How often should you walk your dog?

How often should you walk your dog?

Walking your dog is mandatory in Germany since the beginning of this year. You must take your four-legged friend outside with you at least twice a day. And what if you don’t? Then you can expect a hefty fine. In Australia, there has been an ‘walk you dog’ requirement for some time – with fines of up to $ 2,700 if you don’t comply. But what is actually good for a dog?

Preferably three to four times a day
Walking for half an hour twice a day can be perfect for one dog, but is too much for another and far too little for another dog. How often you should walk a dog and for how long depends on the breed, age and condition. However, for most dogs, going out twice a day is really the minimum. The average adult dog needs three, preferably four, walks to relieve himself. Older dogs and puppies need to be more often (and shorter) due to incontinence or toilet training problems.

Movement is not enough
A happy dog ​​is a dog that is not just walked regularly and long enough. It’s also important to get the dog’s brain working. You can plan roughly five minutes of thinking activity by running every hour. Because when dogs get a lot of exercise, but few thought stimuli, they still become unhappy animals. A dog that keeps demanding attention, listens poorly or does not listen or displays restless behavior is unlikely to get its mental features. Outside, the dog gets a lot of thought stimuli anyway. For example, by sniffing it can gain a lot of information about the environment. For example, which other dogs have all been outside. So incorporate that sniffing time as an important part of the walk.

Meeting other dogs
Sniffing is one thing, but for many dogs it is even more fun if you can see the dogs that have been detected in real life. And can play with that. Contact with other dogs, in the form of playing and running together, is therefore also important. That is, if you have a social dog. Walking is therefore never only intended so that the dog can do its business; it offers the dog the opportunity to maintain his social contact with other dogs and that makes many dogs happier.

Rules for walking your dog
In the Netherlands there is not yet a law for walking your dog. Also, it is not mandatory to wear good lighting or reflection when walking the dog. As a result, the dog walker and the dog are the least safe road users in the Netherlands. Cars, scooters, cyclists and horse riders are obliged to use lighting. It is therefore wise to always – even at dusk – ensure that you and your dog are clearly visible in traffic. You don’t want to end up in the situation where your dog shoots away and ending up in an accident because someone did not see the dog or saw it too late. In addition, you are more likely not to trip over your dog if it is clearly visible. With the extremely strong Orbiloc K9 Active Pack * you as a dog and owner are a clearly visible road user.

Orbiloc in stock
Visibility is essential for every walk with the dog. Therefore, the owner can better provide reliable safety lights, such as the ones from Orbiloc. Having a good stock of these vandal-proof safety lights isn’t a bad idea, given the current popularity of puppies. The Danish brand has indicated in any case that there will be no new models on the market next winter. So order safety lights quickly, then you don’t have to worry about them for the coming year. You can place an order via +31 (0) 6 109 104 63 or info@noho.nl.

*PLEASE NOTE we only represent Orbiloc in Benelux.