That’s how harmful it is to really “exercise” your dog on a regular basis

Dogs need to be exercised – so really, right? It’s been a big trend in recent years for dogs to (need to) be “exercised” on a regular basis. Only when the dog lies completely flat in his bed and if possible still feels the activity in his bones the next day, the goal is achieved. Exercise dog

Don’t you think? But it is so. A normal walk is much too boring. Once a week mantrailing or sport? Not enough. The dog must be properly finished as often as possible.

Please don’t get me wrong. Dogs are allowed to be active, they are allowed to play, do sports and run and after the activity they are also allowed to lie tired and satisfied in their bed. After all, that’s how we feel after sports or an exciting excursion. One is pleasantly tired from the activity and impressions. But it is the task of us dog owners to find a healthy balance. Because our dogs do not have reason. All too often I see dog owners who flatten their dogs so badly just by playing with balls that they lie on the ground completely exhausted with a mad look on their face. Is the dog doing well with it? No.

What happens when you just exercise the dog senselessly?

The dog is overloaded. Mentally – he is completely over it – but also physically. Movements are often unilateral, with frequent repetitions. Or they are simply over a very long period of time and the dog is overloaded by the duration of the stress.

What happens in the dog’s body? Exercise dog

In most cases, the consequences of the overload do not occur promptly. Sure, after the overexertion and often the day after, the dog is pretty tired and probably also has a thick muscle soreness. But when these overloads occur on a regular basis, overuse injuries result in the form of severely stressed joints, overused muscles, and a severely stressed cardiovascular system. The result is, for example, joint wear and tear in the form of arthrosis. The dog ages particularly quickly.

How to do it better? Exercise dog

Basically, there is no reason to regularly push your dog beyond its limits. Physical activity is fine, but please always in healthy moderation. Throw a ball – for all I care. If you’ve been reading my posts for any length of time, you know I’m not a fan of ball tossing and would rather look for an alternative. Exercise dog

When it comes to intense exertion during sports, you should remember to prepare the dog’s body for the exertion – keyword warm up during sports – and also take a moment for a cool down afterwards. Walks and also any other physical exertion should always be adapted to the current physical condition of your dog. For example, if your dog is older and can actually do a 30 minute round just fine, then you should respect that limit and not exercise him for 45 minutes instead. You can tell that your dog is very tired even during normal walks when he starts to run after you, takes breaks, sits down or lies down. The overload caused by too long walks alone causes the body’s regeneration time to increase significantly. Exercise dog