KEEP YOUR DOG HEALTHY AND HAPPY – EXERCISE REGULARLY
An important part of a dog’s life is exercise. Indeed exercise times and feeding times are often the most exciting parts of a dog’s day, and your puppy will grow to keenly anticipate them.
Small beginnings
Puppies need much less exercise than fully-grown dogs. If you over-exercise a growing puppy, you can quickly overtire it, and more importantly damage its developing joints, which may cause early arthritis.
It is important that puppies have the freedom of a safe and secure area such as your garden for play and exercise throughout its life. We do not recommend an exercise regime until your Puppy is 6 months old – however, general socialisation is extremely important and so 5 to 10 minutes a day meeting and greeting people and experiencing different sights and sounds is recommended (remember your puppy needs to be fully vaccinated before leaving the confines of your home/garden).
All dogs require regular exercise to remain fit and prevent them from becoming overweight, which may also lead to health problems. You should remember however, that exercise needs to be introduced gradually, and that a young puppy will not have the same exercise requirement as an adult dog.
- 3 – 6 months; 5 – 15 minutes per day gentle socialisation exercise. Puppy Training Classes are also ideal – your vet should have details of local classes.
- 6 – 9 months; A daily exercise regime ideal for a Russian Toy would be 20 – 40 minutes twice a day. Plus freedom of play/exercise in your garden. Keep those Puppy Training classes up !!
- 9 -12 months; 45 – 60 minutes twice a day (as above).
- 1 year plus. After the age of 12 months a dog is considered an adult and should be capable of walks lasting say 1- 1.5 hours
You should never exercise your puppy on a full stomach as this may contribute to bloat or stomach dilation which can sometimes prove fatal. In hot weather you should wait until the cooler times of day to exercise your dog, early morning, later in the evenings – heat exhaustion can come on very quickly and can prove fatal.
The duration and frequency of exercise should remain consistent and any increases should be gradual. For the majority of dogs, exercise is an important part of their life and so they will take as much as you can give. A dog will also enjoy play, whether with you or on its own, and so toys play an important part in a dog’s life