Healthy Habits You Need to Cultivate for your Pets’ Benefit

A dog that gets enough exercise daily is a well-behaved dog. But how much exercise does your dog really need? According to veterinarians, a pet dog needs, at the least, 3 walks outside lasting 30 minutes or more. The best walk is in wide-open terrain, leashed, like in a city park.

Lack of exercise will highly impact your dog’s indoor behavior, resulting in destructive activities like chewing on furniture or destroying toys. Dogs need to be mentally stimulated in order to tire themselves out.

Puppies need even more exercise than an adult house hound with a well-established routine. Puppies are best taken on outdoor hikes, off-leash as they would be trying to buck off from their leashes to get free, being unused to restraint. Leave the puppy to run freely in a secure (fenced-in) park for 30-45 minutes, ideally with another dog roughly around the same age. Adventures in rural fields or forests are best so the pups are exposed to various scents and textures. Hopefully away from motorized traffic.

An older puppy (12 months or older) needs more intensive exercise as adolescent dogs want to test their limits. In order to discourage adventurism and potential disruptive behavior, increase walkies to 2-3 hours a day until they get tired. They’d be snoring in their beds once you return home.

Dog owners can only pray for flexibility in their work schedule as they take in a new puppy. Be responsible enough to recognize your time limitations if you’re planning to adopt a new dog that will demand a lot of your time. You can’t hit pause while raising a rowdy pup no matter how often you’re tempted.

A great pet parent is one who is retired or self-employed, where your schedule allows a lot of flexibility to take little Fido out on walks and playtime. Your furniture would thank you if they could talk.

When your dog starts to feel restless, they will show signs of increased activity or anxiety. They will tell you too. Some breeds can be so vocal about their demands.

Take your pets out on a good walk even on rainy days. By this time, you should be aware that there are so many pet products specifically designed for rain or snow protection. Invest in them. Once your dog comes home from a good walk, she will be calm and more willing to settle down for a nap.