Exercise for Dogs

An extra 20 minutes of exercise per day will help your dog lose weight and feel great.

Exercise is very important to our dogs in many ways and is especially important in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Exercise burns calories, increases muscle mass, combats ill effects of aging such as arthritis and it even makes your dog happy and better behaved.

Exercise will help your dog take the pounds off by increasing calorie burning. Increasing muscle mass through exercise can also raise your dog's metabolic rate so that he or she continues to burn off more calories all the time, even while resting.

Exercise, especially in the form of a leash walk with an assertive owner, is incredibly valuable to a dog's mental health. It reinforces your leadership and helps put your dog in a good frame or mind. Many people find that this part of the POP plan is not only great for weight loss but is also great for the dog's mental state, happiness and overall behavior. These health and happiness benefits of exercise are also often appreciated by the dog's owner as well!

The minimum recommended exercise plan for a POP is to increase structured, supervised exercise by 20 minutes per day or more.

All forms of exercise can help.  Don't forget to count all the treats and food provided towards the daily Diet plan. Ideas include:

• Walking or jog your dog on a leash.
• Hike or walk unleashed, together with you, in a safe environment.  
• Play fetch.
• Play frisbee.
• Swim & play fetch in the water.
• Participate in an active obedience or agility class.
• Practice active obedience or agility work.
• Herd sheep or cattle (if trained and supervised).
• Use a tread mill for dogs (expensive but worth it as a last resort if you are unable to exercise your dog).
• Create an obstacle course for your dog to climb over, under and through.
• Have a play date with a doggy friend in a fenced and safe play enclosure. Encourage intense activity with games of fetch, chase and pull toys. Hike or play together.

* free time in the yard is great but is generally not active enough for weight loss.

Injury Prevention . . .

Start Slow & Stop if it Hurts. If you are introducing your dog to a new form of exercise, such as jogging, be cautious about the length and intensity of sessions as you and your dog become accustomed to the routine. Hard surfaces can be hard on your pet's paws and joints. Frequent over-use injuries include paw abrasions or pad tenderness. Stop exercise and contact AMC if you notice any signs of pain or other injury.

Dog Park Alert! Morgantown's dog park and other informal dog gathering places can be lots of fun and a great place to exercise and meet friends. But, any place where unknown dogs gather can be a high risk area for contagious illness, parasites and dog fights. Make sure your dog is up to date on his Bordetella (kennel cough) vaccines and parasite control before going to the dog park or other similar places. Always use caution when deciding who your dog will play with and steer far clear of aggressive dogs. Hang back and watch dogs before you allow your dog to interact with them. Use caution introducing dogs. If a dog shows any signs of overly aggressive or unpredictable behavior, leave right away. It is not worth risking your dog's safety to stay in a possibly dangerous situation. Serious injuries are not uncommon in these circumstances. 

Don't forget that a good restricted calorie diet is the first key to weight loss!

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