Is your dog ripping into Christmas gifts under the tree and it’s only December 15th? If your pup is showing destructive behavior or bolting across the street the minute a squirrel dashes across the neighbor’s lawn, you may not be exercising your dog enough, Dog Whisperer star and celebrity dog trainer, Cesar Millan explained.
In his hit series The Dog Whisperer and other spin-off shows, Millan emphasizes the three keys to a happy dog: exercise, discipline, and affection. He front-loaded “exercise” as a top priority because a well-exercised pup opens bonding and training opportunities through calm energy. But without proper exercise, fun (and calm) times under the Christmas tree might end up looking more like a scene from the film Marley and Me.
Dogs need more than a 30-minute stroll, Cesar Millan says
Millan told Showbiz Cheat Sheet that dog parents need to strike a balance between under and overexercising their dog.
“Once you see that you’re building stamina and not creating draining energy and that’s too much,” he explained. But, “Most people are doing too little.”
January is National Train Your Dog Month and Millan explained that a well-exercised dog is less likely to exhibit destructive behaviors or run away. Plus giving your dog ways to expend energy makes training easier.
Know the difference between explore and exercise too
Millan who is currently starring in Cesar Millan: Better Human Better Dog on Disney+, said dogs are migratory animals and sitting at home isn’t in their nature. “The dog exposes himself from one city to another city, so the constant migration in the animal world is life. That’s how they live. They don’t stay in one place, 24/7. They go outside.” But most dogs, “Live in a very expensive apartment and they go outside for 30 minutes. That’s not normal.”
Unless you live on a farm, most dog owners can’t dedicate a day to exercising their dog. So, “When a person has only 30 minutes, I always suggest put a backpack on a dog with a weighted vest,” Millan recommended.
He also emphasized that there is a difference between giving your dog a chance to drain energy versus exploration. “Make sure the dog doesn’t get distracted and don’t practice ‘explore.’ There’s a lot of people who like to walk their dog outside and the dog is sniffing and peeing everywhere. But that is an explorer state of mind. That creates excitement,” he said.
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How can dog owners maximize exercise for their dog?
Instead, start with “follow” where the dog gets true exercise. “Follow is more powerful than play and explore,” he said. “Play and explore is more of a reward activity. Follow is how you train body and mind at the same time.”
Taking a long walk outside is healthy for both you and your dog, but not always possible. If you can’t hit the trails, Millan recommends supervised treadmill work. “Treadmill, definitely. Especially in cold weather, hot weather,” he said. “And if you don’t have time, don’t worry about it. Wake up 30 minutes before (work), put the dog on the treadmill. Just do not leave your dog inside the house full of physical energy.”
Millan has another training solution that allows pet parents to be mobile with their dog and expend energy. While some pet owners install invisible fencing to allow their dog to roam freely, it has limitations.
Millan’s Halo Collar training tool is the next-generation wireless GPS dog safety system and the only wireless fence that keeps your dog protected everywhere they go – in the yard, at the beach, at the park or on a hike.
With Halo, you can instantly create and store up to 20 fences in each collar at the touch of a finger in the Halo app and it does not require Wi-Fi or a cellular connection.
Plus, unlike anything else on the market, the Halo collar also provides smart training, an activity tracker, and most importantly, gently guides your dog to stay within the boundaries you set within the smartphone app, so your dog is always protected and able to live a safe life off-leash, giving pet parents a peace of mind knowing that their dogs are safe.
Halo Collar is also available on Halocollar.com and Chewy.com.
