Man dog owners are guilty of not taking their dog out on enough long walks and the results of doing this are not very good at all for your little pooch. I was in this boat a couple of years ago and I had gotten so used to just taking my little puppy out for the bathroom in the morning and night, that I continued to do so even though my dog was clearly growing up. It was the team at the All Creatures Veterinary Center who first mentioned this to me and I had no idea the issues which I was almost causing by not taking the dog out on enough long walks. I have made sure to remedy this in recent years however and here is why you too need to make sure that you take the dog out for walks which last over an hour.
Fitness and Health
The most obvious reason why you should always ensure that your dog is getting enough miles in their legs is because in doing so you are helping to keep them healthier. Even if the dog is allowed to run around in a garden when they are at home, it is not enough to keep their muscles supple and their bones and joints flexible. If a dog is not given enough exercise then they are going to be inviting all kinds of health problems both in the long term and the short term.
Fuller Life
It is not fair at all to keep a dog cooped up at home all of the time and when we take them out for a long walk it gives them real adventure and excitement. On a long walk your dog will have the chance to smell hundreds of different scents, meet other dogs and create stories and memories. We think that dogs are just these creatures who don’t do very much but that is just not the case and taking them on long walks is good for their mental health and great for their overall happiness. Whenever my dog dreams I think ‘what are you dreaming about’ and I always hope that it is about one of our long walks, if you don’t take them out, all they’ll have to dream about is the same old 4 walls.
Good For You
Taking the dog out for a long walk is not just good for the dog, it is also beneficial to you and your health. This is an excuse to get out there and get some fresh air and get some miles into your own legs, something which many of us are also guilty of not doing. Over time you maybe able to start running with your dog or to take the bike out and have them run alongside you.
Ultimately it is rather cruel not to give your dog the amount of exercise which they need, so why not take yours out for a nice big walk in the morning?