How To Know If You Provide Enough Exercise To Your Pitbull?
Even if you think you’ve found exactly how much physical activity and mental stimulation your dog needs, observation can still be very helpful. Your analysis might be totally wrong, but the signs of under-exercising are generally reliable and easy to notice.
Destructive Behaviors.
Without proper exercise, your Pitbull will find a way to entertain himself. Whether it’s by chewing your favorite shoes or digging in your backyard, he’s giving you a sign that he needs more physical activity and mental stimulation. As everyone says, a tired dog is a good and happy dog!
Whining & Barking.
Another sign you don’t provide enough exercise to your Pitbull is if he becomes more vocal. Barking and whining can be caused by stress, too much energy, boredom, and many other reasons. Thus, unusual whines or barks may be an indication for you to spend more time working out and playing with your dog!
Why Is It So Important To Exercise Your Dog?
Just like any other animal, your Pitbull needs physical activity and brain stimulation. With his high-energy and muscular body, it’s even more essential for him to stay active. Otherwise, he can develop behavioral issues, get overweight, and become bored. If you really care about your dog’s well-being, it’s not something you want to happen.
Unfortunately, many people don’t understand how much time it’s required to keep an energetic dog in good shape. With all the information in this article, you have no more excuse to not provide enough exercise to your Pitbull. If you want him to be happy, you must take care of his physical and mental requirements!
What Can Influence Your Pitbull’s Physical Activity Requirements?
The optimal amount of exercise your dog should get will vary according to many elements. His health, physical conditions, and age are just some of the factors you have to consider. Even if Pitbulls are normally active companions, they still all have unique needs!
Overall, most Pitbull breeds are strongly built and have excellent fitness potential. Nonetheless, they are still prone to breathing issues because of their short nose, hip dysplasia, and other more specific conditions.
If your dog has any medical restriction or isn’t in good shape, it’s normal for him to have different exercise needs than other Pitbulls. As long as you understand and respect your Pitbull’s limits, finding the right amount of physical activity to provide him with shouldn’t be too complicated.
For the average adult Pitbull, the general recommendations above are correct. If you own a puppy or a senior dog, his age can highly influence how much exercise he needs!
Puppy.
As you probably already know, young dogs are generally more energetic and playful than older ones. On the other hand, they are more fragile during the first year of their life because their bones, muscles, and joints are still growing. That’s why vigorous exercise isn’t recommended for puppy Pitbulls.
If your dog isn’t an adult yet, free play with puppy toys, socialization, and interactive games is where your main focus should be. Daily walks may not even be necessary for young Pitbulls.
In general, you should provide a puppy around 5 minutes of moderate physical activity per month of age. As an example, a 6-month-old Pitbull would need approximately 30 minutes of exercise every day. Apart from daily walks, you could also provide your young pup with other sources of physical and mental stimulation to keep him fit and happy.
| Puppy Age | Exercise Needs |
| 3 Months Old | 15-30 Minutes |
| 4 Months Old | 20-40 Minutes |
| 5 Months Old | 25-45 Minutes |
| 6 Months Old | 30-60 Minutes |
Senior Dog.
For an older Pitbull, there are also some elements you must consider to provide him with proper exercise. With age, dogs slowly become less energetic, more fragile, and prone to physical conditions. That’s why you need to adapt the type of physical activity you want to with a senior Pitbull.
At an elderly stage, your buddy will also be more likely to suffer from hip dysplasia, arthritis, or other joint issues. Therefore, high-impact sports such as running aren’t recommended for older dogs.
On the other hand, you should not let your senior Pitbull become sedentary and bored. Physical activity and mental stimulation are still essential for his health and well-being even if he is old. Swimming, daily walks, brain games, and many other fun activities can be great to exercise him, despite his age.
To provide your Pitbull with enough physical and mental stimulation, his capacity to sustain physical activity is another important aspect to consider. Even if this type of breed is generally very active, not every dog has the same level of energy.
Most Pitbulls may be considered hyperactive, but some of them can also act like couch potatoes. Thus, it’s extremely important to analyze your dog’s vigorousness to understand better his exercise needs. The more energy he has the more physical activity and mental stimulation he will need to be satisfied.
As the Pitbull is not recognized as an official breed by the AKC, this term is relatively vague. The American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Stanford Bull Terrier, and American Bully can be considered a heterogeneous grouping of Pitbull-type breeds.
Even if they look very similar, each of those breeds has different characteristics and needs. They all descend from Bulldogs and Terriers, so Pitbulls definitely have common traits. Nonetheless, I highly recommend you to do some research about the origin of your dog and his breed.
What About Crossbred Pitbulls?
If you have a Pitbull that has been mixed with another breed, it’s more difficult to predict how active he will be. Mutts are awesome dogs because they are all different and unpredictable. However, the breeds that are crossbred can probably help you figure out how much exercise you should provide for your buddy.
Finally, there are many things to consider if you want to keep your dog fit, entertained, and happy. If you take the time to analyze his health conditions, age, energy level, and breed, you should have an excellent idea of how much exercise he needs. Then, you can also visit your veterinarian to have personalized advice from an expert point of view.
#1- Teach Your Pitbull Recall Training for A Better Walking Experience
The more your Pitbull understands basic commands and how to stay and come, the better.
Ultimately, having respect for you as the owner and understanding commands is discipline 101 for a Pitbull Terrier and makes every aspect easier.
Work with your Pitbull as often as possible to keep this training muscle and building.
Trust me, as time passes, walking your dog will get easier and the leash pulling will become less of an issue.
Pitbull Terrier Exercise [Needs and Ideas]
All dogs need exercise, and Pitbull’s are no different. It is normal to be curious how much walking they can handle, how often you should walk your Pitbull, and what else you need to be aware of.
Pitbull’s, being a large dog breed, are undoubtedly capable of plenty of exercise, but it is still essential to understand what you should aim for in order to provide the best care possible for your new Pitbull.
Pitbull’s need to be walked daily. A Pitbull should be walked at least 30-60 minutes each day. Breaking these walking sessions into two shorter walks is also okay.
This is the short answer to the question, and many new Pitbull owners or individuals considering adopting a Pitbull soon often have plenty of other questions on the topic of walking your Pitbull correctly, safely, and for the right durations.