How Much Exercise Does a Scottish Terrier Need? Facts & Tips
By Hanh Duong
Updated on
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To keep your best friend happy, healthy, and well-behaved, you must ensure they get enough exercise. This is especially true for energetic pets like Scottish Terriers.
Lack of exercise can lead to behavioral problems, medical issues, and noisy barking in Scotties. The average daily activity requirement for Scottish Terriers is between 45 and 60 minutes. Older dogs will typically need less exercise, but younger Scottie puppies may need a little bit more.
The 9 Ways to Exercise Your Scottish Terrier:
Changing up your dog’s exercise regularly is a great approach to maintaining both their physical and mental wellness. Try a few of the following ideas if you need inspiration:
1. Take a Walk, but Set Aside Some Time to Explore
Allowing your dog to choose where to go and giving them time to investigate the things that interest them will still make leash walking a great activity. Although sniffing and poking around might be frustrating if you are impatient, it is important to remember that this is their time to explore.
2. Go for a Hike
When you go for a hike with your pup, you might enjoy a pleasant break from the sounds, sights, and scents of everyday life. However, even when you’re far from civilization, there is one rule you should adhere to—using a leash. This will help keep your dog safe from danger and ensure the safety of other pets and people, especially if you don’t know the terrain well.
3. Go Swimming
Don’t plunge your Scottish Terrier into the deep end, both metaphorically and literally, if your dog has never been swimming. Start by leading them into a body of water where they can stand. Once you can tell that they enjoy swimming and are confident to do so, you can allow them to swim independently and even integrate games like fetch.
4. Enjoy a Game
Fetch is a fantastic game on land too! In addition, it might be a wonderful option for indoor workouts if your home has some space for it. For rainy days, puzzle toys and tug-of-war games are excellent choices. You can also play hide-and-seek with your canine by hiding little treats or bits of kibble about the house for them to find.
5. Participate in Sports
For your furry athlete, there are several canine sports to choose from, such as flyball and agility. Look online to see what activities are available in your area that may suit your dog’s skills and interests.
6. Show Your Dog Some New Tricks
Exercise still involves the brain, and training is a great form of exercise too, both mentally and physically. Clicker training can assist you in reaching your objectives while keeping your dog content, active, and motivated.
7. Design an Agility course
All you need to set up an agility course in your own backyard is a broomstick, two buckets, a blanket, a big cardboard box, and some garden posts. Soon, your dog will be weaving, jumping, and crawling!
8. Consider Scent Training
Scent training is a lot of fun for a dog’s brain and allows them to practice utilizing their nose, which is one of the activities they love most. It’s not too difficult to get started with this enrichment exercise, especially if you use games.
9. Change Your Routine
Exercise involves more than just their legs, it must stimulate their minds and other senses too. If you go on the same walk every day, there is no enrichment for your pal. Going to different locations and interacting with different people, dogs, and surroundings can tire out your Scotty more in one mile than 5 miles in familiar surroundings.
Signs That Your Scottie Needs More Exercise
Exercise inadequacy can show up in the following ways:
- Destructive behaviors like excessive chewing
- Hyperactivity
- Trouble settling
- Attention-seeking behaviors like excessive barking
- Lack of deep sleep, as indicated by signals such as twitching muscles, vocalizations, and difficulty staying asleep
Warning Signs Your Scottie Is Exercising Too Much
Despite possessing seemingly limitless reserves of energy, dogs sometimes overexert themselves. The following changes in your Scottish Terrier may indicate that they’re exercising too much if they occur during exercise or after a period of rest. Additionally, it can be an indication of an underlying illness.
- Limping or lameness
- Heavy panting or wheezing
- Stiffness
- Changes in gait
- Atypical aggression toward other animals or humans
- Avoidance of jumping or moving a certain way
- Irritability
- Hesitation when rising or lying down
- Avoidance of touch
Pay attention to your dog. If they usually jump up and down when you call their name to go for a walk or pick up the leash, but after a lot of activity they don’t come to the door when you pick up the leash, they are likely too tired. If you have a Scotty that is a bit ball-obsessed, be careful to impose limits on the number of throws. Many dogs will chase that ball until their legs fall off, so you need to be the one to say “when”.
Conclusion
Despite their high energy levels, Scottish Terriers only need a moderate amount of physical activity each day—roughly 45–60 minutes of exercise. Mental stimulation is particularly important for these vivacious dogs. They like playing games, going for walks, and playing in a yard that is fenced in. You can make this time special for the two of you and use it as a great bonding experience—plus get some exercise yourself!
Featured Image Credit: TesaPhotography, Pixabay
