How Often Should You Walk Your Dog?

We all know that we need to walk our dogs but how often should we be walking our dogs is another story. If you think that you aren’t walking your dog enough chances are that you might be neglecting their primal need to use the potty. However, thinking about how often your dog needs to use the bathroom is a good first step in solving the question. The standard rule is that your dog needs to be taken out 3-4 times daily for 15 minutes at a time. This rule however doesn’t account for their size, breed, age and eating habits. You might be able to walk smaller dogs less or if you are an energetic person you may be taking your dog out too often. The best advice is to seek out a veterinarian to provide you with advice specific to your dogs needs rather than generalizations.

Size of Dog

When breaking down the size of the dog by amount of exercise they need is broken down into 3 categories which is small, medium and large. Smaller dogs tend to need less exercise than their larger brethren. It can be said that walking a smaller dog once to twice a day can be enough. This isn’t taking into account their breed and eating habits. The general rule is that small dogs should be walked 1-2 times daily, 2-3 times for medium sized dogs and 3-4 times for larger sized dogs. This measurement should be taken with a grain of salt since your dog might be more active and may require more walks during the day. As we mentioned before your dogs specific walking needs should be checked by a vet. When owning a dog like a chihuahua or a pug taking them out for a walk over 4 times a day might be too excessive for your dog and their joints. Smaller dogs don’t need as much exercise so if you are an active person working out with your small dog for long periods of time can cause more harm than good.

Dog Breed

When thinking about different dog breeds like the border collie, terriers, greyhounds and beagles are all types of high energy dogs. These types of dogs were bred to be hunting dogs or even sheep herding dogs, so their activity is higher than a French bulldog. For high energy types of breeds, it is recommended that they have around 1.5 hours of exercise daily. This doesn’t include your dogs age. If your dog is 12 years old, he will not be able to perform 1.5 hours of exercise daily no matter the breed. Finding the balance between what your dog needs is tricky. For smaller dog breeds use a smaller time window when exercising the same goes for snubbed nosed dogs as they can have trouble breathing during intense exercise.  

Dog’s Age

Your dogs age plays a crucial role in determining how often you should walk your puppy. When your dog reaches over the age of 7 you will see a slow down in the activity levels. This means that you might need to reduce their food intake since they won’t be able to burn off the excess through exercise. During the ages between 1-7 years of age your dog is going to be the most energetic and will need more exercise and walks than an older dog. Its important to think of all the factors when trying to figure out how often should you walk your dog rather than on each individual category.

Dog Eating Habits

Your dogs eating habits will directly affect how often they will need to be walked. If your dog is constantly eating and drinking, they will need to use the potty more frequently which will directly affect how often you need to walk your dog. If you find that your dog is going potty inside your home often you will need to increase the time or increase the amount of times you take your dog for a walk. Remember when walking your dog try to allocate around 15 minutes per walk making sure that your dog properly stretches and strengthens their muscles.

When walking your dog make sure to use a dog leash and collar or harness. This is to prevent your dog from running off their leash which can cause an accident.