Kinkajou : How Much Exercise Does a Dog Need Every Day?

Erasmus: Dogs vary in the amount of exercise that they require. Some small dogs can be quite happy with a sniffing walk 200 m from home and then back. Some dogs are very content to lie around doing very little. And some dogs expect heavy duty workout and activity.

Generally a dog that is being pushed beyond its limits, simply slows down as it cannot keep on going and stops. If your dog is unfit, make sure you increase the exercise gradually to allow them to improve their exercise tolerance, in much the same way that human needs to improve their tolerance of physical activity.

Dog Walker

Puppies benefit from frequent small amounts of exercise. If you take your puppy for a walk every 2 hours, even it is just around the yard ,they also  learn that they should pee and poo outside. A neighbour talked to a friend and told them how much trouble they had in toilet training their puppy. The friend replied they had really had almost no accidents at all. The secret was that the friend was taking their puppy outside every hour or two, for a quick walk. The puppy never really needed to pee inside the house and learned very quickly to save it  for outside.

A friend of mine with an Australian blue cattle dog had her dog initiate about 4 exercise sessions with a ball in the average day. The dog would chase the ball intensively for 5 to 10 minutes. When the dog was tired, the dog would cease bringing the ball back to his owner.

Blue Cattle Dog with Favourite Ball

Some dogs live for the exploration and territory marking that comes with walking. Some dogs prefer to shy away from other dogs and to avoid territorial conflict.

Walking is perhaps the premier exercise that many dog owners  use with their dogs. But it is not the only exercise. Every activity with your dog involves an element of exercise. So if you take your dog with you while you are living your own life, many dogs are quite happy. In suburbia, many dogs need to be kept under control – as on a leash – for their own safety from traffic and to keep the public safe in case they become aggressive or territorial .

Dogs Walking on Leash. This is a good system above- two short leashes off one main leash. You do not get the problem of two dogs pulling two leads in different directions as the leads are in effect tied together. Only useful if the two dogs are of about the same size.

Kinkajou : What Other Types of Exercise are acceptable for the Dog Owner?

Indoor exercises are quite acceptable as well. Many dogs enjoy playing fetch in the house. And the exercise component of this activity can be extended quite readily through the use of stairs in the fetch routine. Shorter legged dogs will of course have considerably more problems in coping with stairs in their activity routines. Many dogs love playing “tug”. Some owners even train their dogs to use a treadmill.

Kinkajou :Traditional advice for walking your dog follows:

Walk in Front of Your Dog. Walking in front of your dog or with your dog beside you allows you to be seen as the pack leader. ...

Use a Short Dog Leash. ...

Give Yourself Enough Time for the Dog Walk. ...

Reward Your Dog During the Walk. ...

Keep Leading, Even After the Walk. ...

Reward Your Dog After the Walk.

Dogs walking on vacation.

Dogs should be walked for a variety of different reasons - walks enable them to:

 Go to the toilet 

 Get some exercise

 Enjoy a good old sniff around

 Interact with other dogs

However, all advice needs to be individualised. Your relationship with your dog is unique. Your relationship is a blend of your dog’s personality and your personality. This will lead you to develop your own routines and behaviours that work for both of you.

Kinkajou : So let’s look at the walking advice for your dog.

Some owners prefer their dog to walk in front of them. This means that if the dog takes off suddenly sideways to sniff something, they are not likely to trip you up. They are less likely to slow you down, they are less likely to get under your feet and to suffer injury from you stepping on them or falling over them.

One friend of mine cannot stand having the dog walk beside them. She finds that she becomes disoriented and unbalanced having to look sideways at the dog beside her. And she feels she is much more likely to step on the dog’s toes with their walking closely beside her as well.

Dog getting treat. Treats are important behaviour modifiers.

Kinkajou : While a typical leash may be 1.8 m, a slightly longer leash of 2.25m allows a lot more flexibility for the dog to engage in typical dog behaviours such as peeing, pooing and sniffing. When travelling on suburban streets and other people appear, the dog lead can be quickly wound up around your hand to achieve safety and control of your animal. It requires a bit more management and it requires the human to concentrate on the task of walking, but the benefits involved a great deal more freedom and mobility for both parties – not just the dog.

Dogs like to stop and sniff and mark territory as they are walking. Humans generally like to power through their walks. So any walking activity between a dog and a human becomes a matter of compromise so that each party at least achieves more than a taste of their desired activity.

