QUESTION: How much exercise do they need?

QUESTION: How much exercise do they need?

ANSWER: The Bolognese is a toy breed so the exercise commitment is not as great as, for example, a working breed or a terrier. They will enjoy daily or twice a day walks, but the lengths of the walks don’t need to be that long. Exercise of around 30-mins a time will suffice. However, some active owners report walking their Bolognese upwards of 5-miles, but as with anything some care should be taken.

Here are some dog walking tips for Bolognese owners
Remember not to over exercise your dog or over concentrate on one activity as this could be detrimental particularly in young dogs. It’s a good idea to allow your dog some lead walking first to warm up before a free run, then some more lead walking as a wind down. Also be careful not to exercise your dog on hot days, better to wait until the temperature has cooled in the evening.

If you walk your dog at the same time each day they will learn to expect this and get disappointed if they don’t go out. So varying the time of day you walk your dog can be sensible. They will enjoy a free run on open ground, maybe chasing a ball or playing with other dogs. Walking Bolognese in a wooded area can be problematic to them as debris gets caught in their coat. When this happens, they will stop walking and wait for it to be removed. Twigs or even dried leaves in the coat does seem to upset them.

Wet weather is often not popular with the Bolognese, who could well take one look at the rain and scoot back inside. If you take them out in the rain, a coat would be a good idea as rain can cause the fur to matt particularly on their back. Wet sand is also a bit troublesome for the coat of the Bolognese as it sticks. They love the beach, but be prepared for a shampoo afterwards if water and sand mix. Sandy beaches are good for running free, however pebbles or gravel surfaces will not go down as well. Also troublesome is snow, which clumps and freezes to the coat. If it snows try to find a cleared area to exercise your dog. Snow may look nice, but it won’t feel nice for your dog when it is stuck to the coat in frozen lumps!

Lead training your puppy, must be done slowly and gently, keeping the lead slack and encouraging the puppy to walk by your side. Use treats to tempt a puppy to walk with you. Don’t pull on the lead, this never works. You should lead train your puppy in a safe and quiet area. Do not let a puppy off the lead until he is confident and comes when called. Always be wary of other dogs around you as your dog could be scared by loud or boisterous dogs and some dogs could actually be dangerous.

You will find as your dog gets older he will slow down and enjoy shorter less active walks. If your dog doesn’t seem to be enjoying its walk (but is well in every other way), rethink the place you are going or the time you are expecting him to walk. Joint supplements can help keep your older dog on the move. Make sure you choose a suitable place to exercise your dog, in some areas dogs must be kept on the lead or cannot be exercised. Your dog should wear identification, be micro-chipped and be kept under control at all times. Make sure you have your poo bags with you!

Please leave your comments below about your experiences of exercising a Bolognese