Question about proper exercise

[Wilkie]

I keep seeing people running their dogs ragged in order to bulk them up to the point where they resemble Arnold Schwarzenegger when he was on steroids as a body builder. Mainly Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Mastiffs and other intimidating looking dogs are subjected to this treatment in order to make them look even scarier. While some people use steroids on their dogs, some people don't, but they do practice excessive exercise.

I think people should be educated about this practice and how this causes even more health problems for animals. I believe that society has such an obsession with body image that it pours out onto animals. Maybe you've read or have seen news footage of animals that were overfed and have many health problems or even died from being overweight.

I'm so glad that Victoria not only uses her show to train dogs and educate people on training, but she helps people to learn about what they're doing that contributes to the neglect and abuse they are inflicting on the dogs. I have not seen every episode of her show so I don't know if she has done an episode about this topic, but if she hasn't, I really wish she would. There are too many animals who are either being overfed to the point of obesity or they are over exercising their animals and/or giving them steroids to bulk them up, which in turn causes major health concerns.

I know it depends on the breed, but my question is, what are dogs supposed to look like when they have a healthy exercise routine?

Also, I know that dogs are fully capable of constantly eating if they don't have limits, but how much food is too much for dogs? How much is too little?

[Ari_RR]

My 2 cents... Applies to both food intake and exercise.. Just observe your dog!!

Ideal in my mind - lean and happy.
If you notice that your dog is becoming a bit porky - reduce the amount of food a little. If it becomes too skinny - increase a bit.
Quantifying how much food is too much is really impossible, it depends of what kind of food you use, how active your dog is, and this varies wildly even within the same breed, never mind a generic dog.

Overexercising is probably as unhealthy as underexecising.. All good things are good in moderation. But, again, if you watch your dog carefully, you will be able to see.. Is he happily tired, or exhausted.. And one shouldn't have any really heavy-duty agility or endurance workouts for their dogs until they physically develop.. 2 years old, I think, give or take.

I doubt that many people overexercise their dogs in order for them to develop Arnold-like muscles. I don't think this is how dogs physique works. But I do agree that some athletically inclined humans believe that all dogs are good running partners, perhaps thinking that with 4 legs a dog ought to he able to run as fast and as far as a human. This is not so,not every dog has the same level of endurance as a human runner, far from it in fact..

[Wilkie]

My 2 cents... Applies to both food intake and exercise.. Just observe your dog!!

Ideal in my mind - lean and happy.
If you notice that your dog is becoming a bit porky - reduce the amount of food a little. If it becomes too skinny - increase a bit.
Quantifying how much food is too much is really impossible, it depends of what kind of food you use, how active your dog is, and this varies wildly even within the same breed, never mind a generic dog.

Overexercising is probably as unhealthy as underexecising.. All good things are good in moderation. But, again, if you watch your dog carefully, you will be able to see.. Is he happily tired, or exhausted.. And one shouldn't have any really heavy-duty agility or endurance workouts for their dogs until they physically develop.. 2 years old, I think, give or take.

I doubt that many people overexercise their dogs in order for them to develop Arnold-like muscles. I don't think this is how dogs physique works. But I do agree that some athletically inclined humans believe that all dogs are good running partners, perhaps thinking that with 4 legs a dog ought to he able to run as fast and as far as a human. This is not so,not every dog has the same level of endurance as a human runner, far from it in fact..

I sometimes see guys who think they're cool holding dogs on chain leashes and the dog has one of those really wide collars that take up most of a dog's neck. The poor dogs look like body builders and it makes me wonder if that's even healthy. Are dogs supposed to look like that?

I also wonder what goes through someone's head when they decide to constantly feed animals to the point where their health declines or when they decide to constantly bulk up muscles. I would assume that if it's dangerous for humans than it's dangerous for animals. I agree that some people assume that all dogs make fantastic running partners, which is so far from the truth. Just like not all dogs were meant for cold or hot climates. Dogs aren't universal, each breed and/or individual dog has different needs.

[Ari_RR]

Wide collars have a purpose.
The wider it is, the less damage to dog's neck if the dog has pulling issues.

Chain leashes (not to be confused with chain collars) have a purpose as well. Some dogs chew and break their regular leashes, but they can't chew a chain

[Wilkie]

Wide collars have a purpose.
The wider it is, the less damage to dog's neck if the dog has pulling issues.

Chain leashes (not to be confused with chain collars) have a purpose as well. Some dogs chew and break their regular leashes, but they can't chew a chain

My dog used to chew leashes, but she was trained to leave them alone by giving her something interesting to do. Chewing on inappropriate things = boredom and the fact that they weren't taught that there are more exciting things to do than chew leashes. Therefore, I see no appropriate uses for chain leashes besides people wanting to look cool and/or they want to make their dogs look menacing. I couldn't imagine how much it would hurt if something happened and the chain got wrapped around someone who is trying to walk the dog.

[Erica]

There are chain leashes for dogs that chew and bit leashes, and there's putting a heavy chain on your dog's collar to make it look fierce. Chain leashes aren't heavy - they're heavier than an average leash but they aren't like real chains.

[bendog]

I see a lot of the "Status" dogs where I live. Staffies here mostly, in leather harnesses, with studs and huge buckles and big thick chain leads and collars. And 9 times out of 10 they are unneutered male dogs. Often off lead in busy areas and owned by a 19 year old wearing a tracksuit. Most times though the dogs themselves are lovely! And even the owners can be if you get to know them.

I'm not sure about the overexercising argument, it's not something I've noticed. Staffies and Rotties etc are MADE to look big and beefy and intimidating by the way they are bred. They are naturally quite muscular. I'm not sure someone who gets a dog to show off to their mates is the type of person to give the dog ANY exercise, let alone too much.

[emmabeth]

I haven't really noticed over exercising - but what I do notice on various forums and IRL, people with juvenile, immature dogs of certain breeds (mastiffs, bull breeds, shepherds, dobes, rotties etc) - really REALLY keen to 'bulk their dog up' - asking for feeding advice to get their dog to put on size.

What they invariably do not realise is that mature musculature comes with age, and a mature frame to build it on, so these dogs will NOT and SHOULD NOT 'bulk up' until the appropriate age - for a male staffie thats unlikely to be before 18 months, for a shepherd male, not before 18 months, for the bigger mastiffs, not before 2, 2 and a half or even three for the really big guys.

MNost of them won't listen to me and try to make their dogs fat, which either succeeds, and they have a fat dog with joint problems, or fails and they have a dog with the squits.

[Wilkie]

There is a difference between natural muscle and unnatural muscle on both humans and animals though. I am not convinced that dogs with bulging muscles that have more muscles protruding from those muscles are naturally muscular dogs. I have seen Pit Bulls that are naturally muscular and I have seen Pit Bulls that are grossly unnatral looking. The same goes for Rottweilers and other breeds of muscular dogs.

As for people constantly feeding their dogs, I don't get that either, but people that practice this usually say that the animal loves food and can't stop .

[Wilkie]

I'm not sure someone who gets a dog to show off to their mates is the type of person to give the dog ANY exercise, let alone too much.

There are people who over work their dogs on treadmills and attach weights to them among other things in order to beef them up. They might not be fighting those dogs, but they don't have good intentions either. I'd be concered about the heart, the bones, the dog's mental state and other health issues.