own them, almost never get enough exercise in order to maintain a healthy status. This means shorter, unhealthier lives for everyone.
When your doctor tells you that you need to eat better and exercise more in order to improve your health, they are usually talking about exercising in a way that raises your heart rate. Only for the most out of shape people is a doctor going to suggest that walking is enough exercise in order to maintain better health, and even in those cases they are hoping that you will use the walking to graduate to better health so that you can eventually do the exercises that raise your heart rate. Cardiovascular exercise is all about creating a situation where you make your heart beat faster, so that it improves the way the blood flows. A stronger heart moves more blood through your system with less effort, which is why you will find that the resting heart rate of a person in very good shape is actually lower than yours. Their body has improved its systems to function better, and your dog’s body is the same. In order for them to ultimately lose weight and have a more appropriate heart and lung function, they need to move in a way that will raise their heart rate. Unfortunately, walking does even less for them than it does for us. In a nutshell, walking does very little to improve your dog’s health. It is good for socialization and bonding with you, but it provides only the most minimal amounts of exercise.
Dogs in the wild spend their days searching for food, and hunting prey. They burn calories looking for the food that will keep them alive, and only rest when they have found enough. In our homes, we have taken dogs that have the same physical makeup of those wild dogs and allowed them to rest all the time. We provide all their meals for them so they never have to burn calories looking for food. We only take them on the most basic of walks in order to get them out of the house, doing almost nothing to raise and lower their heart rate. As a result, we get dogs that are unhealthy in the same ways that people are, too fat, poor lung and heart function and diseased. The majority of issues that dogs are facing come from breeding problems and lack of appropriate food and exercise. Since you are the only source of either of these things for your dog, it is your responsibility to provide for them.
Walk your dog several times a day, and provide them with running every 2 or 3 days. This means creating a situation where they run for extended periods of time, even if they want to just lay there. Train them to chase a ball or frisbee, or let them go to a dog park to play and run with other dogs. Hike or swim with them. Get a longer leash and run with them along side you. If you cannot provide these types of exercise, then contact a mobile dog gym like ours that will come to you and give them the exercise they need. Their lives literally depend on it.
