Exercise tips for Labrador Retrievers

Routine exercise is necessary for dogs as it helps your dog to keep fit, healthy and they enjoy the change in environment. Other positive impacts of regular exercise are better muscle development and better digestion. A dog that does not exercise regularly will grow into a unhealthy dog and would require constant attention.

It is a known fact that dogs that are deprived from exercise become aggressive, irritating, bark constantly without a provocation or a Labrador might chew anything that he can get hold of. On the other hand well exercised dogs are stable, easy to handle and show their affection and love towards the all members of the family. From my experience as a dog trainer I can say for sure that lack of exercise is responsible for common behavioral problems in dogs.

Few Rules to keep in mind while exercising a Labrador Retriever Puppy

Labrador Retriever dogs have few health issues. Joint problem is one of them and if some precautions are not taken during exercise they can become a serious problem. Some of the precautions that need to be taken are:

• Do not give your puppy a long walk before 18 months of age.
• Do not include him in games where he/she have to jump, leap or stop suddenly.
• A game like Frisbee is not recommended for puppies because this game needs more stamina and quick movement which can result in a broken joint for a puppy.
• Do not involve a puppy in high energy games of fetch.
• If you want to play fetch a ball then throw the ball close to the ground so that puppy will not have to jump to catch it.

Rules for the exercising of Adult Labrador Retriever dogs:

The type of exercise required is different in each dog and also depends on its age. Keep the following in mind when creating a exercise regimen for your grown up Labrador Retriever

• If your dog is easy going, laid back then he needs a small amount of exercise daily.
• If your dog is active and has high energy then you need to work on him vigorously and daily exercise will help him in exhaust his energy which will lead to the dog being more docile.
• You need to be consistent about the exercise of your dog. Please do not think that only taking your dog to hiking in the weekends and small walks during the week is good for him.
• Involve them in playing fetch a ball and Frisbee. These games are a good source of exercise for adult dogs and are highly recommended.
• Everybody knows that Labradors are good swimmers therefore ensure that swimming is part of exercise routine.
• Training, teaching new tricks and playing with toys is also necessary for their mental growth.
• While exercise is important you should take care that you go not give your high energy dog hours of exercise so as to keep him calm. This is not good for dog’s health.

The best thing about ensuring that a dog follows an exercise routine is that the pet owner also gets to exercise and there are times when the pet owner needs more exercise than the pet. Anyway I hope what I have shared will help you in keeping your dog healthy.

A Train full grown Labrador Retriever Dog