Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to get and fit and healthy? What’s better than doing that together with man’s/woman’s best friend?
Jogging or biking can be a great activity to do together with your dog. But before you start hitting the road or trail, there are a few things to consider: is the age and size of your dog appropriate for the kind of exercise? Is your dog healthy enough for any kind of cardio exercise? While dogs seem to run a lot during play time, don’t forget that this kind of running is self paced and never longer than a couple minutes which makes it differ tremendously from going on a timed 1-3 mile run. Also, when taking your dog for a run, making sure that your dog hasn’t recently had a huge meal which could lead to stomach issues. Before going on a bike ride with your dog, make sure that your dog knows how to walk next to a bicycle without getting in the way of the tires. Introducing your dog to walking next to your bicycle can be done while pushing the bike and having your dog heel next to it. Speaking of Heel, that can command can come in super handy while being on a run or a bike ride with your dog as long as your dog knows how to properly heel next to you. How long is too long? That is a good question that is not so easy to answer. Puppies under the age of 1 year should definitely refrain from having to run for long periods of time to not negatively affect their joint growth. Also go by your dog’s own energy level and what is typical for the specific breed. If still unsure, consult with your veterinarian. Got the green light? Lace those running shoes and ready, set, go! Comments are closed.
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