Are you worried about your dog’s fitness? Concerned about your pet’s increasing weight? Is your dog turning aggressive or chewing destructively? Are you wondering if your daily workout is good enough for the breed you have?
When it comes to a pet’s daily care routine, physical activity is an essential component. Whether a small breed or a large, athletic hound, dogs need regular and adequate exercise. A dog’s fitness is key to its health. Exercise ensures dogs have enough mental and physical stimulation, a factor that’s essential in regulating their destructive behavior. If your dog looks overweight or even bored, you should think of altering their physical routine considering their age, size, breed, and health to keep them active and moving.
Here are five ways to help you assess your dog’s fitness level and see if they’re getting enough exercise.
#1: Your Dog is Gaining Weight
Dogs love to eat and the absence of adequate exercise may lead to weight gain. A dog puts a few pounds on when their level of physical activity fails to match their calorie intake. Even active pets gain weight when they have a slower metabolism. If your dog continues to gain weight, you have a task at hand to ramp up your dog’s fitness routine.
Your dog’s weight gain hints at two possibilities – overfeeding and lack of exercise to burn those extra calories. To reverse the weight gained, you need to streamline both. Check your dog’s total calorie intake and make sure they get an adequate amount of exercise daily, in order to prevent calories from pilling on.
#2: Your Dog Exhibits Destructive Behavior
For a dog, physical activity is a great source of mental stimulation. Regular workouts help keep your dog calm and composed by helping them stay stress-free. When your dog exhibits destructive behavior, it’s an indication that their fitness routine is falling short of its objective.
The lack of adequate exercise causes a dog to suffer from boredom, harbor separation anxiety, feel frustrated, and even turn increasingly aggressive. Your pet may start chewing and destroying shoes, furniture, and other household items.
#3. Your Pet Stays Withdrawn
Your dog’s fitness level is clearly discernible if they stay disinterested and their level of engagement goes down without any age-related explanation. If there is no adequate physical or mental stimulation, dogs remain disconnected. Your dog may not respond well to your efforts to socialize, or may not run to welcome you as you arrive home from the office.
Unless your dog is diagnosed with pain and anxiety, lack of adequate exercise is surely the underlying reason behind their withdrawal.
#4. Your Dog Remains Hyperactive
Your dog’s fitness is directly related to their high energy level. If the exercise routine fails to satisfy your dog, the result is hyperactivity. Your dog may be difficult to control, run berserk, pull you while walking on a leash, or behave wildly.
Such restlessness may be because of an accumulation of energy due to lack of adequate physical activity. This pent-up energy often results in impatience and “crazy” behavior. You’ll notice that your pet may also express agitation through barking, grabbing his leash, and whining.
#5. Your Dog Suffers from Frequent Muscle Stiffness
A dog’s anatomy relies on daily exercise to remain fit. Inadequate physical activity is likely to make your dog suffer from loss of endurance and muscle strength, among many things.
The type of exercise matters as well, and it varies based on the breed, size, age, and energy level. You can’t have the same workout routine for both a senior dog and a two-year old dog. Similarly, a Dachshund can’t follow an exercise plan made for a Rottweiler. Every dog is different and needs a different exercise regimen.
We hope you found this useful! Also, be sure to head over to our Instagram post for a really cool couch hack that should tire your dog in no time.