As a rule, a Labrador needs to be exercised twice a day for several hours. This should ideally be done in the forest or where he can run without a leash without any problems. The Labrador needs enough physical and mental exercise.
Your pet needs daily exercise. In addition, your dog can romp around in the garden or you can go to a fenced exercise area.
Your dog needs to go outside at least twice a day.
Beyond that, you can decide according to your dog whether you go more often and how long your rounds will be.
Walking – When does the dog need to go out?
The question of how often a dog should go out depends crucially on its individual needs. Some dog breeds need a lot of exercise due to their special urge to move, while others are content with smaller rounds.
When a dog needs to go outside is also very individual. Decisive factors include cleanliness and walk training.
As a rule of thumb, however, dogs can last five to six hours before the next business is due.
This also tells you how often a dog should go out every day. According to this, you should plan at least four to five rounds per day.
Ideally, you should schedule your dog’s walks so that he does not have to go out at night. In this context, it is important that the most urgent walk is in the morning. The walk after getting up must be integrated into the daily schedule.
As a rule, a routine rhythm is established after a certain time, so that the morning round takes place at 6:00 a.m. every day, for example.
Dogs make themselves known when they have to go out
Normally, every dog makes itself known as soon as it has to go out. However, this only applies to dogs that have already completed their cleanliness training. It is not yet to be expected from puppies. As soon as the intervals between rounds become too long, dogs start whining, possibly barking, are restless and otherwise draw attention to themselves.
Some dogs may scratch at the door, others may put the leash at their master’s feet. Pay attention to how your dog makes itself known and don’t let it get that far in the first place.
Your dog will be in better health if you react before your dog even contacts you.
If you are going to be away for a long time and your dog has to wait for you at home, find out here how long your dog can be left alone.
Whether young or old – all dogs need to go out.
Puppies and seniors need more exercise
A puppy stays with the breeder until at least 8 weeks. At least with a good breeder. After that, you can take your dog with you.
Once you have arrived at your new home, the first few weeks are especially important. During this time, you must pay special attention to the walks. Everything needs to be explored, from traffic to the forest.
Experience shows that puppies need more walks than adult dogs. Until they are truly house-trained, it is recommended that you take your fur friend out at least every two hours.
This way puppies learn that they have to do their business outdoors and not indoors.
The time between each round can be extended individually over time. In addition to puppies, seniors also need to go outside more often.
Your dog is getting old and counts as a senior dog when your dog is over 12 years old.
As dogs get older, they find it difficult to control their urges for long periods of time. This is where it’s a good idea to cater to your dog’s individual needs.
You could take your dog out more often, but for shorter periods.
If the dog doesn’t get out – what can happen?
If your dog doesn’t get out enough, it will sooner or later do its business indoors.
However, what is much more decisive and to the dog’s disadvantage – lack of exercise leads to considerable limitations. Dogs that do not get out or only get out too rarely are often overweight, which has an impact on their health.
Moreover, in such cases dogs tend to behave destructively, for example by destroying things or starting to go berserk.
Among other things, shoes or furniture can be chewed up. Furthermore, the lack of exercise leads to aggression towards people and other animals in the long run.
Some dogs begin to withdraw because they are not physically and mentally stimulated enough. In this case, the behaviour resembles a typical depression.
Other dogs, on the other hand, become hyperactive. Finally, the muscles of the affected dog can stiffen, which leads to considerable pain. Further illnesses of the four-legged friend are also possible due to lack of exercise and too few walks.
For example, bladder or kidney diseases can occur due to continuous stopping.
To prevent this from happening to your four-legged friend, make sure he gets enough exercise!
If you don’t have enough time, you can look for someone who will walk your dog for a small fee.
Typical Labrador breed characteristics
- Character- gentle, friendly, open-minded, curious
- Size 55 to 57 cm
- Weight approx. 25 to 40 kg
- Colours: Brown, black, yellow
- Life expectancy 10 to 13 years
According to FCI guidelines, the Labrador is classified as a retriever, fetch and water dog. As a versatile dog, the Labrador is an all-rounder.
Character traits of the Labrador
The Labrador has a big heart and cooperates eagerly in return for rewards. His gentle nature is coupled with a healthy eagerness to work, he wants to please.
If he had his way, lots of action would be right up his street. The Labrador is a temperamental dog if he is not sufficiently exercised.
His outgoing character makes him friendly to everyone. Also called “Labbi”, this dog breed is extremely popular.
Care and training of the Labrador
Because the Labrador has a short but dense coat, it is not quite as time-consuming to groom as other dog breeds.
The Labrador’s water-repellent coat is ideal, saving you many hours of grooming, as the Labrador needs only a short brushing.
Due to its suitability as a family dog, the Labrador brings along a portion of intelligence and is easy to train. Provided you are consistent in handling and know that the Labrador needs to be exercised.
Who is the Labrador suitable for?
Due to its good-natured nature, the Labrador is one of the most popular dog breeds in the world.
This happy and fun-loving dog is particularly suitable for families. He even meets strangers and small children without any signs of aggression, which is why he is less suitable as a guard dog, for example.
The Labrador can be trained by you, even as a beginner, without any problems, as he is very docile and obedient.
However, he is a bundle of energy and needs a lot of exercise in the form of long walks, which allow him to make a quick sprint.
You should also give him the opportunity to pursue his passion: Swimming! He loves to fetch and the element of water really turns him on.
You should allow the Labrador to let off steam to avoid undesirable behaviour. In order for the Labrador to stay fit, appropriate exercise must be observed.
Regular walks, supplemented by other games, will help the Labrador keep his lean line. An overweight Labrador, like all other dog breeds, is prone to illness.
Can you cope with these conditions? Then the Labrador could be the dog for you!
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