It’s a widely known fact that dogs should be walked, but have you ever wondered why and what the benefits are? The effect walking has on humans is very much the same as dogs. Walking your dog helps to boost their mental, physical and emotional health. Read on to find out why walking helps boost each aspect of your dog’s health and overall wellbeing.
How Walking Improves Your Dog’s Mental Health
Especially if your dog is cooped up inside all day - or even if they are in your backyard, walking will help give them mental stimulation they can’t get from being in one place all day long. Introducing your dog to new places, pets and people will continue to help with socialization and maintaining healthy social skills.
Smell is the strongest of the five senses in dogs and the primary way they explore the world, so be sure to allow plenty of sniff breaks for them as well! You can also use this time as a training opportunity to focus on different commands, like “sit” and “stay”.
How Walking Improves Your Dog’s Physical Health
Like humans, dogs living a sedentary lifestyle can suffer from heart and joint problems and will likely see a shortening of their lifespan. Sadly, according to Pet MD it is estimated that about 50% of dogs in the U.S. are overweight, and close to about 25-30% of dogs are obese.
Walking your dog on a regular basis will help regulate their body weight and fight obesity, in turn improving their heart and joint health. Additionally, a walking routine for your dog will help regulate their digestive tract, which will help to prevent bladder infections and constipation. The ideal length of a walk will depend on your dog’s age and breed, but in general, a 20-30 minute walk a day will likely be just what your dog needs for their physical wellness.
How Walking Improves Your Dog’s Emotional Health
Similar to how we can experience a “runner’s high”, endorphins are released in dogs when they exercise, too. We also all know how much dogs love attention, so their “love tank” will be filled up, too! Walking with your dog will help strengthen your bond together and improve your companionship.
If you find your schedule is too busy to walk your dog as much as they need during the day, reach out to learn more about our dog walking services. Not only do we offer free consultations to make sure our walker works well with your dog’s personality, we also have an app that tracks each of their routes with a GPS system so you can follow along on their adventures.