Five tips for dogs with an active lifestyle

Prins does not only stand for tasty and responsible food, it represents a complete lifestyle. Including fun, new ideas and advice for your pet in every stage of life. That includes responsible exercise.

1. Exercise and sports are customizing subjects! A junior dog, during its first months of life, is mostly working on getting to know and using its body. The activity level needs to be built up slowly and responsibly. Especially bigger breeds could use some extra guidance in this field. Seek advice from your vet. A dog’s locomotor apparatus isn’t fully developed until, depending on the breed and size of the dog, 15 to 30 months of age, nor should it be subject to maximum impact before then.  
2. Make sure exercise and relaxation are well-balanced Did you know that dogs are capable of sleeping up to 20 hours a day? Body and mind need time to recover after an effort. When a dog has had a strenuous (competition) day, it might even take him 48 hours to recover completely. It takes a while before all stress hormones have left the body. Tired dogs have a higher risk of injuries and being overflooded with stimuli.
3. Romping around with other dogs, chasing games, full-on sprints or sudden deceleration to catch a ball for instance, slippery floors, jumping out of a car or off the stairs and sports like agility, flyball and dog frisbee can be very strenuous for a dog. Linear movements, like (calmly!) trotting along a bike and swimming, are generally speaking healthy ways of getting some exercise. Keep in mind: never let your dog run along a bike, as it is the maximum speed for your dog and a sign that it is moving at the peak of its activity level. Are you thinking of cycling with your dog?
4. A dog’s body needs to be well-prepared for action, so don’t forget a good warming up and cooling down. A warming up can be something like calmly trotting on a leash, optionally combined with exercises like sitting down, standing up, lying down, walking backwards, slalomming around your legs, giving a high-five or putting up a paw, taking a bow or stretching the neck for a treat. A slow 15-minute walk after the undertaken effort gives the body the opportunity to eliminate toxins, so muscles won’t get stiff and sore. 
5. Did you know that half of all dogs are overweight? Monitor your dog’s weight on a regular basis, to keep track of any gaining. By weighing the daily portions on a kitchen scale (see video below) you will prevent overfeeding. The nutrition guide on the packaging is only a guideline. The daily amount of food strongly depends on several factors, such as the activity level of the dog, being spayed/neutered and the ambient temperature. Adapt the amount of food to your dog’s needs and provide sufficient and appropriate exercise. Added bonus; you will get fit in the meantime too!