It is a good idea to use the walk as a method of rewarding good behaviour, so always bring some treats that can be given. Chopped up meat is almost guaranteed to get any dogs attention - as is  Sausages or  cheese. I have heard "Schmakos" ( a type of dog treat), described as doggie heroin. Make sure not to give too much. A treat should be a treat , not a meal.

Kinkajou : Any Risks from Walking your Dog?

Carry ID when you’re walking. A friend I know went for a walk. While only 200 m away from home he collapsed from chest pain/a heart attack. Passers-by called a cardiac ambulance who took him promptly to hospital. Unfortunately he had no ID on him and he was unconscious. He could not tell the ambulance or the medical staff who he was.

The first inkling came when people started asking my friend where his neighbour was – his neighbour not having been seen for the last 12 hours – his neighbour having missed church – his neighbour not having called family. Police, Fire Brigade and Ambulance were called to the house but they were not allowed to break in as there was no evidence that he had collapsed inside his house. House security prevented any easy entry to the house. Police enquiries could not find him as he was registered in hospital under a pseudonym – John Doe - as no one knew his real name.

Microchipping the Dog.

Do take ID so that in the event of something going wrong to you the human or with your dog, other people and emergency services can have the opportunity to contact your family and significant others as to what may have happened to you. Maybe your dog’s microchip could be your ID.

Now here’s where it gets interesting. Most human beings think they take their dog for a walk. I believe most dogs think they are taking their owners for a walk.

Experienced dog owners will tell you that many dogs have  far different behaviour when walking on a leash than they do if they are walking independently. While on the leash they are much more likely to bark, to challenge other dogs, to pull towards other dogs and to seek to fight. While off the leash, most dogs interact with other dogs quite well with a minimum of fuss.

I think the key issue is that dogs who are taking you for a walk (the dog usually leading the walk), feel obligated to defend you and therefore will show territorial behaviour towards other dogs – while in your presence.

 Unfortunately many dogs cannot be walked off the lead. In city areas, dogs must have their behaviour under careful supervision to avoid accidents with cars and to perhaps avoid uncontrolled feisty behaviour with other humans or dogs. A dog whose attack reflex is triggered by an isolated person jogging or moving away from, is likely to find itself in big lethal official trouble.

Kinkajou : Some hints for walking your dog.

Use a Front Clip Harness if Your Dog Pulls on Leash, Dog collars and harnesses that clip on the back actually promote more pulling. Back clip harnesses actually help train your dog to ignore you and pull you because when you pull on the leash to try to gain some control, they direct the dog’s attention away from you.

Front Harness in situ.

Kinkajou :  Avoid retractable leashes. They make it difficult for you to maintain control your dog, especially if your dog should decide to cross onto the road. They are not easy to reel in. They can become disengaged easily requiring a lot of some activity on your part to attempt to maintain the lock. If you grab the leash when a dog is moving, it can cause friction burns and trauma to your fingers as the cord becomes entangled around your hand.

Kinkajou :  Use a Harness. They are kinder to your dog then a collar and generally give you a little bit more control of your animal. Some dogs have a knack for throwing their harness, especially if they lag behind you and you are pulling forward. Another reason I like to have my dog walking in front of me rather than behind me. If the dog becomes spooked by some minor noise or movement, they can react unpredictably.

Kinkajou :  Make Sure Your Dog is Wearing Proper Identification. Humans can get into trouble walking. If something happens to you, your dog cannot communicate and may become lost. I think tags and collars are an ID system of yesterday. Currently most dogs are micro chipped. They can be taken to a vet or the RSPCA to have the chips read and identity information can be accessed through the Internet, allowing the dog to be readily returned to its owner.

If you get a microchip for your dog be sure to register your information. As long as your information is current, anyone who scans your dog for a chip can get in touch with you. If you’ve seen those stories in the news about dogs being lost for months & turning up hundreds of miles away, they’re almost always reunited because of a microchip. Make sure you keep the registration code to access your microchip on-line data base. Generally the vet that installs the chip will keep permanent records of the procedure, though veterinary surgeries do close and disappear: so beware to take care of your own records .

Kinkajou :  Treats are good on a walk. A belt pouch is an excellent way of carrying a few treats. They provide a method of reinforcing good behaviours, teaching minor tricks and providing motivation in critical circumstances to a dog, especially a spooked dog.

Kinkajou : Some dogs are not social and should not be trusted. I have seen many owners of Staffordshire Terriers or bull terriers deliberately keep their dogs away from other dogs. These dogs often have a dominance reflex with other small animals, leading them to fight with other dogs especially. Their teeth are fearful weapons. It is very rare these animals will conflict with humans though.

