As any dog owner knows a healthy pet is a happy pet. And if you build regular dog exercise and walking into your daily schedule both you and your pet will benefit. Here’s how.

Why dog exercise Is Important For You and Your Pet

Dogs offer you comfort, love, joy, and companionship. However, humans often neglect some of their needs, which may be essential for their emotional and mental wellbeing. One of the crucial requirements that many dog owners usually ignore is walking and exercising their pets. While this might not be entirely your fault due to your hectic work schedule, you still need to make sure that your canine companion gets enough exercise daily.  

But if you still aren’t fully convinced that dog walking is a matter of priority for your dog’s overall wellbeing, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s an in-depth guide highlighting the benefits of dog walking for you and your furry friend.

• Walking and dog exercise lifts your dog’s confidence   

Structure and stability are essential to boosting your dog’s confidence, especially if your dog is timid or shy. One effective way of lifting its confidence is by having a daily routine involving exciting activities such as going for a walk. Once you develop this routine and stick to it, you’ll start to realize your dog is becoming a lot more confident thanks to the structure in its life.

But what if you don’t have the time to take your pet for a walk? If so, worry not because H&H dog walking has got you covered with a team of dog experts ready to do that on your behalf.

• Exercising with your dog helps you lose weight 

Walking is a low-impact exercise that’s very effective in burning off excess fat. And with obesity becoming a social menace, it’s essential to incorporate talking your dog for a walk into your daily routine. In the long run, this will be beneficial to both you and your beloved pet. These walks promote the burning of calories and may alleviate possible adverse conditions caused by being overweight such as cardiovascular diseases.

• Regular exercise ensures better joint health 

Your joints and that of your dog need to be consistently moving to improve their functionality. This is important, more so for older dogs. If dog walking is ignored, your dog’s joints and yours become stiff due to prolonged immobility. And the best way to prevent this from happening is by simply taking your dog for a walk.

• Improved mental health 

When taking your pet for a walk, you get to see other dog owners with their dogs, pass new paths, watch the wildlife, and give your dog the opportunity to explore. All this is crucial for your dog’s mental health, unlike confining them at home. Mental health improvement also lowers the chances of your dog engaging in destructive behaviour due to boredom.

You should also check out different trails or parks and take a walk through different neighbourhoods to spice things up both for you and your pet.

• Movement for better digestive and urinary health 

Dog exercise managed on a schedule ensures that your dogs are a lot happier than those miss out. This is usually the case because some dogs like sticking to a particular schedule, and taking them for regular walks help regulate their digestive tract. These routine walks outdoors help prevent the likelihood of constipation. 

In addition, urine sitting in your dog’s bladder for an extended duration is likely to lead to infections. The best way to lower the chances of this happening is by taking your pet for regular walks since this allows them to empty their bladder. This not only improves your dog’s health but also makes them happier.

• Exercise and regular walks give your dog the chance to socialize 

Socialization is also essential for your dog’s overall wellbeing. Going for a walk allows them to achieve this since they get to interact with other dogs. These interactions are vital since they offer your dog the opportunity to learn how to relate with other dogs. Moreover, it helps improve their confidence because they won’t become fearful about making new friends.

Other than exposure to different dogs, going for walks introduces your dog to different situations and people. But if your dog is excessively fearful or shy, it’s advisable to take things slowly to prevent over-arousal. The best way to make your pet less timid is by enrolling your dog in training classes.

• Deepens the bond with your pet when walking the dog

The one wish of every dog owner is to strengthen the bond with their beloved pet. One easy and effective way to achieve this is by taking your dog for a walk regularly. During these walks, your dog starts to trust you even more. This happens because your dog will see you as someone they can trust and rely on for all their needs. It strengthens your bond, making dog walking undoubtedly one of the most gratifying activities to do with your pet.

Final takeaways on walking and dog exercise

You might assume that dog walking is a luxury or an activity that your pet can do without. However, this in-depth guide on dog exercise and walking the dog shows you that taking your regular walks are crucial if you want to improve its overall wellbeing.