Goldendoodles are naturally playful and will follow you on your adventures. They are often very active even without encouragement from the owners. This is great considering how important daily exercise is for dogs. However, the exercise shouldn’t be overdone because it may cause injuries. Naturally, any Goldendoodle owner will ask themselves how much exercise their dog needs.
It is recommended that you walk your puppy twice a day, 5 minutes for every month of their age. Adult Goldendoodles should get at least 30 minutes of exercise daily.
But, how exactly should you work this into your Goldendoodle’s schedule? This article will introduce you to all different types of activities so you can find the ones that work the best for you and make sure your Goldendoodle is the healthiest it can be.
Importance of exercise
Regular exercise is important for every dog regardless of age and breed. This will not only benefit the dog but the owner as well. A properly exercised dog will be well-behaved and healthy. Obesity is among the most common diseases and can cause many different problems for your dog but can be easily avoided with enough exercise.
If your dog doesn’t get enough exercise it may lead to health and mental problems. A dog with too much energy and no way to use it will be very anxious. It can worsen your dog’s separation anxiety and lead to other destructive behaviors.
Exercises for a puppy?
Goldendoodles puppies are usually packed with energy and they will require much exercise. They will mostly fulfill this need through playtime but there are a few things you can do to ensure your puppy stays healthy. To make this easier and create a habit that will stay with your puppy long into adult life it is important to create a constant routine to get your puppy used to it. The easiest way to achieve this is to take your puppy out every day at a similar time and rewarding the puppy once you come back. Regular exercise will ensure joint health and help solidify their bones correctly.
One of the most common ways of getting exercise is taking the puppy for a walk. If you are unsure how long those walks should be, the rule of the thumb is that your puppy should walk 5 minutes every month of their age. For example, a 4-month-old puppy should have a 20-minute walk twice a day. Goldendoodles are great at communicating when they had enough activity for that day since they usually start lounging around more when tired. You can also let your puppy walk around the house. Make sure to separate parts of the house that contain stairs as this may be a bit too challenging for the puppy. Until your puppy can overcome such obstacles, let it set its own pace. To ensure this, let your puppy walk on its own without tugging the leash or ushering the puppy to quicken its pace. If you don’t have much space to walk your puppy, a dog park may be a good substitute. Your puppy will be able to walk and run freely, as well as to play with other dogs. After getting tired, the puppy will return to you to indicate it had enough.
It’s recommended that a part of the time dedicated to exercising gets spent playing because it is extremely beneficial to the puppy. Playtime is a better alternative since it challenges the puppy both mentally and physically. Some appropriate games are hide and seek, fetch, tug of war, and gentle wrestling.
Hide and seek includes lots of running, which helps develop their joints. Tug of war is great as it also helps your puppy’s teeth and gums while developing. However, make sure to avoid tugging too hard to avoid any damage to your puppy’s mouth. Preferably you should hold the toy and let your puppy do all the tugging. After a bit of struggle, let your puppy win. This will also boost the puppy’s confidence and help learn how much pressure to apply while biting different things.
Gentle wrestling will tire out the puppy relatively quickly and is a favorite among owners. One thing to keep an eye out for is to discipline your puppy if the game gets too aggressive. If the puppy starts to bite you too hard simply vocalize that the behavior is not acceptable by saying “No” or “Don’t bite”.
You will know the puppy had enough if it starts to slow down its actions, starts biting gentler, or lays down all of a sudden.
Exercises for an adult dog?
Adult dogs have much more energy since they don’t use the energy for growing. Regular exercise is necessary to avoid different health problems like obesity. This also promotes cardiovascular health and muscle strength, as well as reduces behavioral issues. A dog that exercises are less likely to injure itself while playing with other dogs as regular exercise promotes flexibility and proper muscle development.
Adult dogs should get at least 30 minutes of exercise daily. All the activities recommended for puppies will work for adult dogs, but if the dog is bigger, you should consider making activities more challenging. If you walked with your puppy, you can up the activity for an adult dog by jogging or biking while the dog follows you instead. A low-impact alternative to this is taking your dog on a hike. If your dog likes playing in the water and you have access to a body of water, swimming would be a great exercise too.
There are also many yard-friendly games for your dog if it isn’t convenient for you to leave your home. Fetch can be played with your dog alone or with other pet friends. This will get the dog running as well as let it play using its teeth. If none of this is a good option, you can always enroll your dog in dog sports groups such as dock jumping, dog discs, and herding practices.
Dog disc involves a handler throwing a disc towards the dog, and the dog needs to catch it. This activity requires lots of running and precision as well as practice with the handler. This will supply enough exercise for your Goldendoodle.
Deck jumping is similar to the long jump, and it involves a dog jumping into a body of water as far as possible. This is a great choice for a Goldendoodle as they are known to love playing in the water and have enough energy for this type of activity. The only downside is that deck jumping will require more frequent fur treatment.
Herding is appropriate for herding dogs and is perfect if your dog has lots of energy. If your dog doesn’t do well with herding but needs that much exercise, you should look into lure coursing. It is similar to herding, the only difference being that the dogs are chasing an artificial lure and competing for the best time.
Agility is perfect for high-energy dogs, but unlike herding, any healthy dog can participate. Dogs of all ages can do agility courses, and it is often recommended for dogs that need extra training as it first requires much discipline. It consists of the owner leading the dog through an obstacle course containing poles that have to be jumped over, tunnels that the dog has to go through, and similar.
Canine Freestyle is a great alternative for older dogs that don’t take easy training. While it does require knowledge of basic cues and a bond between the dog and handler, it doesn’t go further than that. The objective is that the handler and the dog present a freestyle choreography to music in front of the judges.
Flyball is appropriate for dogs with more energy as it involves lots of running. It is similar to a rally race, and the main goal is that the team completes the race first. The teams are formed with four dogs that have to run to a metal platform that releases a ball that has to be retrieved and returned to the handler. Upon this, the following dog may begin.
RELATED QUESTIONS
How much exercise does a dog need? Different dog breeds need different movements. How much exercise the dog needs also depends on the dog’s age. But in general, it can be said that the dog needs at least one hour of total walking per day.
How many walks does the dog need each day? A dog needs 4-5 walks every day. Where at least one of them is in 30 minutes.
How much exercise does a Labrador need? A labrador adapts to how much exercise it receives, but it feels best if you can give it two hours of exercise a day.
