First Coast Pet

Posts Tagged ‘dog exercise’

Dog Walking is work our that almost anyone can do. What’s superb about it is that you can do it sole or with someone. If you do not have somebody, the dog supplies great company. It’s simple to do, and needs no special equipment, apart from a dog, a leash and comfortable shoes. It also costs nothing, in fact you can make money out of it. In addition it can be done just about anywhere, even in London dog walking is common.
Dog walking has many benefits. It is the key element of dog care. It uses calories, it is a weight loss aid. An hour or so of dog walking ( that is you with the dog!) will use between 200 and 300 calories, depending on your mass. The heavier you are, the more calories you use. Walking does not pressure your legs and ankles, unlike jogging, which can damage your joints and bones.
In fact it truly helps the knees. The action of dog walking stimulates cartilage growth and the flow of synovial fluid inside the knee. It also builds the muscles that shield the knee.
Since dog walking is weight-bearing it also aids builds the muscles that shield the hips. At the same time it strengthens bones therefore reducing the probability of fracture due to osteoporosis. By strengthening the core muscles of the spine and abdomen, dog walking helps reduce the chance for getting low back pain.
The increased effort needed for dog walking helps the heart to pump more strongly. This aids blood pressure reduction with the subsequent reduced risk for stroke and heart attack.
Dog walking increases the respiratory rate (breathing rate), promotes increased flow of oxygen to the rest of the body and also helps eliminate the build up of carbon dioxide. A major plus for you and the dog is improved energy.
There is some evidence that exercise such as dog walking raises endorphin levels which helps reduce pain, reduces serum cortisol levels which helps relieve stress (as does having animals around, so a double benefit), and may also decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
So how do I {kick off with} start dog walking.
Pretty simple. Start with a good pair of walking shoes. If you have a history of flat feet, you should use orthotics.
Do not try to do too much at the very beginning. You should gradually increase the amount you walk. A great goal is 10,000 steps per day, which is approximately 5 miles. Don’t worry it is not that far, remember, most individuals already walk about 3,000 to 5,000 steps a day during the course of a routine day. Do not forget that many dogs, who evolved from wolves still have the same behaviours, need to walk over 5 miles a day. Many have the stamina for ten or more miles a day.
Depending on your fitness, you can build up from low levels. Only one problem, No dog. Not a problem, enquire around, there are many people who do not have ~sufficient time for walking their dog. Increasingly, during this credit crunch period, dogs are being given to into pet charities, so either volunteer to become a dog walker or why not re-house a dog.
Strapped for cash, why not help out people who do not have time for dog walking and set up a business walking their dog.
How fast for your dog walking will depend on you and your dog. Start cautiously. A medium pace, you can walk up to about 2-3 miles an hour. You should be breathing more rapidly and feel your heart rate increasing but still be able to carry on a conversation. You need to make sure that the dog is not pulling you, its not good for him and it is more exhausting for you.
Please note, it’s important to keep up your dog walking routine, for both you and the dog! Enjoy it.

One of the best things about owning a dog is that they can fix just about any problem you may have. If you’re sad, a dog is happy to comfort you, and let you rattle off all your problems to their ever available ears. If you’re full of energy, a dog is happy to take you for a run or walk, granted you bring travel dog water bowls with you, speeding up or slowing town to your pace at any given moment. Dogs are always there to keep you company or play a game when you are lonely. There is a reason why a canine is known to be man’s best friend – they will always be there for you when you need them. Dogs are not only great for the disabled and children alike, but also for elderly people and really anybody else.

Whenever my husband comes home tired and beaten down from a hard day of office slavery, the dog is likely to lift his spirits as much if not more than my home-made meatloaf. Our dog is named Cody, and he’s a Great Dane. His beautiful face seems to smile all the time, and his coat is so soft I will lay next to him on any one of the beds for large dogs we got for him. You can tell he has more energy than even I can believe, just by watching how much his tail wags. Cody can seem like a lot of work from time to time, since we have to brush him and feed him and make sure he has plenty of exercise, but he loves to ride in the car so he’s easy to take with us on trips to the mountains or to the beach.

It’s strange sometimes to think of how much a part of the family Cody is, but I suppose it doesn’t matter if we treat him better than some of our friends – after all, he’s our responsibility, and he repays us with joy and love that’s hard to get anywhere else.

If you’re a first time puppy owner, you’re probably starting to wonder about your new responsibilities. Now that you’re responsible for another life, it’s important that you understand what these responsibilities entail.

