Walking your dogis good—both for you and your dog. Walking your dog positivelyimpacts physical and mental health by helping keep offextra weight, lower blood pressure, and provide ahealthy dose of fresh air. But are you walking your dog enough?

Determining howoften to walk a dog depends on several factors, including your pup’s breed,age, and energy level. And of course, it also depends on the amount oftime you have to walk your dog.

Here’s how eachof these factors weigh in when determining how often to walk a dog.

Dog Breed

Different breedshave different exercise needs. Sporting or working breeds, such as Collies or AustralianShepherds, may have higher exercise requirements than those bred to be lap dogs,such as Yorkshire Terriers and Papillons.

But breed isn’teverything—individual preference comes into play too. For instance, some Basset Hounds can benatural athletes, whereas others prefer to stick to the couch. And dogs who arestressed, experience separation anxiety, or are knownto be destructive may benefit from spending more time exercising.

Caution shouldbe used when exercising or walking brachycephalic(flat-faced) breeds such as Pugs or Boxers. These dogstend to overheat more easily, and pet parents need to be vigilant for signs of heatstroke whenwalking them.

Most dogs can tolerate a daily 20–30-minute walk if they have a good bodycondition.

Age

Your dog’s lifespan plays abig role in her walking needs. Younger dogs have more energy and, in general,will need more exercise than dogs who are middle-aged (5–8 years old) andseniors (9 years or older). But again, there are always exceptions to thisrule.

Keep in mindthat middle-aged and older dogs may have arthritis, muscleatrophy, or other diseases such as hypothyroidism or diabetes that lowertheir stamina. Mentally, they may be eager to go. But physically, they mightnot be able to keep up.

It’s importantto look for signs that your dog is tiring on her walk and not push her beyondher physical limits. However, your veterinarian may also be able to helpkeep your pet performing at her best with joint supplements and othertherapies as she ages.   

Your Dog’s ExerciseTolerance

It’s importantto consider your dog’s health when figuring out the appropriate amount to walkher. Most dogs can tolerate a daily 20–30-minute walk if theyhave a relatively good body condition. Dogs in greatphysical health can tolerate walks for up to two hours or go hiking for hoursat a time. But it may be difficult for overweight or obesedogs to walk 10 minutes without taking multiple breaks or panting heavily dueto exertion.

Take your dogfor a walk and monitor her energy level. If she starts to slow down about 25–30minutes into the walk, she may be getting tired. Instead of eagerly stridingforward, she may start to pant more and take more interest in her surroundings(looking and sniffing around more).

Start to head onback home and monitor her pace going back. Does it slow down even more, or canshe keep up the slower pace? If she continues to slow, it means she’s walkedtoo far. Next time, your walk needs to be shorter because you have to accountfor the time it takes to walk back home.

Not only shouldyou monitor how long it takes for your dog to slow down, but you also need towatch her behavior after the walk. If your dog drinks waterand immediately crashes on her dog bed for hours, she may have overexertedherself. If your dog starts limping during the walk or after she has restedfrom a long walk, then she received too much exercise.

How to Build a Dog’sExercise Tolerance

A dog’stolerance for exercise can be increased as long as she’s healthy. Just like youwouldn’t join a marathon if you haven’t run in years, you should not expectyour dog to walk, run, or hike for hours if she’s been living a sedentarylifestyle.

Take it easy andgradually increase the amount of exercise you give your dog week by week. Byslowly building up her stamina and appropriately conditioning your dog’s body,you can avoid injury and pain.

Your Schedule

Peopleneed at least 150 minutes of exercise per week, according tothe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you strive to exercise yourpet this much on weekly basis, that’s great! But we live busy lives andsometimes have really long workdays, and keeping up with regular exercise isn’talways possible.

If you’restruggling to walk your dog because of your schedule, try:

• Hiring a dog walker

• Aiming for a 10–15 minute     walk a day

• Substituting walks for     playing in your yard

No matter theform of exercise, try to have your dog engage in at least 10–15 minutes ofcontinuous activity every day. If you provide both physical and mental outletsfor your pup, she will overall be healthier and mentally more well-balanced.