HAPPY WALKING!!!!
Everyone needs exercise, at least in some form.  We are designed to move and be challenged.  We all know that as people we are encouraged to participate in some form of exercise 3-5 times a week.  This can be as simple as taking a walk to as exciting as climbing a mountain.  You don't need a gym membership or extra money to exercise, just time and commitment.  It is equally important for our pets to exercise as well as ourselves.  Cesar Milan the dog whisperer is well known saying "First exercise, then training, then loving and playing with your dog."  This truly is key to keeping a healthy, physically and emotionally balanced dog.  Cats need exercise too, they just receive it in different forms.

First I will talk about dogs.  With all dogs it is vitally important they receive a walk every day. So you are combining your exercise time now with the dog's, a win-win situation.  It is a big commitment to own a dog.  It is well known dogs of all sizes need to walk everyday.  I do believe that depending on the type of dog you have it depends on how long they need to walk.  High energy dogs need to walk 45 minutes a day.  This is important to their mental health as well as their physical.  It is also important to make sure they are walking next to you, and not pulling you or leading you.  They need to walk in a calm and relaxed state.  It takes a great deal of patience at first to get your dog there, but they will get there!  It is very rewarding to have a dog just walk with you.  They are able to relax and enjoy the walk more when they don't feel that they have to be in control of the situation.  Dogs that are medium energy will benefit best from a 45 minute walk but you could probably be fine with a moderately paced 30 minute walk.  Low energy dogs still need to be walked but can be walked at a leisurely pace for 15-30 minutes depending on their age and their responsiveness to the walk. Be careful to not walk them in the hottest part of the day, they do not have sweat glands and are not able to cool themselves the way we do by sweating.  Also always carry water and make sure to give them opportunities to drink.  We have a collapsible bowl that fits in our pocket perfectly.

Having three dogs it is not easy to walk them all the proper amount of time everyday.  We live in an area where there are alot of stray dogs and I prefer to walk one dog at a time so that I have a hand free to control a stray dog if necessary.  It works best when my husband and I walk them together.  The problem is he walks in the morning and I walk at lunch or in the evening before dinner.

We notice that when we walk all the dogs the proper amount of time for each one, we have a quiet peaceful house.  Which is rare for a 3 dog house.  We also spend a good deal of time everyday training.  I believe every situation is an opportunity to enforce obedience.  They all know they must sit before I will pay any attention to them at all.  It is a good idea to enforce boundaries and discipline with your dogs.

Cat's are another story.  They need exercise but are not animals that are fond of discipline or walks.  Playing with a laser beam or attaching a toy on a string are two really great ways to get your cat up and moving.  Playing with cats is very fun and can be done while you are sitting watching television.

Having a pet is a rewarding experience but it takes responsibility.  They rely on you for everything so make sure you are making the effort to meet your pet's needs.  I hope you find the enjoyment that comes from spedning time with your pet meeting their essential needs in life.  Happy Walking!!!

Here is a picture of my Gabby, she is the sweetest most precious dog EVER!!!  She is the middle dog, Happy Gabby all the time!!!