Regardless of size or age, every dog requires daily exercise. In fact, a lack of playtime can lead to sickness, boredom, and frustrations that may even turn into aggression. Assuring that your dog receives plenty of exercise is an important part of taking care of their mental and physical well-being. However, it can be hard to determine just how much exercise your dog needs. Here are some tips to help you keep your dog active, happy, and healthy.

How Much Playtime Does My Dog Need?

The amount of exercise that your dog needs will depend on your individual dog’s age, weight, and temperament. However, here are some loose metrics that you can follow when determining how much exercise to give your dog:

  • For puppies, simply multiply their age by five until they are all grown up. The answer represents the number of minutes your puppy needs to play at least twice a day. For example, if the puppy is three months old,  he or she needs around fifteen minutes of exercise up to two times a day.
  • Upon reaching adulthood, the exercise needs of your dog will change. Most adults require exercise ranging between 30 minutes and two hours every day. While activity will still be important, it has to be less intensive and shorter. Some of the most common games include fetching objects, running, wrestling, tugging, and others.
  • Keep the breed of your dog in mind when determining the natural levels of activity that your dog is prone to. Generally, smaller breeds such as poodles and Chihuahuas and giant breeds like Great Danes and Newfoundlands require less physical activity. The same is true for flat-nosed breeds such as Bulldogs and Pugs, which mostly have respiratory issues. Active breeds include Scent Hounds, Retrievers, Shepherds, and a few others.

Help, I Don’t Have Time to Provide My Dog With Exercise!

If you have a busy schedule, it can be hard to find the time to exercise your dog. However, there are a few small activities that you can try to fit in to make sure your dog remains active. The most obvious is a short walk around the neighborhood for between 20 and 30 minutes every day. If this is not an option, then you can enrich your dog’s play life by providing interesting toys for them to have at their disposal.