Whether you’re doing a quick loop around the park or hiking through the prettiest of what mother nature has to offer, your dog feels the same: walks are the best. And when you’ve got your best friend trotting by your side, you probably agree. However it’s important to stay attuned to what your dog needs, and adapt those habits and rituals as the years go by.
Dedicated Dog Loyalists will know that puppies and older dogs need different kinds of exercise – and that’s because of changing joints, conditions such as arthritis.
There’s also other breed- and size-specific concerns to take into account. For example, while sporting, herding and high output breeds can handle 60 to 90 minutes of varied activity once they’re adults, toy or brachycephalic (short-nosed) breeds are more like 20 to 40 minutes a day, and will need lighter activities split into multiple short sessions.
A quick guide to walks for dogs of all ages
Say hi to four dogs: Pip, Truffle, Norman and Doris.
Pip’s a five-month-old Poodle puppy who loves everyone and is a blur of tail wags and paws. Her joints are still developing and will continue to do so until she’s 12 to 18-months-old, so she needs five minutes of structured walking per month of her age. At the moment, she can do 25 minutes and her owners know to avoid high impact activities.
Truffle is a year and a half-old Australian Shepherd, and he’s graduated to hour-long walks, and sometimes an hour-and a half when it’s nice outside. His toy or brachycephalic dog friends of the same age do more like 20-40 minutes, and prefer shorter walks spread across the day.
Norman is eight years old, and he’s a confident senior Golden Retriever. He’s still enjoying his walks, but his humans are keeping an eye on any signs that he’s slowing down, and doing a few more grassy versus pavement walks. Because they’re devoted Dog Loyalists, they’re also investigating slower walks that keep his mind active, such as wanders in the forest.
Pomeranian Doris is a wise older soul at the age of twelve, and she’s developed a little bit of arthritis. She has several short walks each day, and there’s absolutely no high impact activities like jumping, long bouts of running or prolonged fetching. Doris is too dignified for that, anyway.
How do I know what’s right for my dog?
Working out when to slow down (and speed up) walks isn’t an exact science – different sizes and breeds of dog, as well as health conditions, are all significant factors, and it’s not one rule for all dogs. But here’s a rough guide to when your pet moves into the ‘respectable senior’ category, and you might want to start adapting their activities:
- Small (under 20lbs): 10-12 years
- Medium (20-50lbs): 8-10 years
- Large (50-90lbs): 7-8 years
- Extra large (90lbs+) 5 years
These milestones are good points to take a moment of pause and ask: my dog loves those long hikes, but do they still love her? Or, my dog loves clambering up and down hills and mountains, but do his joints?
Signs that it’s time to slow walks down
Dog Loyalists that are up, walking their dog every morning come rain, snow, shine, sleet, hail and gail-force winds, will be the first to notice changes. These span a few things:
General movement
It might be that your dog’s hips are looking a bit stiffer than usual, or they’re limping occasionally on their regular walks. Watch out for shorter steps, irregular gait or what’s known as ‘bunny hopping’ – which is exactly as it sounds: hopping with both back legs together.
Endurance
You could notice that your dog doesn’t have the same stamina they once did. This manifests itself in obvious signs including lagging at the back of their pack on walks or getting the shakes after exercise. More panting is also a sign that they’re finding walks challenging.
Behavior
Possibly they’re a little slower to get out of their cozy bed when you pick up the lead, or they just don’t seem as enthused as they once did. Signs of general grumpiness, a lack of appetite after they’ve done their walk, or even extra clinginess could hint that it’s time to change things up.
If you’re noticing these, it could be time to rethink how long, how often, and how active your walks are. Dog Loyalists might also consider bringing more non-slip surfaces into the house, elevating their pet’s bed and food bowls, and reducing the amount they’re jumping on and off furniture, or in and out the car.
Here’s where supplements are your hero
Once you’ve adapted your walk routine, you can help your dog’s joints and connective tissues recover from the strain of exercise by layering a treat or supplement on top.
WellJoy™ Joint+ supplement is a great preventative that can support dogs’ joints early on, and prolong their health. It provides the glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM your pet needs to repair and rebuild, helping to switch them away from ‘damage control’ and into ‘maintenance and resilience’ mode.
The walks might eventually turn a little slower and shorter, but your dog and their joints will (silently) thank you for it.
We’re proud to say that all of WellJoy’s content is fact-checked and verified by a Pet Loyalist team, including a veterinarian trained in companion animal nutrition and a PhD board-certified companion animal nutritionist.