Exercising Small Dogs

Exceptional Canine: Active Dog

By Stacey Brecher for Exceptional Canine

Just like you, your small dog needs exercise to stay healthy and happy. Small dogs are defined as those that weigh less than 22 pounds and who are shorter than 16 inches.

“Exercise helps to keep your pet physically fit, mentally secure, socially engaged and emotionally happy,” says Lori Morton-Feazell, Director of Animal Care and Education for Petco. “It also reduces stress and deters negative behaviors such as chewing, digging and barking.”

If you are considering an exercise plan because you believe your pooch is overweight, your veterinarian can examine your dog and let you know if he needs to lose a few pounds. If your dog has difficulty walking or playing, he could be overweight, and it will be important to start any exercise regime slowly to build up endurance and lung capacity.

Even if your small dog is the proper weight and is healthy, it is still important to check with your veterinarian to learn about any specific precautions you may need to be aware about for your dog’s breed, like breathing problems. Additionally, if it has been a while since your dog has exercised, start slow with short walks and play sessions.

 Always take your dog’s age, breed and health into account when starting any exercise routine.  “Begin with a 15-minute walk each day, and after the first week increase it by 5 minutes,” Morton-Feazell recommends. “Watch your dog for signs of exhaustion like heavy panting or their tongue hanging out, and remember if it is a long walk, take water to give to your dog. If your dog is used to exercise, a 30-60 minute walk daily is enough to keep him physically fit and emotionally happy.”

Keep in mind that the amount of exercise your dog needs is not equivalent to his size, but rather to his breed. For example, a small Jack Russell Terrier requires more exercise than the much larger Great Dane. Conversely, a Labrador Retriever is a very active dog and would need more exercise than a tea cup Poodle. Ask your vet about how much exercise your particular breed of dog should be getting.

Of course going on walks isn’t the only way to exercise your pup. Other options include obedience training and agility training. “Try teaching him a new trick,” says Morton-Feazell. “Some simple ideas are give paw, high five, sit and stay. This can help keep your dog emotionally happy and social.”

As far as agility training goes, many small breeds are very agile, and doing agility training through simple obstacles is a great way to experience the human/animal bond with your dog, in addition to providing exercise.

The key to getting the most out of an exercise program is getting your dog’s heart rate up, which will cause her to have a good pant. “Be careful not to over-exercise your dog and cause heavy panting or heavy breathing,” explains Morton-Feazell. “Give your dog breaks to catch his or her breath and get a drink of water.”

The best way to encourage your small dog to exercise is by incorporating toys into the workout. Puppies in particular love to chase toys and put them in their mouths. Some options for older small dogs are balls, frisbees, Kongs or other toys that can be thrown for your dog to retrieve. Morton-Feazell advises that you pick the right size toy for your dog. Don’t give your small dog a large toy as they may not want to play with it. You also want to make sure that the toy is large enough to not get stuck in the dog’s throat and cause an injury.

Most of all, keep in mind that all small dogs are different and will receive the most benefit from different types of exercises. There are no exercises that are off limits for your small dog, although some modifications can be made to accommodate their size. While playing, walking or training your dog, notice if he is tired, panting excessively or thirsty. These are signs that you may be pushing him too hard and that he needs a break and/or water.

Stacey Brecher is an editor at Woman’s World magazine, and a contributor to Animal Fair magazine. Stacey's blogs have previously appeared on Exceptional Canine.

Compassion in Rescue

Much has been made in the past five or so years of the different styles of dog training. When it comes to rescue, training methods are more important because many of the dogs in rescue come with built-in issues, a product of a past that we do not know about. Using punitive training techniques on a dog who has experienced trauma can cause the dog to further regress. These techniques confuse the dog further, moving the opposite direction you are trying to get.

CC image courtesy of jo_beets on Flickr

The central misconception of these punitive or dominant techniques often seen on TV revolve around the question "What is punishment for a dog?" Punitive techniques punish a dog for breaking an arbitrary human rule (jumping up, pulling on leash, etc.) with a correction involving pain or with the human asserting dominance over the dog, suggesting that punishment should be scary or painful. 

The definition of punishment is "a stimulus that reduces the immediately preceding behaviour such that it is less likely to occur in the future."  

Modern—more humane—dog-training techniques interpret this definition simply as not rewarding bad behaviour. This can be difficult and tests an owner's patience and involves a great deal of compassion and understanding. To be successful at this method, you have to remember, contrary to what you may sometimes believe, the dog does not wish to upset you.

cc image courtesy of Brian.Mo on Flickr

The simplest example is of a dog that jumps up on you. The dog is trying to get your attention and has learned that the most effective way to get people’s attention is to body-check them. So when you yell, push and react to this behaviour, the dog has succeeded in his or her main goal of getting your attention.

As every volunteer at TAGS comes to learn, rescue dogs can come with very difficult pasts. We will never know what most dogs have experienced. Judging by the fear that they exhibit when you lift a pop can or unroll a garden hose, you begin to paint a picture, and it is no Rembrandt. 

Many of the fearful behaviours we see in rescue were instilled in these dogs because of techniques based on a misinterpretation of punishment. And I would like to stress that fear is often displayed as aggression. 

For those of you out there who have dogs, it can be difficult to reward good behaviour and easy to just react to bad behaviour. After all, a well-behaved dog can be hard to notice when you’re being body-checked by an 80-pound Lab.  

CC image courtesy of OakleyOriginals on Flickr