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 Summer Tips
Exercise
We are quickly approaching the “lazy, hazy crazy days of summer.” Your outdoor thermometer will regularly peak past the scorching 80-degree mark. On “nice” days, the air will become muggy and thick. Several days a week, thunderstorms will abound.
Should I supply more excuses to stay inside and become a June through September couch potato? Even your dog recognizes the discomfort of “Hotlanta” summers. Your pet will naturally become more sedentary as the temperature rises.
Nevertheless, you should not neglect your dog’s exercise needs. Optimally, owners should provide their pets a formal, structured exercise program that considers the following:
- A healthy checkup from your vet.
- Overweight dogs may be limited initially in their exercise ability.
- Dogs with orthopedic problems may be limited in the type and intensity of exercise they can perform.
- A regular time.
- Dogs have a marvelous internal clocking mechanism and will do best when exercised at approximately the same time each day.
- Appropriate intensity.
- In today’s lifestyle we do not have an abundance of quantity time, so we need to best take advantage of quality time.
- High intensity exercise, such as running, bicycling, roller blading, retrieving, or swimming provide physical benefits faster than a long walk.
- However, do not provide an exercise mode or duration that is too intense for your dog’s age or health.
- Your dog’s temperament.
- Select an exercise mode your dog will enjoy.
- Your schedule and geographic limitations.
- If the exercise is inconvenient it won’t remain regular. Pick something you can do on a daily or almost daily basis.
- Your dog’s age.
- With a small breed dog less than nine months of age, a medium or large breed dog less than one year of age, or a giant breed less than 18 months of age, limit the intensity of exercise and limit exercise to soft surfaces as epiphyseal plates (growth plates) on long bones have not completely formed.
- Temperature.
- To avoid heat exhaustion or heat stroke exercise early or late in the day.
- Feeding times.
- To reduce the probability of bloat, an often fatal condition, do not exercise your dog until two hours after feeding and do not feed your dog until one hour after exercise.
- Surfaces.
- Concrete can scour pads. Asphalt can burn pads, especially during the midday sun. Moreover, hard surfaces can create chronic joint injuries and pain.
Now that you know what to do, let’s get moving! CPT’s goal is to increase the number of healthy, happy, well-behaved dogs, as well as the number of healthy, happy dog owners.
If you desire professional assistance, please contact CPT either by e-mail (info@cpt-training.com) or by phone (770-396-6433). CPT’s elite professionals have trained the pets of over 30,000 Atlanta families. We would love to add you to our list of satisfied clients.
© Copyright Mark Spivak and Comprehensive Pet Therapy, Inc., June 2006, All rights reserved.
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