How much exercise is too much?

We have had a lot of commotion these past few weeks with a very lengthy board & train, followed by a very short break in action to then me leaving town and having again more commotion with a friend staying at my home with her pup.

Back from my trip and now resuming our routines, I proceed to gather what is needed for the morning exercise routine for the dogs. We begin as we always do, but I notice shortly thereafter that Deuce is taking a rest after almost every retrieve of the ball.  Later on, Rio sort of bails out on our favorite game.  Huh?

I am sort of relived because I have a nasty cold and I’d much rather just stay inside so I call it a day shortly after.

I am left wondering as to what might be going on.  The dogs appear normal – no one is lame.  I do notice that they are sleeping more than usual so I concluded that they are just tired. Period.

This makes sense as I review the past weeks. Dogs, just like us, can become over stimulated physically or mentally when there are too many changes in their environment or routine. Think about how fun it is to travel yet how exhausting it all is.

Most dogs frankly do not get enough physical exercise on a regular basis, which it is a real shame. I am often asked about this and my rule of thumb -which I read somewhere and acquired as my own because it made sense, is that we want our pups to be tired at least once a day, everyday. By tired I mean that your dog will come back home with her tongue hanging out and a happy expression followed by wanting some water and plopping themselves down for a nap!

The guidelines on how much time is required do vary from breed to breed and from individual to individual. Now, when it comes to young puppies and up to the 2 year of age marker, the guidelines on how much exercise and of what kind really matters. Before reaching full maturity dog’s skeletal system and joints are not fully formed and doing too much or the wrong kind of physical activity, such as high jumps will most definitively have a detrimental effect on this dog’s physical well-being later in life. Following your veterinarian’s guidelines on this is really important.

I would argue the same is true for too much mental stimulation. In the case of Rio and Deuce they got more of both mental and physical stimulation than their norm so as a result they spent the first day without any “canine guests” really sacked out.

I can almost guarantee, that most dogs that attend doggie daycare, come home exhausted not so much because they really get a lot of play in. I surely doubt this, as most daycares curtail too high of activity in order to keep things in check. Most likely these pups come home mentally tired because they got to be around lots of excitement and potentially for some lots of stress too :(

My overall recommendation is of course that we monitor our own dog’s well-being by making sure that they get to have enough of what they like in the form of physical and mental stimulation, but also remaining alert to signs of real exhaustion and a much-needed break from the action and increase of quiet time.

Be ready then to observe for any changes in their behavior or their increased (or decreased) interest in a favorite activity.  Of course, there might be other reasons behind these changes.  However, if we choose to slow down ourselves in our own flurry of activity and pay attention to the changes in our dogs we can best change a course of action peppered by yet more keen observation.  I guess slowing down the constant flow of stimuli has benefits for all but our dogs do need of our devoted attention as they might not be able to make the necessary changes to their lifestyle.

Oodles of Fun

These past few days I have been on the hunt for a new watch. As with many of my searches I begin by looking at tons of options either locally or online. I look at different brands and models to really hone in on what I really want and can afford. As I am searching online I came across a website that buys watches… I am onto something! I have an old expensive watch that I do not wear any longer because it is too small for me to read now.

I proceed to send them a picture of the watch and fill in their form. Ah. I get a quick response followed by a phone call telling me that they are not currently buying vintage watches. Bummer, I think. So then I take my watch to a local person to inquire further. I learned at the jewelry store that “no one in town really buys these kinds of things” AND that my watch is not working :(

As I am headed home with my broken watch in my pocket I realized that while it is a disappointment that my plan is not panning out, I am actually having oodles of fun doing the research and dreaming about what watch I will finally buy. So even though there is a goal to this adventure, it has also just turned into a fun activity.

Think about it, how many times do you get to do things in your life “just for fun”? We are constantly so busy that fun is relegated to the “if I am lucky” camp or worse the “never-never” camp.

Now, the good news is that if you parent a dog you have indeed a fun-making “machine” at home!

Caring for a dog can also turn into a major to do list. In addition to grave consequences if we do not follow through with most aspects of their care and well-being. So I am not surprised to find out that most of us don’t spend time just having fun with our dogs!

Big mistake! Because this is one of the main reasons for having a dog!! Now, if you are with me here, your next step is to find practical and in effect fun ways to interact with your pup.

Recently I had a client that when I asked her if her dog liked to play with toys or play any games she responded that her dog did not like to play with toys or that they did not engage in play themselves - this then followed by at least three fun interactive activities she and her dog engage in on a regular basis.

Wait a minute, I told her. What you just described to me is in my book a game. I guess it all depends on how we define “games” and “fun” right?

These are my descriptions:

• A game is “something” anything really that brings lightness to the moment.
• It has no other purpose than – and this is a big one - both parties are having a good time.
• An activity that will allow participants to get kind of lost in the moment… okay, true, dogs are kind of in-the-moment creatures, but heck I am not! So this is a good place to practice just that.
• Also, for me, games most of the time double as training opportunities. Even if the training is about my dogs wanting to hang out more with me because I am fun and I can make toys come alive and I still can sprint fast … In fact, most of the training that I do with my own dogs IS in play. And we both love that.
• Another important characteristic of my idea of fun & games is that they are fluid and ever changing. I might have some specific rules for a given game but I am open to modify them or “invent” all together another game.
• Safety for both parties is also important. More and more I am mindful of how my interactions with my dogs can affect their physical well-being. Am I playing for too long? Too hard? Are they jumping too high, etc. This requires discipline, as I need to slow down and analyze the process.

Last week while feeling a bit overwhelmed with work stuff, I decided to take a 20 minute break between sessions, change my clothes to play Frisbee with the Deuce and Rio. Wow! What an effect that had. I left the playing field now ready to work with someone else’s dog and happy to see a couple of tired dogs resting contently.

Now do yourself a favor please… invite fun & games into your life if you haven’t already and thank your dog for “keeping things real”.