How Much Exercise Do Huskies Need?
While some people may say that a husky is a lazy dog, you can’t really argue with the fact that they love getting exercise.
It’s just that most owners don’t know how much exercise their huskies need.
Table of Contents
When you own a husky, you have to pay close attention to how much time your dog is willing to spend outside.
If your husky only wants to lay around in your backyard and snooze all day, he’s not ready to take on some of the activities your dog does every day in order to stay healthy and happy.
In this article, I am going to show how much exercise they need and probably the best activities for them.
Let’s get started.
How Much Exercise Do Huskies Need?
While a good night’s sleep will certainly help them to stay in good shape, the actual physical exercise that they get will vary depending on their breed and activity level. These breeds need 2 hours of intense exercise every day split into three or two sessions.
In the end, you will find that exercise is something that is fun and makes the dogs relax and happy. It also provides them with the mental stimulation that they may not get as much from other types of hobbies or activities.
Do Huskies Need A Lot of Exercise? The Truth
You might be asking yourself how much physical exercise your Husky needs.
A Husky needs to get up to twice a day, if not more, to be active. A Husky also needs at least two hours of daily physical activity, mostly running or walking. They are a very active breed that requires an above-average amount of physical activity.
Exercises that your Husky would need include, but are not limited to, running, jumping, playing Frisbee, hunting, bird watching, and agility training. It is important for your Husky to get adequate amounts of fresh air and exercise.
Running and walking are the best ways to burn calories and stay fit. Agility training provides your huskies with the skills they need to be successful in dog agility competition.
By starting your dog’s exercise routine early, you will be able to build up stamina and strength. Starting your dog’s exercise routine when they are still young helps them develop a good workout routine.
When you first start exercising with your huskies, start out at a gentle pace and gradually increase the amount of time you spend exercising.
Make sure you do not over-exercise as this can be bad for your Husky. Also, if your huskies become too exhausted they may become nervous and start to get strained.
The biggest part of building up a good workout routine for your Husky is to take them to the right environment to have the proper exercise.
If you want to build up a good cardiovascular aerobic routine for your Husky then you should go to the local park. A lot of these parks have agility courses where your huskies can run and jump.
Another great place to exercise your huskies is at the beach. The warm sand of a beach provides a wonderful warm and comfortable environment for your husky puppy to have a good workout.
When you go to a beach for your husky exercise you should consider an organized program, such as those that take place at the local YMCA. These types of programs will give your husky puppy structure and help build a good exercise routine.
The final element to consider for your husky’s physical exercise is mental stimulation. You can give your huskies a lot of mental stimulation by getting them involved in agility training. This will help them developmentally and physically.
By getting them involved in agility training they will become more confident and happier overall.
Why Exercise Is So Important For Huskies
While it’s true that huskies make great watchdogs, a good workout for your pet isn’t often found on a typical day at the park.
Many people think that owning a dog is the same as owning a child – you buy them food, give them water, let them roam freely, and then when they need to be exercised you take them to a playground or to the park.
It is a common misconception that owning a dog requires buying them more toys and doing up their exercise routines; however, a well-rounded routine is just as important to a husky as it is to any other breed of dog.
Taking your dog for daily walks jogs runs and any other type of exercise will help them stay healthy, happy, and properly groomed.
While many breeds of dogs may enjoy physical exercise, huskies are among the very few who really thrive on it.
They are a unique breed that was originally bred as hunters, so spending time with them on a regular basis provides mental stimulation. This can include tracking, agility training or simply taking them for a walk.
While walks may seem like a luxury for some dogs, they are an essential part of the daily routine for huskies. Walking provides mental stimulation, while agility training or other physical activities can help maintain a fit body.
A nice, long walk will also give your husky puppy some space to get some exercise in without being continually pulled in and held by you. This gives them the chance to stretch their legs and burn excess energy.
Because huskies were originally bred for hunting, they need to have a good workout in order to keep their stamina up. Agility training is a wonderful way for you to do this. Take your dog to a local agility training class, where they will learn how to jump, run and work with other dogs.
If you don’t want to require your pet to spend all day long inside a crate, then consider walking them on a leash. However, if you find walking your husky exercise is not appealing, you can always hire a dog walker to take them out for walks.
Choose a good walker who knows what he or she is doing, and make sure that you take your dog for a nice, long walk outside every day.
When it comes to dog walking, just remember that exercise is very important for your dog’s health and well-being, so make sure you spend time exercising with your dog. Your dog will thank you!
10 Best Ways to Exercise a Siberian Husky
Siberian Huskies can be very fit dogs but it is important to keep in mind that they still need a good workout to stay healthy and strong.
A Siberian Husky is like any other dog, they need to be exercised and have their physical needs met to stay in shape.
This is not an easy task though with the breed being so large. We will break down each of the 10 best ways to exercise a Siberian Husky to get them started in a good workout routine.
One of the most important things that you must remember when training your Siberian Husky puppy is to always make sure you are the leader.
Even if you are taking the dog out to play you should still be the leader and have the pack leadership. Never allow your husky puppy to follow you around like a child!
