Dog Training

South Orlando Dog Training –

by Todd Campbell –

 


For many dog breeds, “exercise, exercise, exercise,” is the mantra for keeping a dog out of trouble. You’ve heard the statement, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Well, a good dose of exercise could reduce your need for a local dog trainer, and, in many instances, resolve lots of behaviorial problems.

It’s true, some breeds don’t need a great deal of exercise. Breeds such as the basset hound, Shih Tzu, bulldog and even some mastiffs are fine with a leisurely stroll around the block. But if you own a lab, golden retriever, Australian shepherd, border collie or pit bull, prepare to spend lots of time giving these dogs tons of running, retrieving, flying disc or agility work. These dogs have an inordinate amount of energy, even when they are in their midlives at 7 to 10 years old.

Some clients I have seen who have herding breeds, such as Shetland sheepdogs and German shepherds, have had problems with excessive barking, digging and chewing inappropriate things. One client owned a shelty with a barking problem, and with a little bit of prying, I found that the dog was only getting a leisurely 20-minute walk per day. It wasn’t enough for a dog with extreme
pent-up energy.

It was quite shocking to the dog owner when I said the dog needs at least an hour of vigorous exercise a day. It’s a tough reality because many of these less-knowledgeable dog owners realize that their daily lifestyle will have to change just for the dog. In this case for a young herding breed of dog, the leisurely walk just wasn’t doing it. It is another argument that you must choose your dog breed carefully.

Why do our dogs need exercise? The answer to this question lies in domesticated dog history and its relationship to us. Possibly 30,000 years ago, dogs would hang around human garbage heaps, and the dogs that were friendly were taken in as companions. It was then that we started to learn we could train these dogs to work for us, and, in exchange, we would feed them and give them companionship. Throughout the course of thousands of years, different dog breeds were developed, providing protection, hunting, herding and retrieving. Now the most common job our dogs do is lie around the house and sleep. Our dogs have lost that purpose in their lives.

Many dog owners assume that leaving a dog in the backyard constitutes exercise. We humans have a unique relationship with our dogs. We don’t share this type of relationship with any other species in the world. They were bred to be with us and work for us. A dog left in the backyard to tend to its own devices might run a few laps and then ultimately wait for you to let it back inside or wait for some sort of
human interaction.

So how much exercise does your dog need? Well, that will depend on the breed and your individual dog. Generally, your dog should have an hour of exercise every day. For some, that exercise might have to be an hour of vigorous activity, and for others, it might be more cerebral such as “smelling work” if you have a hound.

There are many ways your dog can get exercise. The most common way is to take him on a walk. But it is important to know that the walk should be lengthy — about an hour a day. The list of other options
is endless.

  • Retrieving provides vigorous exercise for many dogs, and you don’t even have to move. If your dog doesn’t bring the ball back, he can be trained to
    do so.
  • Many dogs have good eye-mouth coordination, and these dogs would be good candidates for catching flying discs.
  • Take your dog to a dog park, and let him interact with other dogs. There is a wonderful Orange County dog park at the DrPPhillips Community Park in Southwest Orlando.
  • Train your dog on new tricks and behaviors. This gets the dog’s mind working, strengthens your relationship, and renews the animal’s sense of purpose.
  • A neighbor of mine regularly takes her springer spaniel to agility class. This is an obstacle course for dogs that includes jumps, tubes and seesaws. Active dogs usually love it. You’ll find that dog agility is done in many locations throughout Orlando.
  • Running or riding a bike with your dog not only gives you exercise, but your dog benefits as well. Additionally, if the dog likes it, it will make sure you make this part of your daily routine.
  • Dogs like the Bernese mountain dog are working dogs originally bred to pull carts. If you have a dog like this, you can teach the dog to pull a cart, and the dog will probably love doing something that is part of his genetic makeup.
  • There are endless clubs that you can join involving activities like competition obedience, rally, freestyle, tracking and flyball.

If you want to mitigate the destructive chewing, unruly behavior in the house, excessive predatory behavior, garbage raiding and attention-getting behaviors like barking and whining, then give your dog the exercise it needs. You’ll have an agile, limber, healthy, happy, trim, well-behaved dog in return.