Your puppy’s diet is first on our list. Puppies are on their mother’s milk until they are about six to eight weeks old. This weaning age is usually when breeders allow the puppies to be taken home by their new owner. Ask your breeder what the pup is currently eating and continue to feed him that. Usually they will be eating a soft canned food mixed with puppy milk replacer. Use less and less milk until your puppy is on pure canned food. You can do the same when switching to dry food by mixing in a little soft food and then cutting back a little each day until the puppy is on dry food only. Dry food is recommended as the best type of food for dogs as it has less fat content and keeps your dog’s teeth strong and free of plaque build up. This should happen gradually over the course of about 7 – 10 days. You should never feed your dog human food (ie: table scraps) at any time during his life. A dog’s diet requires a specific balance of certain nutrients and feeding your dog table scraps will upset this balance. Also remember to keep a water bowl filled for your pup at all times.

Your next concern should be to see that your dog gets all of the required vaccinations. Some breeders may start the vaccination process, so check with your dog’s breeder to find out if any vaccinations have been given to your pup. There are three shots given three weeks apart. These shots are referred to as the “core” injections. They help to prevent your pup from contracting distemper, parvovirus, and hepatitis. You can have the first shot administered when your puppy is 6 weeks old. Your veterinarian may suggest vaccinations to prevent illnesses that are a concern for certain breeds or demographic regions. These are called non-core vaccinations as they are not a requirement for all dogs. To be on the safe side, we recommend you keep your dog away from other dogs (that are not in your home) until your puppy has completed his round of core vaccines. They will become effective about 10 days after the last vaccination.

Grooming is another important aspect of owning a puppy. Some dogs have stricter grooming requirements than others, particularly ones with long or curly fur. Certain breeds of dog are particularly susceptible to ear infections and require that their ears be cleaned frequently. All dogs should have their nails clipped periodically (usually when you hear their paws click on the floor you know it’s time for a trim!). It’s very important that this is done in the correct fashion using proper canine nail clippers, as cutting to deeply in your dog’s claws can result in severe pain and bleeding.

Last but not least is exercise. Puppies are energetic by nature and need an outlet. Take extra care to spend time playing with your pup and make sure he gets plenty of time outdoors (other than trips to relieve himself!). Boredom can often result in excessive chewing as well as destructive behaviour, so the more time you dedicate to wearing out your spirited companion, the happier he will be! A great exercise trick is to buy dog steps and teach your dog fun games that incorporate running up and down the stairs. Pet stairs are also handy to have around if you allow your dog on the couch or bed so he doesn’t have to jump to and from the furniture.

For more tips on raising a healthy pup, visit HelpYourPets.com.

Does your dog’s energy outlast yours when you are playing fetch?  And is this resulting in your dog not getting a beneficial amount of running exercise?  I cannot count the number of times that I overused my arm and shoulder playing fetch.  I noticed that as my arm got tired, my throws would get sloppier and sometimes I almost overextended my elbow or my shoulder.  I look forward to playing golf on the weekends, and I did not want to risk getting injured by playing too much fetch with my dog.  I needed to find a better way for us to play fetch.

Then one day I was throwing the tennis ball for my dog, and I was getting tired and wondering how I could throw it farther so he would be the one getting the workout, and it finally occurred to me how to throw a tennis ball farther… by not throwing it!  I ran into my garage and grabbed an old tennis racquet and started to lob the ball for my dog to catch.  And our game of fetch was instantly transformed.  Why didn’t this occur to me before?!  Within minutes, I was offering him an assortment of ball distances, speeds and trajectories, all with less effort on my part.  I could tweak the arc of the ball depending on how much I wanted him to run, and I was amazed at how far I could hit the ball with just a gentle underhand stroke.  It was also amusing to hit the ball high and watch him try to figure out where it was going to land.  And I always laugh at how he chases a high-bouncing ball.

To my dog’s delight, we are now playing fetch for as long as he has the energy.  This kinder, gentler way of playing fetch has preserved my arm and shoulder integrity so my golf game is no longer in peril.  And it has added the variety necessary to keep our fetch playing interesting and fun.

So the next time you play fetch with your dog, grab a tennis racquet and give this a try.  And if tennis isn’t your game, then grab your racquetball racquet, your baseball bat or anything that will launch a ball will less strain from you.  Enjoy your dog!

Make sure to visit my blog MyDoggie.org for helpful dog tips and advice on Eliminating Barking, Leash Training and much more!