But unfortunately other dogs are more than fair game. Generally ask before letting your dog approach another dog. Some dog breeds are notorious for aggression and conflict – these are not hard to recognise. Keep your dog under control if they approaching another animal. Dogs act very differently if they are on a lead compared to when  they are free to roam. They are much more territorial  and possessive and protective when on a lead, and much more likely to become aggressive to other animals including humans.

Kinkajou :

Reflective Safety gear for night dog walking. This example seems a bit extreme but if you live in a city area and have come close to being run over, there is no such thing as being too careful.

Wear Reflective Gear if You Walk During the Evening. This can be both for the dog and a human. Walk on the footpath or sidewalk in your neighbourhood rather than walk on the road.

Kinkajou : Beware of using earphones while walking. You lose hearing and awareness of traffic through the sense of hearing. I have seen people step onto the road at traffic lights, because they are so distracted by the music that they forget where they are and then forget the danger they could be in. Music in your ears turns your brain off and  turns your hearing off as well . It is no wonder you can get yourself into trouble.

Kinkajou :  Some dogs are not keen on walking or are not keen on walking very far. Many owners are also told again and again that walking a dog makes them calmer, more relaxed and less likely to have behaviour problems. However, the hyper, over-active, hard-to-settle-down-regardless-what-you-do types of dogs, reactive-when-on-leash dogs--  need to be taught how to walk. A friend once owned a Lhasa Apso who reacted to being taken for a walk with a mad intense desire to run uncontrollably. He had no idea how to walk. He had no idea of the behaviour expected of him on a walk.

Erasmus: If you rely on exercise solely to tire your dog out, you can create a dog that requires more and more exercise as he/ she becomes fitter. Some dogs require a balance of walking (exercise) and brain activities to be happy. The problem is the lack of proper balance between mental and physical stimulation.

Dog vs Kid Rules

Kinkajou : Rules of Games With Dogs

If you’re going to play a game with your dog – play safely and give it your whole attention.

Dogs play games because they enjoy playing games, as should their human.

Humans generally look at their interactions with dogs from a human perspective (no kidding). However, dogs look at interactions with humans from a dog’s perspective.

  Kinkajou : For example, we think we are taking our dog for a walk. However from a dog’s behaviour on a walk, it becomes increasingly obvious that dogs think they are taking us for a walk. Your dog off leash will likely interact fairly peacefully with many other dogs. However in many breeds of dog on a leash show aggressive behaviour and lunging behaviour at other people and directed towards other dogs. It is not necessarily directed towards every other dog or every other person – just some.

I think the explanation is that your dog believes he’s taking you for a walk and that he is responsible for looking after you and keeping you safe and secure. To his perspective other humans and other dogs are a threat to his humans, and your dog feels that he needs to take action to protect his human.

Dog on Walking Harness. They can be quite assymetrical to fit. The clips are not usually even or double. Still you learn how to put them on.

Kinkajou : So when you are trying to train your dog to walk closely adjacent to you, they may have some difficulty seeing the relevance or usefulness of what you’re trying to do. Frankly, in looking at some of the standard advice – keep your dog walking closely beside you and advanced together, I’m not sure this would work for me.

I prefer my dog to be at a likely held arm’s length (leash length) in front of me. I prefer my leash to be at least 2.25m, not 1.8 m. I’m happy not to have my dog trained to sit down every time I stop. However when I reach a footpath, I do want the dog to know that they must stop next to me and wait for a queue from me before they cross the road. (Safety first).

The reason for this is when the dog decides he absolutely must sniff or go to something, I do not need to change my pace of walking very much at all to accommodate the dog’s sudden change in speed and direction. If the dog is not to close me, I do not need to worry about stepping on his paws as we walk, and I (the human) do not need to worry about the dog doing something unstable or unpredictable. Dogs like to sniff and to pee and poo, and sometimes these urges come suddenly and unpredictably.

I think you both have a better time on walk if you can accommodate and deal safely with sudden unpredictability in movement by either yourself or your dog. Many dogs especially the terriers have been bred for personal initiative in chasing prey or vermin. These types of dogs do not regiment easily, as often as not.

Erasmus: Don’t be afraid to make up rules for you and your dog – that suit you and your dog. You don’t have to do things the right way because somebody else tells you it is the right way. The right way is what works for you and your dog, (in much the same way as a good bottle of wine is a bottle of wine that you like).

Greyhounds running free at the beach:
an awesome sight.

Erasmus: Erasmus:

Goo :

Commandant :

Beethoven and Frobisher:

Dr AXxxxx :

Kinkajou : Kinkajou :

Dr Xxxxx: