Does Your Dog Need More Exercise?

More dog behavior problems are caused by lack of exercise than anything else. Dogs that don’t get enough exercise are edgy and unfocused. This not only makes them more likely to get into trouble but also makes them harder to train. As the dog trainer in my puppy school class said, “A tired dog is a good dog.”

How much exercise is enough? It depends on the dog. Here are some common signs of a dog that’s not getting enough activity:

- pacing

- whining for apparently no reason

- running along the fence, possibly barking frantically as people or other dogs pass

- chewing, shredding or otherwise destroying things

- almost never lying down even when everyone else is lazing around

- constantly being underfoot & wanting attention, also desperately so

If even one of those symptoms is showing, your dog needs more exercise. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. If you’ve got a backyard, try throwing a ball 3-5 times twice a day. If you don’t have a yard, then get to a park. If you go to the gym, try to take your dog out for a 1-2 mile jog. Even once a twice a week is a fine start.

If there’s no possible way you can get your dog more exercise, seriously consider finding the money for doggie daycare at least once a week. Twice is better. Some doggie day cares are run out of people’s homes, and these tend to be a bit cheaper than full-fledged commercial address businesses. Usually an in-home doggie caycare is around $15, and a commercial address daycare is 20-$25 a day. If you buy packs of 10-20 visits you can cut that price by up to 30%.

City dogs may have it a bit tougher. If their owners can’t afford dog daycare (which can be $30+ a day), even getting a dog walker can run $25 for half an hour. In New York city’s upper east side, the going rate is $35 for half an hour’s walk. If $25 for a walk isn’t going to work, get friendly and ask a neighbor, a student, or someone who’s out of work. Sometimes $10-15 is enough motivation to get someone to talk your dog out.