Exercising your guide dog
Exercise is important for our dogs to stay fit, healthy, and happy.
Time off the lead, sometimes known as free running, is essential for your dog's mental health and wellbeing. Off-lead exercise means your dog can move freely and explore in an open area without the restriction of a lead. Most dogs love the freedom they have off the lead as it gives them a chance to express themselves and choose where to go, what to sniff, and how fast they run!
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Why is off-lead exercise important for your guide dog?
Exercise off the lead benefits your dog in so many ways, including allowing them time to socialise with other dogs and decompress after periods of focused work. It can help to build your dog's confidence and independence, which is very important for guide dogs if they come across unfamiliar environments or situations when they’re working.
Off-lead exercise allows your dog to express their natural instincts and behaviours, which is vital for their overall wellbeing. It aids their overall fitness levels and helps keep their muscles and joints healthy, and it can also play a vital role in weight management.
Not all exercise is the same, and it’s important to consider what your dog is doing during their exercise time. Running, sniffing, playing, and exploring all have different benefits - some will be more physically demanding, whereas others will really use your dog’s brain, so it’s important to encourage your dog to engage in a variety of activities when off-lead.
How to safely exercise your guide dog off-lead
It's essential to ensure your dog's safety when providing your dog with off-lead exercise. We've put together the following tips to help keep your dog out of harm’s way:
- Build up the time your dog spends off the lead if they aren't used to it - all that extra racing around can put stress on their bodies and joints.
- Exercise your dog with appropriate equipment and toys, don't throw sticks as they can cause serious injury to your dog’s mouth and throat. Instead, use a rubber dog toy of an appropriate size for your dog.
- Be aware that overuse of games such as fetch can put strain on your dog’s joints - limit these games and build in alternatives to your dog’s off-lead time such as searching or sniffing for a hidden toy.
- Monitor your dog throughout to ensure that they’re actively exercising and making the most of their off-lead exercise – as well as ensuring they’re not eating anything they shouldn’t.
- Try to keep your dog nearby so they can respond to you when called. This also gives you the opportunity to reward desired behaviour such as checking in with you, staying close by, and recalling to you.
Consider when and where you exercise your dog
Avoid exercising in extreme weather conditions, as the heat or cold poses a risk to their health. In hot weather, it’s always best to be cautious, and if you feel it’s too hot for your dog, exercise them in the early morning or evening when the temperature is cooler. Exercise in hot weather is the most common cause of heat stroke in dogs and very cold weather can cause other health issues like frostbite or cracked paws.
Avoid feeding your dog their meals within an hour before exercise, or two hours after. This can cause gastric torsion, a condition where the stomach twists, causing intense pain and discomfort and, if left untreated, can be fatal.
Additionally, choose a safe, clean, and quiet location with plenty of space, well away from roads, livestock, animal faeces and other potential dangers.
Finally, engaging with your dog and joining them in activities like running, walking, playing, or training upkeep can do wonders for both their health and your own. It's also an excellent way to strengthen your bond with your guide dog!
How much exercise do dogs need?
All dogs are different, and the amount of exercise required to maintain good physical and mental health will vary depending on their individual needs. As a minimum, your dog should be receiving three off-lead exercise sessions of at least 30 minutes each per week. However, in many cases, especially with our younger, more active dogs, this can be increased for optimal health and wellbeing. Be aware that your dog’s exercise requirements may change over time due to ill health, age, or weather conditions - you should adjust them accordingly.
You’ll get to know what your dog needs and when. However, it’s still important to keep an eye out for signs of over or under-exercising your dog. For example, changes in energy levels or behaviour within the home, such as tiredness, sleeping all the time, or inability to settle and barking a lot, may indicate too much or too little exercise; if you’re in any doubt, seek help from Guide Line.
Health considerations and exercise
Your dog's age and any underlying health conditions should always be considered when deciding when, where and for how long you exercise your dog. If you are unsure of what is appropriate, please speak to your Dog Health and Wellbeing Specialist via Guide Line, who will be able to advise.
Weight management and maintaining your dog's health are critical parts of your guide dog partnership, so ensuring you’re meeting your dog’s exercise needs is very important. Off-lead exercise also gives you another way of monitoring your dog’s health – you may notice a change in their breathing or the way they move, which could be an indicator of a health condition.
If you need advice about exercising your guide dog, or you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact Guide Line. We’re on hand to provide guidance and support whenever you need it.
Please get in touch with the emergency line on 0345 143 0217 if anything happens outside of office hours.