Research¹ shows that a dog left alone spends 80% of her time resting, even if she has access to a yard. This means that most urban dogs are not getting enough exercise to stay healthy.

So how much exercise does your dog actually need? At absolute minimum, your dog should have 20 minutes of exercise 3 times per week. And “exercise” doesn’t mean a leisurely walk around the block to relieve themselves. I’m talking about a heart-thumping, blood-pumping, tongue-wagging workout! The easiest way to do this is power-walking (4 miles per hour or so). But running with your dog (5+ miles per hour) is even better. If you can’t move this quickly, there are other ways to work your dog out, like hiking, swimming, fetch, Frisbee, or biking with a special leash.

The best way to insure that your dog gets enough exercise is to provide her with daily companionship, motivation, and structure. But most of us work full-time to provide Fluffy with her cushy lifestyle, right? For most people, there are just not enough hours in the day.

Some owners turn their dog into a “weekend warrior”, packing in activities to try and make up for a lack of exercise during the week. But this is dangerous, because if your dog isn’t well conditioned for exercise, sudden high-impact activity can actually create injuries and lead to joint damage.

So what’s can you do? More and more urban dog owners are hiring dog walkers. Here are the top 5 reasons to consider hiring someone to walk your dog:

1) Your dog’s health depends on you.

If your dog doesn’t have regular, daily opportunities to run, play, and elevate her heart rate, she is at much higher risk of developing arthritis, heart disease, and other illnesses that could become life-threatening (and expensive!)

2) Dog Behavior is complex.

Did you know that for dogs, mental stimulation is as exhausting as physical exercise? It’s true! Many canine behavior problems actually arise from a lack of physical exercise AND mental stimulation, and they get both every time they leave the house. Seriously. If Fluffy is givin’ you attitude, she could just need to work on her fitness.

3) Avoid the guilt of leaving your dog. At home. Alone. All day.

Think about how many hours you’re gone per day. Fluffy spends all of that time bored out of her mind. She can’t even figure out the DVR. Wouldn’t you be frustrated too? No wonder she is bouncing off the walls when you get home. A dog walker will break up the monotony of her day so you can have peace of mind.

4) Save yourself time!

By hiring someone to walk your dog while you are at work, you are effectively crossing something off your to-do list. Without lifting a finger (err a leg?), you will come home to a more relaxed, obedient, balanced dog. Let someone else do all the work, so you can enjoy time with mellowed-out dog. Everyone wins!

5) Peace of mind

Most professional dog walkers do it because they love dogs (let’s face it, poop scooping ain’t glamorous.) Your dog will develop a rapport with someone who really cares. Any serious dog-walker will invest in the safety of your dog by being licensed, insured, and pet-CPR certified, so you know your dog is as safe as possible.

Pretty simple right? But dog walking is the bare minimum. In fact, there are new “breeds” of dog walkers cropping up across the country who go above and beyond what a simple dog walker will do. They will go running with your dog. They include leash-training. They take your dog to dog parks or nature trails. They take out a pack of dogs from your neighborhood to allow necessary dog socialization with friends. The options are growing. And as they do, it’s becoming that much easier to treat your dog right.

What do you think? Leave a comment below, or contact Doggie Joggie to keep the conversation going.

¹ Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Vol 34, Issue 4, September 1992, pp 365-383