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How Often Should I Walk My Dog?

September 21, 2018 by Mary Telesz

a beagle whose owner is being walked by an employee of a professional dog walking company since the owners are always very busy and cannot walk their dog during the dayIf you are a new dog owner, it can be a little overwhelming trying to figure out how to best care for your new pet. Whether you have just adopted a new puppy, or if you’re integrating an older rescue dog into your family, both of them need to be walked on a regular basis. However, how often your dog needs to be walked is based on several factors. These factors include your dog’s age, breed, size, health, and diet. Dogs need some form of exercise every day to keep them healthy and to prevent them from getting bored. This can be hard to do if you have a full-time job or other commitments that require you to leave your dog alone. Whether this is long work days, or if you are taking a weekend trip, you need to have a plan for who is going to walk your dog in your absence. The best solution to this problem is to hire a professional dog walking company. They are trained in how to walk dogs and how to take care of them, so you know you are trusting your beloved pet with the right dog sitting company.

Why Dog Walking is Necessary

Without daily physical activity, your dog will become bored, frustrated, and unhealthy. Exercise helps tone the muscles of your dog, keeps their body and metabolic systems in top shape to function properly, and it engages their mind. If your dog is exhibiting some destructive behaviors like chewing furniture or excessive barking, the problem may be as simple as boredom. If you begin to implement physical activity in their everyday lives, this will provide them with mental stimulation (and tire them out) and you might find a dramatic decrease in these unwanted behaviors.

Just like humans, dogs can also struggle with weight gain and obesity if they are not burning off more calories than they take in every day. Complications relating to weight are unfortunately a problem for many dogs. Plenty of exercises will make sure that your dog stays in good shape and is as healthy as possible. If you notice your dog gaining a little weight, increase the length and number of your walks.

Figuring Out the Right Amount of Walks

While you need to look into your dog’s specific breed, size and overall health to know exactly how much dog walking they need a day, 30 minutes to two hours a day is a general rule of thumb. If you have a hunting, working, or herding dog (like Labrador retrievers, hounds, collies and shepherds) you will find that your dog is in need of longer and more rigorous exercise. On the other hand, if you have a short-nosed breed dog (like a Bulldog), your dog will not need a lot of daily exercises. Casual dog walking around the neighborhood once a day will be sufficient exercise for them.
a lady walking her dog as she usually does for around 45 minutes per day
If you have a dog of mixed heritage, you will probably discover that it’s harder to find specific information pertaining to your dog. If this is the case for your dog, you need to focus more on the dog’s age and the signals they are giving you. Younger dogs are going to be walked significantly more than older dogs to keep them healthy and mentally engaged. As dogs get older, they will be less active and may even have conditions that are slowing them down. However, even if this is because they are too heavy, have achy joints and muscles, or have become lazy, they still need to be taken for short walks. Focusing on the signals your dog is giving you is a great way to determine how often they need to be walked. If your dog is restless or pacing a lot, you should increase the number of walks you’re giving them. If your dog seems exhausted and is sleeping a lot, perhaps you should decrease the number of walks. You want to find a healthy balance.

Walking Puppies

When raising a puppy it’s very important to know that they require much less exercise than a full-grown dog. In fact, over-exercising them can lead to developmental damages in their joints, which could cause early-arthritis. A good guide to follow is to follow the ratio of five-minute walks per month of age of your puppy until they are fully grown. These walks should happen up to twice a day, and shouldn’t be spaced too closely together. When your puppy reaches three months old, you can increase your walks to about 20 minutes. Once they are fully grown, focusing on their breed can offer you more insight into how often they should be walked.

Living Conditions

Where you live can also affect how often you need to walk your dog. If you live in an apartment and don’t have a lot of space for your dog to explore and play in, you should be taking them on many more walks throughout the day. If walking your dog is the primary way they are able to relieve themselves, then they should be a give a lot of short, frequent walks. At least once a day, a walk should be longer to allow them time away from their living space to explore new areas and enjoy being outside.

If you live in a house with a large backyard, you will find that the opposite is true. Your dog will probably need less walks if they have a wide open space they can run around and play in. While this can decrease the number of walks you take them on a day, it shouldn’t be a substitute for dog walking. owner of a professional dog sitting and dog walking company training a dog with a stick so it can learn to play fetchWhen your dog is enjoying themselves in your backyard, there is no way to control the amount of exercise they are getting. Taking them on walks will ensure that they are getting the appropriate amount of exercise every day. Plus, walks are a great way to spend quality time with them.

If you are unable to keep up with the number of walks your dog needs a day, don’t hesitate to hire a professional dog walking company. They can be especially helpful and can assist with dog sitting when you find yourself having to go out of town. They can even help advise you on how many walks a day are appropriate for your dog.

Filed Under: Dog Walking

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Centreville – 20120, 20121
Chantilly – 20151
Clifton – 20124
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Reston – 20191, 20190

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
4.9
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
21:22 03 Oct 21
I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!
Michæl Silva
Michæl Silva
21:38 01 Jul 22
Mary at Paw Pals Pet Sitting is the greatest! She has helped me train my pooch Chico how play nice with other dogs and for that I am extremely grateful! A+A+A+A+A+A
Kwi Kim
Kwi Kim
22:37 17 Jun 22
I hired Paw Pals based on my sister’s referral. Meet & greet was very thorough and detailed. I was surprised that my finicky cat came to check the sitter out. Subsequently, a sitter watched my cat over several separate visits, and it was clear through the visit reports that my cat loved the sitter. All the visits were completed having followed my directions & with professionalism.I would highly recommend Paw Pals to anyone who’s looking for a dependable, personable, & professional sitter.
Joseph Walter
Joseph Walter
19:55 13 Jun 22
Paw Pals provided a large number of photos of our pets along with a personalized message on how our pets were doing with every single visit. I would highly recommend using Paw Pals, we'll be continuing to use them whenever we go on vacation.
Ashley Manning
Ashley Manning
09:50 11 Jun 22
Highly recommend as pet sitters!Initially, a sitter from the company will visit the house to meet the pets and learn where everything is. Tatiana took careful notes and we got her some spare keys.While we are away, Paw Pals sends sitters to come and look after our boys. They feed them, scoop litter, bring in mail and packages, and they will even manage trash, recycling, blinds and lights so that everything is comfortable for our kitties. Each time they check in, we receive an email message with updates and pictures, which is so comforting when we are on the road.Also, if you don’t let Paw Pals know when you are home, they assume something has happened and will continue to care for your babies. If something were to happen, I know they would be okay.Five stars for Paw Pals!
Brian Wood
Brian Wood
04:08 22 May 22
We have used Paw Pals for a number of years now and would highly recommend to anyone looking for help with their pets. Great communication from owner Mary and flexibility to make adjustments in schedule as life changes over time. Have had a consistent set of walkers who have gotten to know our pup and the various walking routes around our neighborhood quite well.
Lesley Bush
Lesley Bush
13:58 18 Mar 22
We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.
Sebastian Barnes
Sebastian Barnes
01:06 17 Jan 22
I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.
Julie Shildt
Julie Shildt
17:45 14 Nov 21
It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Katie McCune
Katie McCune
19:19 15 Jul 21
I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!
Alexandra Hill
Alexandra Hill
22:43 23 May 21
I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
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