Extra walks are fine, but don’t wear out your dog
For the past few weeks, many of us have been home in isolation. This has meant a lot of increased quality time with our pets.
Dogs, especially, are benefiting from the quarantine. Every time I look out my front window, there is a parade of families, appropriately distanced apart, walking their dogs around the neighborhood. I had no idea my neighborhood had so many dogs, although the piles of poop left in front yards and on sidewalks should have been my first hint.
Dogs need to be walked both for their physical and mental well-being, and I am thrilled to see entire families out in the fresh air walking their dogs. Those dogs though, who up until now have been mostly couch potatoes, may be feeling a little bit fatigued from their new routines.
In some instances, they may be going from one 20-minute walk a day to three or four 30minute walks daily. Some of these dogs are starting to look a little tired.
While exercise improves health for both people and their pets, dogs need the same gradual increase in exercise that doctors recommend for people. If your dog is used to walking 30 minutes once a day, don’t make him walk for 30 minutes four times a day. Add one extra walk each day for at least a week to give your dog’s body time to adjust to the new routine and build more stamina.
Older dogs can suffer from the same muscle soreness and stiff joints as people who exercise too much. If your dog is not jumping up every time you show him the leash or walking more slowly around the block, then you are pushing your dog too hard.
Some dogs, however, may be getting less exercise during the quarantine. My dog is highly reactive around other dogs, so I have always walked him at night to reduce encounters with other dogs. With everyone walking their dogs more and at all hours of the day, my dog has had had to sit on the bench more to avoid the potential interactions with other dogs.
To keep him properly stimulated, I have had to resort to more enrichment activities for him at home. He has lots of puzzle toys that he can activate with a push from his snout or hard chewing and licking to get a treat. Chewing and licking release endorphins in a dog’s brain, making him or her more content and happier.
So take your dog for walks and get them extra toys to play with, just balance the activities so you don’t wear out your dog.