A vet has settled the debate over how often you should walk your dog each day, revealing that the ideal routine varies by age and breed.
Speaking on TikTok, vet Nichola Rous, known as @drnicolerous.vet, explained that puppies require "five minutes of exercise per month of their life, twice a day." A four-month-old puppy, for example, should get two 20-minute exercise sessions daily.
She said: "This includes walks but it also include exercise in the back yard, games you're playing, things like that."
Guidelines for adult and senior dogs
For adult dogs, the standard guideline is 30 to 60 minutes of exercise twice daily. However, breeds such as border collies may need more outdoor time than chihuahuas.
"Senior dogs need a similar level - 30 to 60 minutes [twice a day] but the type of exercise [you do with them] is really important for their joints," she added.
"We want to look at low impact exercises. Consider the surface of the types of walks you're going on and consider hydrotherapy."
Importance of continued exercise
"The exercise is so important to keep going, even if they have arthritis. We want to make sure that we're still using their brain because that's just as important as it is for humans," she said.
Dog owners are advised to carry out breed-specific research on walking frequency.
Responding to her post, one user wrote: "My dog gets walked only one or twice a week for 20 minutes or so. He is 21-years-old."
A second commented: "My five-month-old pup goes for a 45 minute to an hour walk everyday, some days he only does for 30 minutes depending on plans for the day. If we didn't walk him for that long he would be climbing the walls!"
A third said: "My senior gets a walk every two-and-a-half to three hours since he doesn't like using our garden. Long walk in the morning and shorter walks for the rest of the day. He would never make it on only two walks."
Kennel Club backs twice-daily walks
The Kennel Club supports the view that walking your dog twice daily is preferable, stating that once a day should be the bare minimum.
A statement reads: "Every dog should have at least one walk a day, often two given that in some circumstances under veterinary advice the dog should be rested."
"The government recommends that we get at least 30 minutes of exercise each day and this is something that everybody can achieve - and go beyond - on a daily dog walk."
"The amount of exercise your dog needs will vary according to its breed, but every dog should have at least one walk a day, often two."
