How far should I walk my dog?
This is a question that we often get from sitter and owners who work with Rover. Help the community out by answering them in our forum!
4 Answers
Hello
Generally the average dog in good health should be able to easily tolerate a 30-minute walk daily. More active dogs can tolerate as much as 60 minutes. An older dog or a breed may be better served with a 15- or 20-minute walk. It really depends on your pup and observe him/her behavior.
When considering how far you should walk your dog, you should think in terms of time, rather than distance. Because each dog breed is a little different and is of a different size, a 1-mile walk for a golden retriever is going to be vastly different than a 1-mile walk for a Chihuahua. A general rule of thumb is an average dog in good health should be able to easily tolerate a 30-minute walk daily. If you have a more active breed, as much as 60 minutes may be tolerable. An older dog or a breed that is more sedentary may be better served with a 15- or 20-minute walk.
As well as considering age overall dog health & breed one can take into account weather. If extremely hot or cold weather one should consider as we too as owners how long or what time of day best, for example if going to be 100 best to walk in morning or later evenings she sidewalks generally cooler. In contrast if frigid temps best to walk shorter duration and when sun shining if possible. Happy trails!
Base the walk length on the dog breed and temperament. More active dog needs a longer walk. Also consider the size of dog, example a chihuahua is an active breed but would not need as long of a walk as a Boxer. Also, keep in mind weather conditions such as heat and cold which could affect the dog. Always pay attention to the signs that the pet is giving you (such as heavy panting) and always be willing to adapt.