October 9th, 2008
How many times have you seen a well intentioned person go to a shelter to rescue a dog only to see them weeks later wondering if they've made a mistake? The cute cuddly dog they saw in the shelter is now a raging bull in a china shop blowing over everything in his path. What went wrong? The person meaning to do good didn't consider what the dog's exercise needs were.
Dogs who are athletic need to run every single day. Dogs who are high energy will not be satisfied with a 15 minute walk to the mailbox and back. As their frustration level increases day after day they may become destructive by shredding the furniture of your home or worse yet, they may become aggressive and bite someone. Having an outlet to burn off some of this surplus energy is critical for your dog's well-being not to mention your sanity.
Activities such as running along side his owner biking, roller blading or wrestling with other dogs can be helpful especially if it is done first thing in the morning when your dog is least anxious. But waiting until later in the day when your dog has waited for hours to release his boiling cauldron of frustrations will be too late. Both owner and dog will have a difficult time trying to attempt a walk. Timing is everything especially when it comes to exercising your high energy dog.
But what do you do if you're a slouch? What if your idea of exercise is stumbling 10 feet to the fridge during commercial breaks every night? This is the sad fact for many frustrated athletic dogs: their owner didn't think about matching their energy level with their dog's before they brought them home. Everybody loses here. Since dogs possess a gene that says that must do all things together and at the same time your dog looks to you for his exercise requirements. But are you listening? It's not what your dog can do for you but what you can do for your dog?
Do you and your new dog a favor when selecting a shelter dog: do some research before selecting a dog to see if you are able to meet their specific breed requirements. When you are sure about the breed type be honest with yourself: are you athletic, a weekend warrior, a couch potato or somewhere in between? Do you have time to take your new dog out twice a day for 60 minutes of exercise? If not and you have a dog that needs that much of a time commitment from you and you are not able to provide it you are setting your new best friend up for a life of misery. Adopt a dog that is low key or maybe get a different kind of animal such as a cat, fish or snake who needs less care.
Taking on the responsibility of a high energy dog is better left to the high energy human who understands what it feels like to stay inside when you'd rather be out running and having a howling good time.