Does Your Dog Need a Rest Day?
I realize that true working dogs might rarely or never get an “easy” day. Remy is pretty pampered compared to a working ranch dog, police dog or guide dog.
Every dog is different with different “jobs” and we all do different activities with our dogs.
We also know most pet dogs are not getting enough exercise so we don’t want to give people yet another reason to skip a walk.
On the other hand … if you do walk your dog every single day, a rest day or a day of doing something else (like fetch or playing in the yard together or swimming) might be a nice change.
Or if you’ve introduced a new running or walking routine for your dog lately or if you’ve recently increased your mileage, he would absolutely appreciate a rest day. He might still have energy – most dogs do – but rest is still an important thing for all of us (mentally and physically).
My dog’s “schedule” looks something like this, depending on where I’m at in my own training:
I’m just using common sense and I know myself and my own dog pretty well by now. Obviously breed and age play a huge role. My dog is a hunting breed meant to run in the field all day, and he’s been slowly building his endurance all his life.
No matter what your dog’s “work” is, whether it’s obedience class, agility, therapy work, hanging out at your office or daily walks, he might appreciate a “day off” every now and then where he can mentally check out or just enjoy an easy stroll.
I believe in hard work and I love to push myself (100 miles, here I come!). However, because of this I also know the importance of rest.
My dog and I are the same in that way.
How about the rest of you?
Great exercise activities & entertainment ideas for your dog
You can also read up about more ideas of fun things to do with your dog.
Too much ball chasing can lead to a visually reactive dog. Ask your dog to find the toy instead. It will help to balance your dog out while allowing them to use their best sense; their nose.
Every dog needs an off switch, wild dogs are active when they need to be. They live uncomplicated lives and conserve energy for when it really matters. Sleep and rest are most important during a dog’s day. It allows them to perform well, both physically and mentally.
If your dog struggles to rest, try to help them find ways to calm down so they can properly wind down and have a more balanced way of life.
Rest is another training variable that you, as your dogs fitness coach, modify in response to the feedback your dogs body gives. Use more active rest days when your dogs body needs it and reduce them when indicated. Active rest days , when incorporated into your dogs fitness and sport training wisely, will improve your dogs overall fitness and conditioning.
On active recovery days, your dog can perform any functional activity of daily living, but shouldn’t participate in any vigorous activity that will greatly increase heart rate or breathing, or really get the blood pumping for any significant amount of time.
For the dog who is generally active already, the recommendation is one active rest day a week.
An active rest day should still involve movement. Your dog’s body, and mind, need some stimulation every day.
When your dog’s body does not have sufficient time to repair and rebuild, your dog will actually experience a decrease in power, strength, speed, and endurance instead of an increase. Over time this leads to an increased risk of an injury due to overtraining.
Adding a Rest Day into your Dog’s Week
Exercise is great for dogs, but as with anything, overdoing it could have negative consequences on their health and well-being. In this guide, well explain how much exercise dogs need, how often you should take them on walks, and well also list the signs of over-exercising pups.