The Exercise Myth
by Stine Theede
We see and hear it all the time: He is very energetic; he needs to get more exercise and run;
he needs a bigger yard. And while dogs do need a minimum of exercise, and some breeds more
than others, it is a myth that an energetic dog will calm down if you exercise it more. Ask
anyone who has ended up in the exercise spiral how long the dog has to run and play to wear
itself out – the answer is “10 more minutes every day”. That adds up fast!
Fact is that with some super-energetic dogs you have to wean them off exercise like an addict
off drugs. In fact, the drugs that are produced internally by the dog itself are part of the
problem, and these chemicals can really take a toll on the dog’s body in the long run, just like
with a professional athlete.
Before we move on, let’s look at what is normal exercise. I saw something on the internet the
other day where a woman wrote: “[…] he has 2 long walks (20 - 40 min adventures) [a
day].” 20-40 minute walks are not long walks! On leash, I would say it is fair to say that a
medium walk is about an hour, a long walk 1½-2 hours. Off leash in an area where the dog
runs far and hard most of the time, 30-45 minutes could probably be called a medium walk. Off
leash but without that much running would be somewhere in between.
Back to the problem of the overly energetic dog. Why is it running around acting like a spazz
if it isn’t because it needs more exercise? Because it needs to engage its sensory organs and
brain instead. The biggest section in the dog’s brain is the olfactory one, and the tissue inside
the nose cavity is huge (containing the scent receptors), so getting the dog to use its nose
makes it work hardest with its brain as well. The rule of thumb is that 15 minutes of “nose
work” equals 1 hour of physical exercise. Other good exercises are body coordination (like
agility, Frisbee tricks), learning (like obedience training, tricks), and problem solving (like
positive training, finding its way around/over/under obstacles), and working the brain will
always tire a dog (or a person) more than only working the body.
Part of The Exercise Myth is the idea that dogs don’t do well in apartments but are happy
when they have a big back yard. Wrong! Dogs in apartments often get exercised more
because being lazy is not an option for the owner, when you can’t just let the dog out the back
door. Besides, dogs do not exercise themselves without being motivated to do so, no matter
the size of the yard, any more than people do. The natural, inherited urge is to conserve
energy. Unless a lot of squirrels or such inhabit the yard and the dog chases them, it will
probably lie around most of the time, or sit by the back door to be let in again. A dog that
does run around a lot on its own in the yard is actually one that would concern me, since that
may be a sign of stress and anxiety, and should probably be curbed as soon as possible.
Since I am a stickler for word, let me finish with this: Too many dogs are described as hyper
or hyperactive. Hyperactive means to be excessively active or unusually overactive. That is
not the same as being very active, overactive, or have a high energy level. Hyperactive
indicates a lack of ability to control it. It does not mean a high activity level as a result of lack
of exercise, or bad manners. Ironically, much of the overly active behavior we see is a result of
the owner teaching it to the dog unintentionally through reinforcement. Most people don’t
realize that inhibition and patience have to be learned. They do not come naturally. The
biggest problem with taking puppies from their mother and siblings before they are 8-9 weeks
old is that they do not learn proper inhibition. The same goes for back yard dogs.
by Stine Theede
We see and hear it all the time: He is very energetic; he needs to get more exercise and run;
he needs a bigger yard. And while dogs do need a minimum of exercise, and some breeds more
than others, it is a myth that an energetic dog will calm down if you exercise it more. Ask
anyone who has ended up in the exercise spiral how long the dog has to run and play to wear
itself out – the answer is “10 more minutes every day”. That adds up fast!
Fact is that with some super-energetic dogs you have to wean them off exercise like an addict
off drugs. In fact, the drugs that are produced internally by the dog itself are part of the
problem, and these chemicals can really take a toll on the dog’s body in the long run, just like
with a professional athlete.
Before we move on, let’s look at what is normal exercise. I saw something on the internet the
other day where a woman wrote: “[…] he has 2 long walks (20 - 40 min adventures) [a
day].” 20-40 minute walks are not long walks! On leash, I would say it is fair to say that a
medium walk is about an hour, a long walk 1½-2 hours. Off leash in an area where the dog
runs far and hard most of the time, 30-45 minutes could probably be called a medium walk. Off
leash but without that much running would be somewhere in between.
Back to the problem of the overly energetic dog. Why is it running around acting like a spazz
if it isn’t because it needs more exercise? Because it needs to engage its sensory organs and
brain instead. The biggest section in the dog’s brain is the olfactory one, and the tissue inside
the nose cavity is huge (containing the scent receptors), so getting the dog to use its nose
makes it work hardest with its brain as well. The rule of thumb is that 15 minutes of “nose
work” equals 1 hour of physical exercise. Other good exercises are body coordination (like
agility, Frisbee tricks), learning (like obedience training, tricks), and problem solving (like
positive training, finding its way around/over/under obstacles), and working the brain will
always tire a dog (or a person) more than only working the body.
Part of The Exercise Myth is the idea that dogs don’t do well in apartments but are happy
when they have a big back yard. Wrong! Dogs in apartments often get exercised more
because being lazy is not an option for the owner, when you can’t just let the dog out the back
door. Besides, dogs do not exercise themselves without being motivated to do so, no matter
the size of the yard, any more than people do. The natural, inherited urge is to conserve
energy. Unless a lot of squirrels or such inhabit the yard and the dog chases them, it will
probably lie around most of the time, or sit by the back door to be let in again. A dog that
does run around a lot on its own in the yard is actually one that would concern me, since that
may be a sign of stress and anxiety, and should probably be curbed as soon as possible.
Since I am a stickler for word, let me finish with this: Too many dogs are described as hyper
or hyperactive. Hyperactive means to be excessively active or unusually overactive. That is
not the same as being very active, overactive, or have a high energy level. Hyperactive
indicates a lack of ability to control it. It does not mean a high activity level as a result of lack
of exercise, or bad manners. Ironically, much of the overly active behavior we see is a result of
the owner teaching it to the dog unintentionally through reinforcement. Most people don’t
realize that inhibition and patience have to be learned. They do not come naturally. The
biggest problem with taking puppies from their mother and siblings before they are 8-9 weeks
old is that they do not learn proper inhibition. The same goes for back yard dogs.
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