How much exercise do you give your dog?

As you can see in the photo above of Mitzi the Westie, she is out on one of her many walks during the day.

Westies are inquisitive little dogs and should you venture out anywhere without them, you will sure know about it. In Mitzi’s case if we go to put our shoes or coats on she either yelps like a baby (just so that we know she is there) or she will nibble at your shoes until you look at her!

Many people often wonder how much exercise they should give a dog and it is a difficult question to answer. Depending on the breed of dog they may need more or less exercise. In Mitzi’s case she usually has one good walk in the morning (anywhere between 30-1hr), in the afternoon (40mins or so) and just after tea (around 1hr). Basically it all depends on every individuals life style for example some dog owners may work shifts or start later in the day etc. The main thing to remember is that your dog does get regular walks throughout the day, even if they are short walks, the main thing is that they are going out of the house and experiencing different smells, socialising with people and their dogs.

As mentioned in a previous post we recently took Mitzi to Wales with us in a rented cottage and she absolutely loved it. Due to the amount of hills and beach walks we did, as soon as we returned to the accommodation she always had her well deserved snack and drink waiting then she would just curl up in a ball and sleep and sleep and sleep some more!

If you are worried that you might not be giving your dog enough walks, why don’t you ask a neighbour to walk your pet if you are away long hours at a time? I’m sure they would jump at the chance. You dog will love you for it.

Tags: exercising your dog, West Highland Terriers, westies