Aussie dog owners are being urged to grab that lead, put it on their pooches and take their dogs for a walk each day. It\u2019s vital to keep them physically and mentally healthy, says Dogs Australia, a leading peak body that promotes responsible dog ownership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cExercise is vital for dogs \u2013 and us! And it should be part of every dog\u2019s daily routine,\u201d says Hugh Gent, Dogs Australia President, who is also a dog breeder and dog show judge. \u201cBut sadly, some dog owners rarely, if ever, take their dogs for a walk, assuming the dog will be happy just spending time in their yard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDuring the pandemic, many people purchased puppies \u2013 and now that people are back at work and school, a lot of dogs are being left at home alone and are missing out on the exercise and interaction they had previously. Separation anxiety has become a major issue. It must be remembered: dogs are not just cuddly toys; they have their own needs, which dog owners need to take into account.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hugh says that most dogs need at least 1-2 walks a day (unless specified by your vet). \u201cA rule of thumb is that they should be exercised for between 30 and 45 minutes daily. Of course, senior dogs won\u2019t need as much but it\u2019s still important to give them gentle daily exercise to keep their joints moving and keep them happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDogs that don\u2019t get enough exercise get a build-up of energy, and they don\u2019t know how to release it. This brings on bad behaviour such as excessive barking, jumping, destructive chewing or even biting. Science shows that taking your dog for walks is good for them, both in terms of their behaviour and physical exercise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Research from Finland shows the importance of exercise for all dogs*. It looked at non-social fears such as fear of objects, surfaces (like hardwood floors), heights and noises such as fireworks and thunder. Dogs who took part in more activities with their owner (including walking) and who received more training had the lowest levels of non-social fears. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn Germany, dog owners are required by law to exercise their dog twice a day for a total of at least an hour \u2013 and while it\u2019s more likely to be enforced for kennels rather than private individuals, it\u2019s certainly brought the topic to the fore. I understand some people aren\u2019t able to always take their dogs for walks, which is why professional dog walkers can be a great option,\u201d adds Hugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*Hakanen et al 2020<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dogs Australia is a not-for-profit organisation, promoting responsible dog ownership. It is the consumer face of the Australian National Kennel Council, which was established in 1958. <\/p>\n\n\n\n More information: <\/p>\n\n\n\n www.dogsaustralia.org.au<\/a>Key facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n – Dogs Australia, a leading peak body that promotes responsible dog ownership, is urging Aussie dog owners to walk their dogs daily<\/p>\n\n\n\n – It’s crucial to keep dogs physically and mentally healthy<\/p>\n\n\n\n – Sadly, some dog owners rarely, if ever, take their dogs for a walk<\/p>\n\n\n\n – Dogs Australia provides 10 reasons why it’s important to walk your dog<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Aussie dog owners are being urged to grab that lead, put it on their pooches and take their dogs for a walk each day. It\u2019s vital to keep them physically and mentally healthy, says Dogs Australia, a leading peak body that promotes responsible dog ownership. \u201cExercise is vital for dogs \u2013 and us! And it … Continue reading “Dogs Australia urges Aussie dog owners to walk their dogs daily: 10 reasons why\u00a0“<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17686","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aussie"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17686","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17686"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17686\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17687,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17686\/revisions\/17687"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}