Dog Walking Benefits
We’ve all heard “A tired dog is a happy dog” or a “walked dog is a well-behaved dog.” They are true! Walking your dog or providing vigorous activity 30 to 120 minutes per day is recommended to maintain your dog’s overall health and provide crucial mental and physical stimulation.
The top reasons walking is needed for good general health:
- Joint Health: Just like how good we feel when we have maintained regular activity – or the sore and stiffness we feel when we get off our activity schedule, the longer you keep your dog moving, the better they will move as they age. This is especially true for older dogs. Keeping them active and on a routine can keep arthritis symptoms at bay and improve their quality of life.
- Digestive and Urinary Health – Dogs want to be on a digestion schedule. They like to have routines when they know they can GO! Walking gets their tummy pipes moving and grooving so they can relieve themselves and then focus on the important things in life like squirrels, other dogs and of course hanging with you, their BFF.
- Obesity – Active dogs are less likely to be obese, suffer from heart disease or have diabetes. Exercising can keep them at their optimal weight and help them to feel great.
There are also benefits walking provides for your dogs mental and physical stimulation.
- Smell and see the world – Dogs are social creatures and they want to know what is going on in their world. Getting out for a neighborhood stroll is the best way to do that. Smelling the world is so important to your dog. This provides scent stimulation as well as the comfort of understanding their environment.
- Strengthen human/animal bonds – A daily walk with your pup allows special bonding and pack time. Your dog learns to trust their handlers as they explore their surroundings.
- Lower anxiety and reduce unwanted behaviors – Exercise releases endorphins in your dog’s brain alleviating stress. Walks help break up boredom in your pup’s day too. The activity benefits of walks will help alleviate unwanted behaviors associated with boredom, stress or attention seeking.
- Increase your dog’s socialization – Walking provides your dog with the opportunity to see other dogs. We don’t let your dog come in direct contact with other people or pets, but they can learn how to behave calmly the more they see them.
- Reinforce positive behavioral training – Walking is a great time for you and your OGPS dog walker to positively reinforce your “language” and the way you “communicate” with your dog. When using positive training and consistency, we are setting your dog up for success on teaching, rather than discipline. Dogs want to please and love to learn.This is one of the areas OGPS excels in!
Take back your lunch break. Schedule walks during upcoming ZOOM calls. Whether one time per day or a couple of times per week, give your dog the best day by arranging for us to walk them. Give your dog a great start in 2021 by scheduling regular walks with our OGPS team!
A walk and play makes Rosie’s Day!
Brick is always waiting at the door for his walk around the block.
Otis knows when OGPS comes. His walks allow his mom to teach on Zoom and keep him a happy camper.
