December 2023, by Judy & Vero
This is the question we have begun to ask ourselves as we get to know more and more people and their dogs in the U.S. after running a dog training and boarding business in Mexico for many years.
For example, in Mexico we frequently asked our human clients to spend more time with their dogs and exercise them more because the behavioral problems their dogs had were often related to poor routines and insufficient exercise and stimulation. Simply put, their dogs were bored out of their minds.
In the Bay Area, we have observed the opposite phenomenon. It’s wonderful that people care so much about their dogs, spend oodles of time with them and have a plethora of choices when it comes to parks, hikes and other outdoor activities with their dogs. However, we have also realized that many dogs are over-stimulated. In other words, these dogs don’t have a chance to rest as much as they should. According to the canine ethogram (the scientific description of a dog’s behavior), dogs should rest 14-16 hours daily, in intervals.
Not resting enough and participating in excessive high-impact exercise (long periods of chasing balls or frisbees, for example) can create problems such as anxiety and hypervigilance (reactivity) because the dog’s system is so revved up all the time that they cannot fully relax. Think about a young child who missed their afternoon nap and is irritable or even has a temper tantrum. In the case of over-stimulated dogs, it’s even worse because of the substances released in the brain that make it difficult to relax, even if they wanted to. The dog essentially becomes addicted to these substances the way a marathon runner might.
It’s far from ideal to have a dog that destroys your new living room furniture while you’re gone for a couple hours out of boredom. Neither is it ideal to have an anxious or reactive dog that doesn’t know how to settle. In both cases, the dogs and their people suffer.
So, what would a middle ground look like?
We have found that 40-60 minutes of daily physical exercise is plenty for most dogs. However, we recommend combining physical exercise with mental exercise, which can take many forms: training and enrichment activities, primarily. Simply walking in a new neighborhood and taking the time to let your dog stop and sniff as much as they want to is a great enrichment activity because your dog’s brain will process new sights, sounds and smells and get physical exercise at the same time. Other enrichment activities include nose work, interactive treat dispensing toys and teaching your dog a few tricks that allow them to do what comes naturally to them and strengthen their bond with you. (For some great DIY enrichment ideas, see the ASPCA’s recommendations: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/canine-diy-enrichment). The possibilities are endless AND finding the right balance will depend on each individual dog, their health, age, breed and temperament.
Perhaps the common thread in different cultures with respect to the way we treat our dogs is that we are not always as aware as we could be about the differences between what we humans need and what our canines need. If we learn more about dogs as a species and can respect our differences, we might be able achieve a happy balance between their needs and ours.