You need to take the lead in all your activities or your dog will be confused and will not understand what you are trying to teach them.
1. Flirt Pole
With this device, you simply lure it along the ground in circles as your dog chases it.
It is a good activity to work your dog’s whole body and strengthen its muscles.
It is important that this be a controlled exercise.
2. Fetch
Fetch is another game that can give your Husky the best of exercises. It helps them burn pent-up energy.
These dog breeds are ball or toy crazy and can play this for hundreds of throws.
There are also Automatic Ball Launchers for automated exercises.
3. Jolly Ball
This exercise is fun and will give you both some cardiovascular exercise, as well as stretching and strengthening of the muscles.
All you need to do is have a long ball, such as a beach ball, and get your dog to stand still on it. He should then leap up into the air, landing back on his feet. Repeat this exercise twenty times, at least once per day.
4. Frisbee Toss
Huskies can chase and catch a ball but when it comes to a Frisbee, they must have a little bit more skill, coordination, and timing.
Just roll the Frisbee on the ground towards your dog and your dog will burn excess energy once it runs towards the ball acrobatically.
5. Backyard Agility
Set up some obstacles or hurdles in your backyard and have your furry friend weave or hurdle jump.
You can also buy plastic tunnels or a platform and use them to train and exercise your dog.
6. Stair Exercise
Staircases are a good energy burner if you have them in your home.
Start at the bottom of the stairs and have your dog “stay”. Throw the ball to the top of the stairs and then say, “Go!” Let your dog dash up the stairs as fast as they can. Have them return down the stairs at a slower pace to avoid injury.
This will strengthen the legs as the full bodyweight of your dog is on each leg as the step.
7. Running, biking or skating with your dog
Take your bike and have your Husky run after you. You can also run with it if you don’t have a bike, or even skate. The faster your dog is moving the more energy it will release. Huskies have good levels of stamina and can go for long distances.
8. Tug of War
Tug of war. It’s simple, really. All you have to do is tug on your Husky’s leash as you walk past him. This will engage his hunting instinct and make him look for the target on your path. It will also get his attention and start to prompt him to move forward.
9. Weight Pulling
Pulling is the simplest way to exercise a Siberian Husky. It doesn’t require much work on his part – all you have to do is attach a load on the leash, tug him and he’ll go where you want him to go.
Some Huskies, however, may be less amicable than others and will bark or growl at anything that pulls on their leash – in which case this exercise is purely for show.
10. Jigsaw puzzle
This one requires a little bit of imagination. But if you want to exercise a Siberian Husky the right way, then you should give this a try.
Find a nice, big doggy toy and hold it a little bit away from your Siberian Husky’s back, in front of him. Make a big puzzle out of it.
Then let you’re Husky wander free while you take turns putting the puzzle pieces together. When the dog gets to the end of the puzzle, take it from him and set it down, allowing him to work at solving it.
Over exercised dog symptoms
After a couple of months, you’ll notice that over-exercised dogs will not walk for longer distances as they used to.
Over-exercised dogs can develop blisters around their knees and thighs. He walks longer on cooler days but when he gets too hot he cannot lower himself to the ground as quickly as he needs to.
What I have found is that they’ll need more rest than normal. Many breeds that are hyperactive suffer from this condition if over-exercised. If you don’t give your dog enough rest then they become exhausted very quickly.
I have also found that they’ll be drinking more water to maintain their energy level when they walk on hot days than they do on cold days. If your dog is walking every day then you need to make sure that he has adequate rest between walks. Too many short walks can lead to health problems.
The biggest area where this breed is vulnerable to health problems is the heart. They need enough but not much exercise that they are prone to hardening of the arteries in the chest and at times even in the lungs.
Most heart problems in this breed begin with a poor diet and they are exacerbated by an excess of exercise.
Some other over-exercised dog symptoms are insomnia, vomiting, excess thirst, diarrhea, and general fatigue.
Again, these symptoms are worsened by an inadequate amount of exercise. As mentioned earlier, some of the most important things to do to avoid these problems are to provide a good quality of food and limit the amount of exercise that you provide.
Some recommend walking on soft surfaces rather than concrete. You may also want to consider taking your pet to obedience classes to further develop your relationship with your dog.
Conclusion
If you’re thinking about getting a Husky as a pet, you might be asking yourself how much exercise is needed by this breed. The answer to that question will depend on how active a Husky is, but generally, they require quite a bit of exercise on a daily basis.
They love to run and explore and if you don’t live in an area where they can go for extended periods of time, then consider taking them hiking, biking or even fishing.
If you have a fenced-in yard, you could use them to run on, but bear in mind that they have very strong predatory instincts and don’t do well in areas where they might have to fight for the attention they crave.
Don’t be surprised if your Husky gets quite bored with his daily exercise routine at times, especially if you are gone from home for most of the day.
They tend to become independent and don’t like being pushed around, so if you are gone all day long and there are no humans to keep him company, consider taking him out into the country for a long walk and some fresh air. He’ll definitely enjoy it!
