The importance of outdoor play time for dogs cannot be overstated, but it’s sadly ignored by a large amount of breeders in the United States.
Dogs need exercise every day, during their formative years and beyond, if they are to grow and thrive. It’s physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy for them, Pet Place maintains, and can involve as little as 15 minutes of strenuous activity a day.
There are different developmental stages of a puppy’s life that can make the difference between a happy, healthy and well-socialized dog, and one bad behaviors toward humans and other canines.
A puppy needs to have some playtime within his litter from week one to week seven. This is the time when a puppy is learning how to play with other dogs, take discipline from his mother, be a part of a pack hierarchy and be weaned from the mother’s teat. A puppy can begin being trained at five weeks, although most puppy owners will not receive a puppy until it is completely weaned at around eight weeks of age.
Weeks eight through 12 are extremely important for socializing. This prime socialization period will shape a dog’s personality and comfort level with new situations, people and other animals. Introduce the puppy to new people and situations during this period. You can also enroll in a puppy class at a local pet store or dog training center to expose your dog to other puppies.
Animals that don’t have room to grow are often destined to suffer from behavioral issues for the rest of their lives. And all too often are these issues more than some unprepared pet parents can handle, resulting in individuals and families surrendering their dogs at rapidly crowding shelters.
One study from Bristol University indicates that dogs who aren’t allowed enough daily play time are more likely to develop anxiety and aggression, and a tendency to whine, jump up, or ignore commands.
Race Foster, DVM, affirms that pets should be given as much outdoor time as possible, where their senses can be stimulated, something their minds do not benefit from when cooped up inside.
Despite these facts, breeders across the country keep dogs kenneled up sometimes up to 24 hours a day in substandard facilities. The Humane Society of the United States and members of Congress have been pressing the USDA to “close loopholes” in the USDA’s approach to pet breeding regulation, but previous efforts to require breeders to implement daily exercise languished in congress, unable to garner enough votes to pass.
The latest measure, the Puppy Protection Act, would require more spacious dog runs, solid floors instead of wire that hurts dogs’ paws, and feedings at least twice per day.
“As long as dogs continue to be bred in commercial breeding operations, improving their quality of life is the right thing to do,” write Kitty Block and Sara Amundson. “The Puppy Protection Act would provide a stronger standard of care and treatment for commercial dog breeding operations throughout the country and ensure that dogs raised in these operations are healthier and better socialized. Setting the animal welfare bar higher in this area should not be controversial, and we’re confident that we’ll succeed in gaining substantial bipartisan support for it in both the Senate and the House.”
Just as dogs need exercise and play time when they are in loving, forever homes, they need it even more when they’re very young and developing.
Click below and tell the House and Senate subcommittees on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry to mandate daily playtime for puppies in breeding facilities across the United States!