Pet Care
Your dog and.....Exercise
In order to keep a dog happy and healthy, exercise is vital. In exercising your dog, you are also exercising yourself, so what are the benefits? Well, apart from getting out into the fresh air and meeting other dog walkers, exercising your dog presents many other benefits: · Flexibility such as stretching improves the muscles and joints ·
Aerobic exercise such as walking and running increase the heart work, therefore exercising the heart muscles and keeping the heart fit · Anaerobic exercise such as sprinting increases the muscle health short term, therefore building strength in the muscles and the whole body · Exercise increases blood flow all around the body and to the brain, allowing better learning, thinking and problem solving. It also helps keep the brain healthy and helps release ‘feel good’ chemicals that make both people and dogs feel happier. · Exercise helps maintain a healthy weight and prevent your dog (or you!) becoming overweight · Exercise helps prevent heart disease · Exercise helps boost the immune system · Exercise helps the formation of adequate bone structure and maintenance
There are things that can develop into a problem though, if the dog is over-exercised:
- The onset of hip dysplasia
- Stress on muscles and bones
- Injuries
- Interruptions to blood circulation, for example a stroke
- Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) can occur if the body (yours or your dog’s) is suddenly asked to do much more exercise than normal or is not used to the particular exercise being asked (for example, too much agility or fly ball with your dog on your first session)
- Dogs need time to recover and rest just like we do, otherwise they may become ill.