All dogs need routine exercise for several reasons. The first and most important reason is that exercise is important in overall health and metabolic functioning. Even more than humans dogs need to walk, run and exercise on a daily basis and sitting around the house or going for a walk around the yard is simply not enough movement for the dog.

Without proper exercise dogs are much more likely to experience a wider array of possible health problems. Obesity and weight gain will occur, even if the diet is well controlled. This is because dog food rations and formulation is based on a moderate activity level, not a sedate lifestyle. Digestion, cardiovascular health and respiration all can become problematic if the dog is not properly exercised. Constipation may become a problem, particularly in older dogs, but it can also be an issue in younger dogs that don't have enough routine exercise.

Dogs that don't get enough exercise also tend to have a host of behavior problems, most which related to boredom and pent up energy release. The most common of these types of problems include excessive barking, problem digging, escaping to roam and dogs that are highly aggressive in their play. There are other issues that can also cause these problems, including a lack of socialization or any type of maltreatment or stress, however, often not enough exercise is at the root of the issue.

Knowing how much exercise is enough is really a combination of the dog's breed, age and current physical activity level. As a very general guideline the working, hunting, hound and herding breeds including breeds of Shepherds, Collies, Terriers, Spaniels, Retrievers and all the hounds tend to require a substantial amount of exercise. However, some of the larger breeds such as the Scottish Deerhound, the Bloodhounds, Irish Wolfhound, Bouvier des Flanders, Akita, Great Dane, German Shepherd, and the Setters require much less exercise than some of the smaller members of the same groups. Senior dogs will need less intensive exercise than younger dogs but they do need routine walks and play time.

Many of the terriers are very high energy and high exercise levels of dogs. The Jack Russell, Border, Cairn, Irish, Schnauzer, Norwich, Fox Terrier, West Highland White and Welsh Terrier are high need dogs with regards to exercise well into their senior years. This doesn't mean they need to have hours of outdoor time but it does mean that then need routine, structured exercise plus outdoor or indoor play time as well.

Knowing how much exercise your dog needs starts with evaluating what the typical breed requirement is for your specific dog. If you have a mixed breed you will need to pay particular attention to the most active of the breeds in the combination and start at that level. A good rule to use is that all dogs need at least 20 minutes of brisk walking, running or jogging at least twice a day, plus average exercise opportunities in between. A slow walk or a stroll on or off the least doesn't count as the 20 minutes of exercise, it needs to be a high activity level block of time. Fetching a stick, swimming, playing with other dogs in an off-leash part or even working through agility or intensives types of training routines can qualify for that twenty minute block.

Information provided by Amanda Harris – for additional dog training articles by Amanda, check out additional topics on

There are many dog owners who feel inadequate to train their dogs because of time or lack of understanding. They may also feel that the dog is too old to train. Not training your dog may not be a threat to its life, but training your dog in the proper way in both the physical and mental fields can bring vast improvements to your dog and move your relationships closer together. Being patient is the most important quality to have when training your dog regardless of what kind of dog it is. And if your dog is getting older, then you’ll need to make some changes to the training routine. This can add several good years to the animals life.  No matter the age of the dog, you should certainly consider potty training the animal. Certain breeds of dog have more trouble than others in this training area though.

While potty training your dog, you should always focus on teaching it new habits instead of working on things it should avoid. The old habits will eventually be overturned. As you would do with potty training, you should look for a place outside that your dog can easily get to do its business. Over the first couple of weeks, don’t clear up any of the dog mess so that your dog can smell its own sent encouraging him to use the designated area. However, if there’s any dog mess in other areas, clear them up so your dog doesn’t take up any unwanted area in the backyard. Also, make sure his bed area is cleared.

Over time your pet will learn obedience and you can then move onto other kinds of training. For older dogs, indoor training can be a little trickier than for younger dogs since they need time to get used to their surrounding areas. Once potty training has been brought under control, your pet should become more responsive to other training.  The main thing to do is make your dog aware of which areas he can go in and which he cannot. And, providing you maintain these areas, and keep them clean and open, your dog will stay in them.

On occasions bad habits could resurface, but as long as you deal with the situation in a good manner all should get resolved. If your dog doesn’t listen to you, do not get mad. Stand your ground while keeping calm and tell the dog to stop. Telling the dog "No" when an accident happens will be enough, and then clean up the mess. In the same way as you would do when potty training, instill routinely habits in your dog and give him rewards for good behavior. Through time the patterns will change.

At first you should stay to just these few forms of training so that you don’t confuse your dog. However, later on, once he understands how to act, you may introduce more involving activities.

Article provided by Helen Plant of www.ohmydogsupplies.com, check out our cool variety of dog beds online.