Is playing enough exercise for a dog?

Play is proper exercise

A dog playing flat out is working hard. The American Kennel Club describes play as both mental stimulation and physical exercise. Tug, chase, fetch, hide and seek and a romp with another dog all raise the heart rate and use the brain at the same time.

How much a dog wants varies. A veterinary behaviourist quoted by the AKC says some dogs need only a few minutes of play and others want 30 minutes on a given day. She also makes a point owners of busy dogs may like to hear. It is not necessarily good for a dog to be exhausted all the time. Happily tired is the aim.

Why a garden alone is not enough

It is tempting to think a big garden does the job. The sources are unusually united that it does not.

• The AKC says exercise in the yard is not enough, and that most dogs need encouragement from their owners to exercise. Left alone outside, many dogs simply wait by the door.
• The PDSA says that even with a big garden, it is important to take your dog out for regular walks too, and that play does not replace a good walk.
• The Royal Kennel Club says garden time is no substitute for going out and exploring new environments, and that every dog should have at least one walk a day, often two.

The reason is novelty. The garden smells the same every day. A walk is full of new scents, sights, people and dogs, and dogs thrive on that variety. Trainers quoted by PetMD warn that dogs kept to the yard can become bored and frustrated.

What play gives that a walk does not

• Speed. A safe, fenced garden is the best place to let a dog run at full tilt, as one behaviourist told PetMD.
• Time with you. Play is something you do together, face to face.
• Training. Games are a natural way to practise waiting, dropping and coming back.
• A way to burn energy in a small space, in bad weather or when you are short of time.

What a walk gives that play does not

• New smells. Sniffing is how dogs read the world, and slow sniffing walks are especially satisfying for them.
• New places, people and dogs. This matters for confidence, most of all in young dogs.
• Steady, low-impact movement. Good for joints, weight and digestion.
• A change of scene, for both of you.

Finding the balance

For most dogs the answer is a walk or two each day with some play on top. How much of each depends on the dog. A terrier may want three short, wild games a day. An older Labrador may prefer a long amble and a short game of tug.

PetMD's trainers suggest at least one play session of 15 to 20 minutes a day, and more if the dog has no garden. That is on top of walks, not in place of them.

In Zoomies, both count towards the day. A walk counts minute for minute, and livelier play such as fetch or a run at the park counts for more. The meter fills from whatever mix suits your dog.

When play can stand in for a walk

There are days and dogs where a walk is not possible. It may be dangerously hot, or you may be unwell. Some dogs find the street stressful, and Preventive Vet notes that dogs who react badly on the lead can do their exercise at home while you work on the problem with a trainer.

On those days, make play count. Mix a physical game with something for the nose and brain.

• Tug, with breaks where the dog has to let go and wait.
• Hide and seek, with you or with treats.
• A scatter of food in the grass to sniff out.
• A short training session with new tricks.
• Fetch, kept short. See is fetch enough exercise for a dog.

Then go back to walks when you can. For why they matter so much, read why it is important to walk your dog.