{"id":1202,"date":"2018-01-08T14:15:47","date_gmt":"2018-01-08T20:15:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/medicaldistrictvet.com\/blog\/\/medicaldistrictvet\/?p=1202"},"modified":"2018-01-08T14:15:47","modified_gmt":"2018-01-08T20:15:47","slug":"celebrate-walk-pet-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.medicaldistrictvet.com\/blog\/celebrate-walk-pet-month\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrate Walk Your Pet Month"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-1203\" src=\"https:\/\/www.medicaldistrictvet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/walk-snow.jpg\" alt=\"walking a dog in snow\" width=\"592\" height=\"444\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The lovely Chicago weather this time of year can make it challenging to be excited about taking your beloved four-legged friend for a walk. Lucky for you, it\u2019s National Walk Your Pet\u00a0Month! This is the perfect time to get motivated to get up and get moving!<\/p>\n<p>You may have made your New Year\u2019s resolution to get healthier, which may include walking more. Take your dog along and work on your resolutions together. What a great way to start 2018!<\/p>\n<p>Exercise is very important in helping your pet live a healthy and long life, and walking your dog can actually help you to meet your own fitness goals. Research has found that people who walk with dogs are more consistent in their exercise routine than those who walk with a human\u2014what could be a better way to burn off those holiday calories?<\/p>\n<p>Benefits of exercise:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Improves strength, fitness, flexibility, and movement<\/li>\n<li>Increases energy levels<\/li>\n<li>Helps decrease stress and can help improve your and your pet\u2019s mood<\/li>\n<li>Improves sleep<\/li>\n<li>Builds your pet\u2019s social skills and familiarity with the surrounding area<\/li>\n<li>Prevents pet\u2019s boredom by providing mental and physical stimulation<\/li>\n<li>Decreases pet\u2019s bad behavior and aids in training<\/li>\n<li>Improves the bond between you and your pet<\/li>\n<li>Prevents obesity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The type and amount of exercise needed can differ greatly with breed, age, and energy level. Low-energy dogs usually need about 30 to 45 minutes of exercise a day, while higher energy dogs may need hours of exercise a day.<\/p>\n<p>Cats, too, need daily exercise and setting aside 15 to 20 minutes a day for interactive play will help keep your cat happy and healthy. Cats are nocturnal animals, which means they are at their most active at night. Training them to exercise during the day will help you and your cat sleep at night. Cats enjoy exercise such as stalking, pouncing, climbing, and hiding.<\/p>\n<p>Below are some tips for improving the experience of walking your dog:<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Walking Your Dog Is Bonding Time<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Walking together is a great time to focus on training your dog and strengthening the bond between you. To get the most out of your time together, don\u2019t walk and talk on the phone. Use this time to focus on your pets. They spend a lot of time alone already and need you. Praise them when they walk well and pay attention to you.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Safety after Dark<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>During the winter it gets dark early. If you normally walk your dog before the sunrise or late afternoon\/evening hours, you want to make sure you can be seen by motorists, bicyclists, and other dog walkers\/pedestrians. A lighted leash and collar combination is good for your dog. You will do well to wear light-colored\u00a0clothes or, better yet, a reflective vest or jacket.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Bring the Necessities<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Make the walk pleasant for you and your dog. Always carry bags for cleaning up and disposing of doggie poop. Don\u2019t forget to hydrate, carry water for yourself and your dog, especially in warmer weather. Dogs can lap water from your cupped hands, or you can carry a collapsible water bowl. Don\u2019t forget to pack your dog\u2019s favorite bite-sized treats for rewarding good behavior!<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Change It Up<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>To\u00a0make walks more fun\u00a0for you and your dog, rove a little\u2014and travel off the beaten path by taking your dog on different routes, going to cool places like the dog park or a friend\u2019s house (preferably a dog owner!), and taking walks with buddies\u2014borrowing a friend\u2019s dog or asking another owner to join you on your walk.<\/p>\n<p>So grab that leash and take your friend for a stroll! It\u2019s ALWAYS a beautiful day for a walk!<\/p>\n<p>Amber Slaughter, DVM<br \/>\nMedical District Veterinary Clinic<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The lovely Chicago weather this time of year can make it challenging to be excited about taking your beloved four-legged friend for a walk. Lucky for you, it\u2019s National Walk Your Pet\u00a0Month! This is the perfect time to get motivated to get up and get moving! You may have made your New Year\u2019s resolution to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1203,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pet-tips"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Celebrate Walk Your Pet Month | University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.medicaldistrictvet.com\/blog\/celebrate-walk-pet-month\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Celebrate Walk Your Pet Month | University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The lovely Chicago weather this time of year can make it challenging to be excited about taking your beloved four-legged friend for a walk. 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