Does stress, cold, or lack of exercise impact my dog's lifespan?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! In your first post you indicated that you and Bruno walked miles, so I think cutting it down just a little bit may help. If you can be more specific about at which point in the walk (which mile or how many minutes) he wants to turn around that would be helpful. I have never heard of short walks or no walks shortening the life span of a dog. Obesity shortens the life span of dogs. Exercise is healthy for the body and mind. If Bruno doesn't want to walk for miles at a time then try a dog park, or playing Frisbee or throwing a ball. If you want to push the walks then take breaks to let him stop and sniff or throw the ball or rough house for 5-10 mins then resume your walk. I hope this helps and I hope you have a great day!

If Bruno is healthy and in good shape, it should not impact his lifespan. If he is sedentary AND overweight or tires easily, then he should be examined by your veterinarian to diagnose any medical causes.

Walking is good for dogs because it keeps their weight down, and their body strong. Because Bruno is a German Shepherd, their exercise requirements are higher because they are active dogs. He should be getting at least 30 minutes twice a day of exercise, but it's fine to keep it shorter when it is hot outside. You can't exercise him too much in the heat because it will lead to heat stroke, which is deadly. There are dogs who don't get much exercise and still lead full lives, so I wouldn't listen to your friend. But that doesn't mean Bruno wouldn't benefit from more exercise when it's cooler outside. Best of luck, I hope this helps.

Hello, and thanks for using Pet Coach. Stress alone in an otherwise healthy dog is unlikely to cause death, but if a dog were to have underlying respiratory or cardiovascular compromise, stress could definitely put it over the edge with the increased heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen demands. This could happen much faster than several hours depending on the degree of underlying disease. Hope this helps.

Generally we recommend dogs be walked regularly for all the reasons you described. Regular exercise is good for their mental and physical well being. Dogs that are exercised regularly are generally better behaved at home. I would not say that walking increases their life span, as there can be lots of factors that influence the life span of a dog. However, we do know that overweight dogs on average have a shorter lifespan as they tend to have more health issues as they age. I would try to get Bruno on a walking schedule if possible. It depends on his energy level as to whether or not he needs to go for a walk every day, or only needs to go a few times a week. He definitely needs to go outside regularly to urinate and defecate.

Its all really just genetics and also certain breeds tend to live longer than others. Just like in people, disease and life threatening illness can hit at any age in life. Also preventative care medicine can play a huge factor in your pets lifespan as well. So its best to keep up with preventative vaccines, dental care, heartworm and flea prevention. Here is a really neat website that lists all the characteristic traits of dogs, susceptible diseases, and also lifespan averages --> https://dogtime.com/dog-breeds Thanks for visiting Petcoach! Take care : )

Walking him more will not increase or decrease his life span. The length of walks depend on how much he enjoys them and how hot it is outside and how much excerise he gets outside of the walks. If he has room to run and play then a walk is not necessary. If it is his only form of getting out then short ine often are aooriroriate or 1 longer one