Dog Fitness: Good for Dog Obedience, Behavior and Your General Health
By Jt Clough
Lack of exercise is often to blame for bad behavior. Then there’s obedience training, or, rather, a lack of it. Every dog needs at least basic training, and daily exercise. Once herders, guard and hunting dogs, now our dog friends have new work; unfortunately it’s usually collecting their own doggie welfare checks. Modern day dogs lie around waiting for food and someone to pick up after them amongst all the fabulous beds, and toys.
While wearing the finest collars, the matching leash many times gets little use. Most dog breeds need a minimum of 45 minutes of exercise every day and the best kind is forward motion exercise. People believe that dogs need a big yard so they can get plenty of exercise. The truth is most people don’t have a big yard and even if they did most dogs do not exercise when they are outdoors by themselves; they spend most of their time laying around waiting for “their people” to play with them.
Let’s face it; most people don’t get enough exercise either. We are an overweight, cranky, multi-tasking society and we are doing a good job of creating dogs to reflect our own poor habits.
The best thing you can do for your dog is get them out for some exercise and the benefits it will provide will be immeasurable for yourself and your dog. Exercise channels the activity of both mind and body. Dogs that get regular exercise with their people tend to leave the unwanted behavior like chewing, nuisance barking, separation anxiety, and aggressive tendencies behind.
You do not need to take up marathon running in order to adequately exercise your dog. Start just like you would start any program for yourself. Make sure your dog is psychically healthy and then acclimate. Go out for 15 minutes, and add 5 to 10 minutes every week until you get up to at least 45 minutes, preferably every day. Walking is great, and if running is in your capabilities your dog will love it even more.
Dogs are labeled as our best friends and they can be just that if we give them the basics: exercise, discipline, and our time. Develop your relationship with your dog through exercise and you’ll get a friend who isn’t afraid of the dark, is never critical of you, never gossips, will follow you anywhere, never no shows on you, and will always love you.
Jt Clough training director of K9 Coach, San Deigo, CA
http://www.SitK9Sit.com K9 Coach content copyright 2006. Article can be reprinted with link permission. K9 Coach trains People and Dogs in San Diego, CA with Personal Training Programs for Exercise, Relationship, Communication& Holistic Health.
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