How Much Exercise Does a Dog Need?

If you’ve recently adopted a dog or brought home a puppy, you may be wondering: How much exercise does a dog need a day? In short, most dogs need at least 30 minutes to an hour of exercise per day, but many dogs, especially working breeds, may need several hours of vigorous exercise each day to stay happy and healthy.

Keep reading for more information about how much exercise dogs need.

General Exercise Guidelines

In general, most dogs (including toy breeds) need a minimum of 30 to 60 minutes of exercise per day. While some senior dogs may not be able to tolerate more than 30 minutes of exercise daily, many active dog breeds that were bred to work all day are miserable unless they can get several hours of intense exercise per day.

A few examples of dog breeds that may need several hours of exercise each day include Border Collies, Siberian Huskies, Jack Russell Terriers, Australian Shepherds, Vizslas, Weimaraners, Australian Cattle Dogs, Malinois, Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds, and English Springer Spaniels.

If your dog is displaying any problematic behaviors like barking, chewing on things they shouldn’t, or separation anxiety, they may actually need more exercise. There’s truth in the saying: “A tired dog is a good dog.”

Benefits of Regular Physical Activity for Canines

Not only does regular exercise help prevent obesity, which has been connected to various health problems including diabetes, arthritis, cancer, and more, but studies have shown that dogs who get more exercise are less likely to show symptoms of fear, aggression, and separation anxiety.

In short, plenty of exercise will help your dog be healthier, happier, and better adjusted than dogs who don’t get enough exercise.

Specific Exercise Needs by Dog Characteristics

Not all types of exercise are appropriate for all dogs. 

Brachycephalic (flat-faced) dog breeds like Pugs and English Bulldogs tend not to tolerate high-intensity exercises like running because it’s much more difficult for them to breathe. Greyhounds, Afghans, and other sighthounds often love a good run—as long as it’s short, since they’re built for speed over short distances, like Cheetahs. They aren’t built to be marathon runners. Huskies, Malamutes, and other spitz-type breeds have tons of energy and require a lot of exercise, but they’re also prone to overheating in warm weather, so they might do best with indoor exercise like agility training or running on a treadmill.

And while puppies of all breeds often have a lot of energy, they shouldn’t do much jumping or running on hard surfaces because it’s hard on their growing joints.

If you have any concerns about what type of exercise would be best for your dog, your veterinarian should be able to give you advice.

Walking: A Fundamental Aspect of Dog Exercise

Walks are great low-impact exercise that most dogs enjoy. There are two different types of walks, and both are important:

• •Sniff walks are slower and led by your pup’s nose. These walks are more about engaging your dog’s brain rather than their muscles. This mental stimulation is crucial to help prevent boredom.

• •Brisk walks should be led by you with few or no stops for sniffing or potty breaks. These faster walks are excellent for joint and cardiovascular health.

You can choose to start or end a brisk walk with a sniff walk, or you could do separate walks at different times of the day to allow your dog to get both types of exercise.

Beyond Walking: Diverse Forms of Canine Physical Activity

Walks are a great form of exercise for most dogs, but they aren’t enough for all pups. Some other ways to provide your dog with exercise include fetch, tug of war, agility, flyball, dock diving, jogging, running alongside your bike, hiking, and much more.

Special Considerations for Different Life Stages

Puppies and senior dogs have different exercise requirements than active adult dogs.

Exercise for Senior Dogs

While senior dogs often develop arthritis, hip dysplasia, or other joint problems, gentle exercise is still crucially important for helping them maintain the joint mobility that they currently have. Regular walks can actually help reduce inflammation and pain compared to allowing your senior dog to lay around all day like they may seem to prefer.

Exercise for Small and Toy Breeds

Small and toy dogs need just as much exercise and training as larger dogs. In fact, many small dog behavioral issues are tied to a lack of training or exercise (check out small dog syndrome). Unless they have a health issue preventing it, aim to give your small dog at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, even if that’s spread out among two or three shorter walks rather than one longer walk.

Exercise for Puppies

Puppies have lots of energy and need plenty of exercise, but their still-growing joints need special care. Walks and playtime are perfect for puppies, but leave more strenuous exercise like running, jumping, and hiking until they’ve reached their adult size.

Adjusting for Injuries or Health Concerns

If your dog has an injury or a health concern, talk to your veterinarian about what type of exercise is best for your dog. Even a dog on crate rest might be permitted to have short walks each day.

The Role of Mental Stimulation in Dog Exercise

Did you know that mental stimulation can help tire dogs out almost as well as vigorous exercise? That’s one reason slow feeders, lick mats, and other enrichment toys are becoming so popular. Making your dog “work” for their food by putting it into a puzzle toy helps provide crucial mental stimulation and exercise.

We Feed Raw stuffed into a Kong or Toppl or spread on a lick mat and then frozen for a few hours before serving is an excellent way to provide your pup with physical and mental enrichment.

Fuel Your Dog With We Feed Raw

No matter how much and what type of exercise you give your dog, they need a protein-rich food like We Feed Raw to fuel them. Our species-appropriate complete and balanced raw dog food goes through a cold-pressure process to inactivate potential pathogens, making it safe for your dog.

We make raw feeding as easy as possible by delivering pre-portioned patties to your door. You simply thaw and feed. Take our quiz now to start your pup on their life-changing raw journey.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much daily exercise does a dog need?

Most dogs need at least 30 minutes to an hour of exercise a day. While senior or otherwise ill dogs may not need quite that much exercise, many dogs (especially working breeds) require several hours of exercise each day to stay healthy and prevent behavioral problems.

How much does a dog need to exercise?

A dog should get at least 30 minutes to an hour of exercise daily. Many active dog breeds actually need much more exercise than that and aren’t satisfied with anything less than 2-3 hours of intense exercise each day.

How much exercise does a dog need a day?

On average, a dog needs at least 30 to 60 minutes of exercise a day to stay healthy and happy. Some dog breeds that were bred to work need much more exercise than that, or they will start to have behavioral problems as a result of not being able to burn off their energy in more productive ways.

How much exercise does a dog need daily?

A dog typically needs a minimum of 30 to 60 minutes of exercise daily. While some dogs do OK with less than that, many dogs need several hours of exercise per day. Breeds that were bred to work all day often aren’t happy unless they get several hours of vigorous exercise daily.