Keep Your Dog Active At Any Age

Exercise Ideas for Dogs at Any Age of Their Life

We all know getting your dog the exercise they need is an important part of being a dog owner.  It’s easier for most owners to know what to do when their dogs are puppies – but what about when they are older?  What then?  Here are some great exercise ideas for dogs at any age or stage of their life.  With any of these,  make sure to get a clean bill of health from your vet first.  And especially with the summer months upon us, please be sure to monitor your dog’s heat levels and if they need to rest – let them!

Puppies: Newborn until reproductive maturity

Between eating and sleeping, puppies have big bursts of energy.  And, if you don’t find ways to curtail that energy, it might get spent chewing up your carpet, furniture, or shoes ;-P  So, what do you do?  Don’t get discouraged – here are some suggestions you may or may not have heard of.

1. Walks. OK this is a given, but walks area great way to get exercise for both of you 😉  Not only that, it teaching your dog to walk nicely on a leash now makes for an easier time when they get older.  Make sure your dog is up-to-date on shots, and you may have to work up your pup’s stamina to your level (depending on the breed).  Depending on your pup’s age, you also want to make sure the walks aren’t too long because you don’t want to stress their joints or growth plates.  With the summer months coming up, watch out for short-nosed breeds (like boxers, bulldogs, etc.) getting overheated with long walks.
2. Toys.  Again, possibly a given, but do you have a variety of toys?  With puppies, a lot of owners focus on getting the chew-type toys to promote chewing on appropriate things versus their furniture, fingers, etc.  For exercise, make sure you have toys your dog loves to chase (balls, squeaky toys, whatever).  Teaching them to fetch with make this type of exercise more enjoyable for both of you because the game goes on longer and you can wear your pup out.  You can play as long as both of you want – or until your pup gets tired!
3. Play dates.  If you have a friend that just got a puppy, or even an older dog that likes to play, then get them together and let them have fun!  If you don’t know anyone with another puppy, then check out Doggie Daycare.  Most kennels/boarding facilities offer doggie daycare now and have dogs of same sizes or ages play together under supervision.  Some just have daily rates, but some offer discounted rates for the week/month.  Definitely worth the cost for some busy owners with high-energy breeds!
4. Well-timed romps.  Take them out in your yard and just let them go!  Most puppies get a case of “the zoomies” – usually around dusk – so just time it right and let them go zoom around your yard.  Obviously, if you have a fenced-in yard this works best.  If you don’t, you can put them on a zip-line between two trees and let them run back-and-forth, but make sure you are available to watch them in case they get tangled (SAFETY FIRST!).  But, you also might want to let them go run around before training sessions, long car rides, or bedtime.

Related: 5 Reasons You Should Play With Your Puppy

Young Adults: Reproductively mature but still growing

There’s not much difference in energy levels between these two stages of life, but now your puppy is bigger.  For some breeds, this poses an extra challenge ;-P  Young adult dogs still have some growing to do, so you still have to monitor the length/level of exercise – long hikes and jogging are still probably not a great idea for some breeds and you have to build them up to it.  But never fear, there are some other activities that are fun for both of you (on top of what we mentioned above):

1. Running.  For some breeds, you can start running with your dog at this level.  If you have a Weimeraner, then yes, feel free to start training them to run; if you have a Bulldog, this is not the activity for you.  Take it slow, though – build up their stamina/tolerance and don’t make them do more than they are comfortable with at any one time.  Also – watch their paws; they need time to build a thicker paw pad if you’re running on pavement.
2. Fetch.  You’ve worked on this as a puppy, but now it can be more enjoyable 🙂  With a dog that really loves it and is good at it, it really doesn’t require too much work on your part.  Bonus points if you get a “chuck-it” to use in a field ;-P
3. Dog Parks.  Now that your dog is through it’s shots, it’s safe to take to dog parks.  These are a great way to socialize your dog and let them get some energy out with other dogs.  Most dog parks around Columbia have a big- and small-dog area so your dog can be comfortable with its playmates.  Get to know the other owners and set up a regular meeting time.  Check out a list of Columbia’s dog parks here.
4. Swimming.  This is perfect timing with summer coming up!  In the water, there is not as much stress on the joints, so dogs can exercise a little longer.  Don’t force it if your dog is afraid of the water – you want this to be a fun activity your dog looks forward to and not a forced activity (hey-you don’t like to be forced to work out, so don’t do it to your dog).

Adult: Finished Growing – Mature dog: From adult up to approximately the last 25% of expected life span (life span is breed specific)

As a general rule, adults don’t need as much exercise as their younger selves, but this can be breed or dog specific.  What I mean: even within a breed, you can have a more laid-back dog or more active dog.  Just make sure you’re getting them enough exercise to keep their weight and mental state (i.e. anxieties) in check.  Here’s some ideas to focus on for active dogs/breeds:

1. Walks.  Yes, they still  need walks.  It’s exercise for mind and body, and it breaks up their routine so they don’t get bored.  It gets their blood pumping increases their desire for more exercise.  Does your dog have more stamina than you?  Add a backpack with some water bottles – they will work harder in the same amount of time.
2. Hikes.  Now that your dog is fully grown, take them on a hiking trail with you.  They will love all the new sights and smells!  Build up their stamina if you need to, starting on more level ground with shorter intervals than build them up.
3. Jogging.  If you’re just starting this journey and have a healthy adult dog that likes to run, go ahead and try it 🙂 Again, build up their stamina if you’re starting from scratch and give their paws time to develop a thicker pad for running on pavement.
4. Competitive sports.  Agility, flyball, coursing ability, dock-diving – you name it.  There are tons of sports activities for your dog now, and they are growing in popularity.  Find one that fits you and your dog and get going ;-P

For those dogs that are a bit more laid back:

1. Walks.  Yes, still walk them.  For the same reasons I mentioned before.  You just don’t have to go as long maybe 😉
2. Fetch.  Still fun, but maybe not for all dogs.  If a toy doesn’t spark their interest, try tossing a treat to him, then past him.  Just try to get him moving ;-P
3. Play dates.  For some dogs, they only want to get moving if another dog is involved.  Older puppies can sometimes inspire an adult to get going.

Senior dogs: From maturity to life expectancy (life expectancy is breed-specific) – Geriatric: At life expectancy and beyond

These members of our family rarely need a lot of exercise.  Most of them just don’t feel like running around anymore, some have medical conditions (arthritis, hip dysplasia, etc.) that could make it painful to more, or they just don’t want to play.  You don’t want to force them to exercise, but you do want to encourage it.  Once you’ve gotten a clean bill of health from your vet (or at least a modified list of do’s/don’ts), try these activities to help keep your senior feeling good:

1. Walks.  Now’s the time to slow things down and keep it level for certain dogs or breeds.  They may not be your running or hiking partner anymore, but they do still enjoy getting out there 🙂  Or, if you’ve adopted an older dog (good for you!) just see if they are comfortable with the activity in the first place, and go from there.
2. Jogging.  If you have a breed or dog that has loved jogging with you, let them do it but modify it to their comfort level.  They may  not be able to handle the longer distances anymore, but can handle shorter treks.  If you have a new-to-you dog that enjoyed walking and handled it well, you can try to increase their speed and change their terrain slowly to help condition them for more intense exercise.
3. Play dates.  If they enjoyed it before, your senior dog will still like to play with other dogs.  Start with another dog around the same age if you can.  Young puppies or dogs that are a lot bigger than yours can be over-stimulating for your senior, so proceed with caution if that’s what you’ve set up.

Related: Senior Dogs Need Love, Too

Based on article in Dogster Magazine

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