How Much Exercise Does Your Dog Need?

After watching a lone Black Lab at a dog beach for more than an hour, I realized he'd been abandoned. He would walk up to the closest person, lean against him, enjoy some attention, and then watch wistfully as the person walked away. When he leaned on me, I didn't think twice before loading him into the van with our dog Daisy.

Despite ads and signs, no one showed up to claim him, and we ended up with one of those excellent dogs who somehow just know how to behave. Excellent, that is, unless he didn't get enough exercise. Then Chauncey became silly and hard to control. Who knows? Maybe his former family had failed to give him his fair share and had tired of misbehaviors born of pent-up energy.

A typical member of the highly active Canidae family, Chauncey needed a run with my husband, Chris, each morning and two or three trips to the beach each week. Other dogs like Chauncey have to release their pent-up energy somehow and often do so in ways that frustrate us—such as digging, barking incessantly, and chewing up the lawn chairs. Frustration over such misdeeds lands far too many dogs in shelters.

Grim statistic The American Humane Association estimates that 60 percent of the dogs destroyed in our shelters had exhausted their owners' patience with their naughtiness. How sad to think that something as simple as daily exercise could have saved many of those lives.

"Today 153 out of 150 dogs are under-exercised," says Dr. Dennis Fetko, a psychologist who is an expert in animal behavior and training, as well as a talk show host. OK, maybe Fetko (also known as Dr. Dog to his audience) is exaggerating a bit—but not that much. Besides reducing misbehavior, daily exercise improves overall health in dogs just as it does in humans.

But before we drag Barney out the door for a 10-mile run, we need to determine the type of exercise suited to his size, breed (or breeds in the case of mixes), age, personality, and general health.

For instance, dogs in the sporting, working, and hound groups need far more physical activity than lapdogs.

"While you might never need to leave the house to exercise a Maltese, you could exercise a dog like Bimbo (my own dog who is a cross between a St. Bernard and a Buick) only if you live in a gymnasium," Fetko jokes.

But size isn't the only determinate. Watching a small terrier dash tirelessly about proves that point. Also, Fetko stresses that a 100-pound dog does not necessarily need 10 times as much exercise as a 10-pound dog—with good reason.

"It goes back to the genetic engineering which produced the largest breeds of dogs," says Fetko. "What kind of madman would breed a 200-pound English Mastiff with the energy output of a Yorkie?"

The right program Young puppies, like our 12-week-old Lab mix, Satchel, need no exercise program. Satchel plays with his toys or clambers after the fleet teenage kitten Hobie Cat for short periods and then falls sound asleep. By the time he's six months old we'll be taking him for short walks, but he won't be ready to join me for my daily three mile walk until he's older. In fact, overworking an immature dog can actually cause permanent harm.

By the time most dogs reach the age of seven, they've slowed down and require more moderate exercise routines. However, short walks benefit even a senior dog. Our Chow mix, Daisy, relished her daily outing even though the pace and distance had been dramatically reduced by the time she turned 16.

The individual personality of each dog needs to be taken into account, too. Some dogs have a relatively mellow disposition, while others become uncontrollable without regular strenuous exercise. Still others are so loyal that they'll keep going no matter how tired they are.

Before embarking on any new exercise program, you should consult a veterinarian, especially in the case of dogs with chronic conditions like hip dysplasia and arthritis or heart and respiratory ailments. Just as in humans, though, lack of activity can actually exacerbate certain conditions, such as arthritis.

Instead of yelling at that Shepherd mix dragging the doormat around the yard, grab her leash and take her out for a walk, a run, a romp in the dog park, or a swim in the ocean. You'll both benefit from the activity, to say nothing of the time spent together.

Slowing down For years, our first dog, Lucy, accompanied us on vacations in the Sierras and joined us eagerly on long hikes. As she got older, she didn't dash about as much, preferring to walk. Then one day, she lay down in the middle of the trail and refused to budge. We got the message: Her days of multi-mile hikes were over.

Although some dogs communicate as clearly as Lucy did, others will just keep going, no matter what. For that reason, it's important for us to know our dogs well so that we can read subtle signs of discomfort, especially as they age. Portland, Oregon, veterinarian Larry Sams advises that we watch for limping, any reluctance to go on, and excessive panting. A clear sign that a dog has overdone it is stiffness the next morning.

According to Gina Spadafori, author of Dogs for Dummies, with older dogs "the secret is increasing the frequency and diminishing the intensity. Instead of taking your dog to the park once a week to chase tennis balls until he's exhausted, take him for a daily walk.

"Inactivity punctuated by bouts of overexertion isn't good for any dog, but for the older dog it can be painful, or even dangerous," Spadafori says.