How Diet, Exercise, and Mental Activity Contribute to Your Dog’s Overall Health

By Anne-Marie Hays

If All Dogs Go to Heaven, it’s no wonder that they share even more universal truths. However, Silverman says that how much exercise a dog needs varies. “The amount of exercise is dictated by the breed or breeds your dog has in him. A great example is if your dog is a St. Bernard, and your friend has a Border Collie, the amount of exercise that each of the dogs is going require can be very different.”

Veterinarian, Dr. Gary Richter, writing for Rover.com agrees. “When it comes to exercise,” he says, “it very much depends on the breed, age, and health of the dog. Unless the dog has a medical condition, getting out for at least 30–45 minutes per day is recommended.”

He shares another example of different breeds with different needs, “a dog like a Jack Russell Terrier might need to run for hours whereas a Shih Tzu may be content with 30 minutes. Barring medical issues, many dogs will let their owners know how much exercise they want/ need.”