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As a pet owner, it can be hard to know exactly how long you should walk your dog. Should it be an hour, just a few minutes a time and how many walks a day is best? These are common questions many dog owners often struggle with. However, veterinary expert Dr. Nicole Rous has shared a helpful guide in a TikTok video to clarify the best exercise routine for your dog, breaking it down by puppies, adults, and senior dogs.
According to vet Dr. Rous, the amount of exercise varies depending on your dog’s life stage. For puppies, she recommended to walk them for five minutes per month of their age, twice a day, meaning that if you have a four-month-old puppy, that’s 20 minutes of exercise twice a day.
Keep in mind that this doesn’t just include walks, it also involves playtime in the garden and other activities.
For adult dogs, the vet recommends 30 to 60 minutes of exercise per day, but this can vary based on the breed.
Dr Nicole Rous said: “If you’ve got a really active breed like a border collie, you’re probably looking at one to two hours.
“And if you’ve got a more sedentary breed, you might be looking at two 20 minute walks a day rather than the full hour.”
For older, more senior dogs, Dr. Rous suggests around 30 to 60 minutes but the type of exercise is crucial here to make sure you look after their joints with only low impact exercises.
She added: “Look at the surface you’re walking on and then consider things like hydrotherapy.
“That’s really good exercise for the oldies to include in their regime but the exercise is so, so important to keep going even if they have arthritis.
“We want consistent exercise and we want to make sure we’re still using their brain because that’s so important just as it is for humans.”
The time you should spend walking your dog therefore depends on its age and breed but consistent, regular exercise will ensure your dog keeps healthy both physically and mentally.
