How can I keep my dog active and healthy while living on the road?

Moves are stressful for everyone. Some things you can do to help Jimmy transition are to keep him busy and try to create and stick to a schedule. The schedule helps because it creates routines and Jimmy will know what is going to happen during the day, even in new surroundings. If you don't already have one, I would establish one before you move and try to stick to it during the transition. Giving Jimmy as much exercise as you can manage will be helpful, Getting out for even short walks frequently would be good, but also getting him out for a good walk or dog park for a run would be ideal. Utilize walks as much as you can to burn off energy. Walking generally isn't enough for strong breeds. Adding obedience, getting him to jump up on things (like benches and walls) will help drain his energy more. If you're not feeling up for a walk due to your health try to keep him busy inside with mental games. Lots of chews, enrichment toys like food dispensers, or even hiding treats and food around the house and having him search will help his mental stimulation and keep him busy. This will reduce the need to as much exercise temporarily, reduce stress and keep him out of trouble. I'd also recommend checking out a day care 1 day a week if he is good with out other dogs, and if your budget allows the dog walker would be very helpful too.

Hi and thank you for your post! Wouldn't it be great if dogs could just put in a work out video? :) While you are away at work, he may not get much exercise until you come back and are able to take him for a walk or play. In that case, I would investigate a dog walker that can come to your home once or twice while you are away at work to walk and play with Tank. There is an app you can get on your phone called Wag and it works like an uber only it's for dog walkers. You can request a dog walker just like you request an uber at a moment's notice. I hope you are able to find someone to come visit Tank while you are away! Best to you and Tank! Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Sure there are lots of activities, but every dog has a different preference in what they enjoy. You can certainly try tug the rope, fetch, just running after you, teaching him new tricks (which generally gets him moving) or I would just put him on a leash and walk him back and forth. However, walking is really the best method because he can explore the neighborhood, which is generally the most effective way to keep the pet interested and still moving. It is hard to balance life, school and a pet, but taking out 30 mins a day to walk your pet is a dedication most pet owners should have to really care for their pets health. It is a committment that will take your pet a long way. : ) Best of luck with Rex moving forward. Take care

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Physical activity would definitely help. However, a lot of it comes back to the diet that is fed. It is not necessarily about the amount of cups but it is more about the caloric content in each cup. You can follow the recommended amount of food in the bag (though they tend to recommend a higher amount than needed) or preferably have your veterinarian calculate the needed intake based on the most current weight. I recommend you try the Science Diet metabolic weight management diet which works great for weight loss. Good luck and have a good night!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I understand your concern. If you are able to walk him at least 4 times a day then he should be ok. You could consider taking him to the dog park as well and just letting him run as that would also help tremendously. That honestly should be enough for exercise and he could be happy at a smaller apartment as long as he continues to be exercised like that. Good luck and have a great day! I think he will be ok.

I'm not sure what you mean by a diet chart, however for his young age I recommend following the recommendations on the back oft he food bag. When he's an adult, you want feed about 75% of what the bag suggests for his weight. Diets vary greatly in the number of calories they have per cup, so it's hard to make an across the board recommendation. I recommend checking out Purina, Hills, and Royal Canin to get you started for diets. He should be on a puppy diet until about 9 months of age. He should NOT be on a grain free diet (this is a fad born out of the human gluten-free fad and recent research is showing it may be harmful for dogs, in addition to be unnecessary). As far as exercise, start anything you do slowly. He shouldn't be going for jogs until he's about 9 months old, but can run on his own as much as he wants and you can slowly work up to longer walks with him as he's interested. I'd recommend paying special attention to mental exercise with food toys, things like "snuffle boards" and kongs -- there are thousands of DIY Ideas online for this. Enjoy your little cutie!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is so nice that you are so concerned about making sure Buddy is happy. It is important to make this a big part of your life. It is also ok to have other things in your life, like cycling. If you feel that Buddy isn't getting enough exercise, you can always hire a dog walker to take him out while you are at work for some added play time. Otherwise just make sure you are still giving Buddy time for walks and ways to blow off steam (agility training for heelers is a really good activity to help with keeping them stimulated), and when you want to go for rides he can just hang out and rest. Best of luck with Buddy, and with your rides!