How much exercise should your dog get every day?

at the Town of Oyster Bay dog park on July 22, 2012 in Massapequa, New York.

Last few weeks, we realized, we have some really awesome and ambitious lists, but sometimes amid writing those, we forget people still have some basic questions about dogs, too. So in between thinking of dog lists you have never seen before, we have decided to dial it back and drop some 411 on some basic dog info some of you may have. In this case, how much exercise should your dog get, every day? As I am sure you are aware at this point, there are multiple factors that go into answering that.

Like all things when discussing a dog, much needs to be taken into account. The size and breed of the dog. The location and how the exercise is achieved. We can go on and on. But a great basic way to look at it is this:

Your Dog Should Exercise for anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours, every day.

Yes, of course there are factors that change that. Age is a perfect example. Also, you would not exercise a Greyhound and a Bulldog the same way, that just makes no sense. The reality is, if you are giving your dog less exercise than 30 minutes a day, something is wrong (on your end). You need to remember, dogs were once wild animals, and the need to run and play and feed those sides of itself are crucial. Also, like I have said to you all, many times over, when a dog gets obese, it runs the risk of heart disease and death. There is no excuse for letting a dog get that way.

So how much exercise should your dog get a day? Depends on you, but enough that it is happy and healthy. Less than a half hour a day, that&rsquo-s borderline abusive. Sorry, someone needs to say this stuff.