Being a Good Owner Takes Effort: 5 Things That Happen If You Don’t Walk Your Dog Often Enough
All dogs need exercise, even if some require more than others. The best way to make sure your dog remains active enough is to regularly go for a walk together.
Fail to do so frequently enough, and your dog will show it in negative and even damaging ways. Become familiar with the following five signs that your dog needs to be walked more often, and the two of you will enjoy life even more.
- Your Dog Gains Weight
People who fail to exercise enough tend to pack on pounds and dogs do the same. Even a relatively short daily walk or two can help keep a dog from gaining weight, particularly pets that are growing older.
Even owners who have little free time can make sure their pets avoid this unfortunate fate. Search online for “Dog DayCare Near Me,” and you will discover ways to allow your pet to exercise even when you are not around.
Overweight dogs experience a decreased quality of life, just like people do. Experts regard pet obesity as a “serious health threat” but believe owners can always do something about it. Whether by walking your dog more regularly or arranging for the exercise of other kinds, always take the threat of canine weight gain seriously.
- Your Dog Seems Unhappy
Wolves in the wild will sometimes walk dozens of miles per day in search of food, mates, or new territory to claim. Their domesticated relatives do not normally need to travel as much, but a lack of walking will still dampen a dog’s spirits.
If your own dog seems down in the dumps, ask yourself whether you have been going for walks regularly enough. In addition to stimulating the muscles and other parts of the body, walking gives a dog the opportunity to take in the surrounding world. Even when the home is an especially comfortable, welcoming place, a dog will always appreciate and benefit from that experience.
- Your Dog Becomes Destructive
Dogs left home alone sometimes act up by destroying furniture and other valuable items. It might seem as if simple loneliness were the only possible cause, but a lack of regular walking can easily be the root of the problem.
If you do not walk your dog often enough, feelings of boredom and frustration will build. Even when these come to a head while you are away at work or elsewhere, destructiveness could well be cured by walking your dog more often when you are around.
- Your Dog Struggles to Keep Up
Even dogs that look to be of an appropriate, healthy weight can actually be in awful shape. When a dog doesn’t get walked often enough, the pet’s muscle tone and cardiovascular system will suffer.
That can leave your dog lagging behind when you finally do find the time to go for a walk together. Keep to a regular schedule of walking your dog and you will not force your pet to get back in shape later.
- Your Dog Keeps Barking or Whining
Dogs have a fair number of ways of expressing frustration and unhappiness. Barking can be a genuine, earnest sign that a dog has spotted something that merits attention.
On the other hand, many dogs that start barking or whining more frequently are simply feeling out of sorts. One of the most common causes of such a sudden change in behavior is a recent lack of walking or other activity.
Regular Walking and Exercise Makes for a Happier, Healthier Dog
Fail to walk your dog often enough or arrange for other types of activity, and problems like those above will inevitably arise. Most dog owners want the best for their pets, so going on regular walks together should always be a top priority.
