Having a dog is a big commitment because your pet relies on the type of care and lifestyle you give them. Most dogs are active and agile, so a sedentary lifestyle could hurt their physical and mental health. These reasons why dogs need an active lifestyle will teach you the importance of maintaining a high-quality routine to reduce your dog’s health issues.
Reduces Stress
Physical activity releases endorphins to the body, putting your dog in a better mood, balancing their daily routine, and helping them maintain a regular appetite. Reducing your dog’s stress will also reduce excessive licking, barking, chewing, and digging, which will benefit your home and lifestyle. Living with minimum stress can increase your dog’s life span, help them get along better with people, and improve their digestion.
Enhances Muscle Strength
Like humans, dogs can benefit from having strong muscles, joints, and bones, allowing them to live a happier life. Some dogs, like pit bulls and other large breeds, have large muscles, and keeping them strong will improve the dog’s mobility and endurance. A sedentary lifestyle will make it more challenging to achieve normal activities like climbing stairs or jumping onto a couch, especially with naturally heavy breeds.
Improves Bone Development
Exercise and physical activity from an early age will help a dog’s bones develop correctly with strength and vitamins to deliver better results. A dog with limited mobility will have a challenging life, which could result in health problems and frequent visits to the vet. Exercise will alert you if there are any problems with bone development, which could lead to early recognition of canine osteoporosis.
Keeps Blood Pressure Low
A dog needs an active lifestyle because it’s in their nature, and staying active will improve your dog’s blood pressure. Physical activity directly affects heart activity and blood circulation because the heart will pump blood faster to transport oxygen to the body. Low blood pressure and good circulation are the best ways to minimize health problems and extend a dog’s life span.
Reduces Possible Home Damage
Big dogs rely on active lifestyles to drain their excess energy and maintain a peaceful demeanour, which could affect your home in multiple ways. Dogs with excessive energy might chew on your clothes, scratch your floor, dig holes in the backyard, and more because they need a way to release that energy.
For all these reasons, a dog needs an active lifestyle. But an added benefit of giving your dog an active lifestyle is that you can adopt one yourself! A dog can motivate you to spend more time outdoors, which will benefit both you and your pet.
