Dogs aren’t people, but there are a few glaring similarities between dog and human fitness.
Both Dogs and People Get Muscle Aches
Like people, dogs can get sore after strenuous exercise which they aren’t used to. Their muscles can ache the next day just like yours. This is why if you’re just starting out exercising with your dog, remember to give it enough rest to recover between sessions. If you go for a long cycle one day, settle for a walk the next.
Both Dogs and People Can Get Bored
Like people, dogs can get bored of doing the same things over and over. Pick an exercise activity that both you and your dog enjoy and don’t be afraid to change it up. If your dog gets bored during longer runs, consider taking breaks between running; bring your dog’s favorite toy on your run, let your dog have some water, and throw the toy for your dog during the short break.
Exercise Gets Your Dog’s Endorphins Flowing
When people exercise, their bodies release endorphins. Endorphins can make you feel happy, light, carefree, and ‘high’ on life. Dogs experience this during exercise as well! When dogs are running and playing their bodies release endorphins just like ours do. They become happy and elated. Fun exercise is a great way to get those endorphins flowing, lift your dog’s mood, and release some of its stress.
Dogs and People Can Exercise and Still be Fat
You can go for a one hour run every day, but if you eat copious amounts of fatty food and junk, you’ll still be fat! The same goes for dogs – just because you’re exercising your dog daily does not mean you can start feeding it more food or worse quality food. Keep your dog’s diet consistent and don’t think that increasing exercise means you should increase food intake as well! You need to find a balance between how much physical activity your dog is doing and how much it is eating. If you aren’t sure, talk to your vet!
It’s important to never treat your dog as if it’s a little person, but we certainly have some similarities which we can both relate to when it comes to exercise and staying fit.
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Hi, I came to this site because the admin is gorgeous
That said, I agree completely about exercising our dogs, I have a Jack Russell cross Terrier aged 5 years and I’ve noticed how podgy she has become in just a couple of years when I was overseas. It came down to feeding her with too much human food like chicken, steak and bones and not a lot of walking. When she goes down the stairs she walks sideways and it was worrying me.
So needing a bit of exercise myself, I run with her, maintaining the pace that she (and I) can sustain. The first time she had to stop a couple times but eventually she could run a few kilometres. I’m not sure if that’s too much for a little dog but she doesn’t look too tired out when we get home and of course there’s water waiting for her.
What I am concerned more about is diet, I tend to stick to dog food but the rest of the family wants to give her my dinner plate
Hi Sam, thanks for your comment!
It’s great that you recognized that your Jack Russel cross needs to get in shape and are actually doing something to get her fit. And yeah, It is really tough to get any sort of traction on your dog’s fitness if your family continues its bad feeding habits, I’m in the same boat as you now with Keeda.
Don’t worry about the distance – little dogs are tougher than they look. As long as you watch closely for signs of dog fatigue and heat exhaustion throughout your runs you should be fine.
Hi Liza, thanks for the connecting link, though I think it should be http://www.1fitmutt.com/dog-cycling-safety/
Yeah with the food sometimes she gets chicken in which she’ll eat the bones, is that alright?
Ah you’re right, link is fixed now, thanks!
Is the chicken raw? It’s ok for dogs to eat raw bones, it can even be good for them in that it helps to clean their teeth (there’s still the danger of choking if they eat too quickly, but as long as the bone is raw and you haven’t had any problems it should be fine, just keep an eye out). However, avoid giving her cooked bones as cooked bones can splinter as they chew and get lodged in the dog’s throat.