Exercise is as important to a dog’s mental health, as it is to his physical health

The physical benefits of regular exercise for dogs are numerous. Exercise reduces obesity, supports a robust circulatory and respiratory systems, maintains vigorous joints, and promotes lean muscle mass.  The process of exercise also hones and supports the optimal functions of smell, hearing, vision, and cognitive function.

In enhancing all of these physiological functions, exercise helps to prevent common diseases that we see in dogs, such as congestive heart disease, inflammatory airway disease, obesity, arthritis, musculoskeletal injuries, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, kidney failure, liver disease, and pancreatitis.  I addition to all of these physical health benefits, exercise also enhances optimal mental health for dogs.

In previous chapters, to contribute to optimal mental health, I have discussed giving your dog the right time of day given their crepuscular tendencies, as well as giving them ample time to sniff when walked.  Ample exercise fulfills the trifecta of habits that enhance the mental wellbeing of a dog.

Regular exercise reduces the production of the stress hormone cortisol that is an integral component of the “fight or flight response” that dogs experience when they sense danger.  The result of the production and release of cortisol raises the heartrate, the strength of the cardiac contraction, and increases respiratory rate.  Peripheral circulation reduced, with blood flow directed more toward the brain, lungs, and internal organs to protect and enhance their function.

While cortisol and its physiological effects are a necessary part of the canine’s physiological existence, dogs in living with inflammatory diseases (such as skin allergy, allergic bronchitis, arthritis, etc.) commonly run higher than average cortisol levels.  Other dogs that are prone to stress due to genetic factors, poor past socialization, past neglect or abuse etc., can also run higher than average cortisol levels, keeping the dog at some level of mental and physiological stress all of the time.  By suppressing cortisol production through exercise, we can subsequently offer dogs profound positive impacts on their physical and mental health.

From the neurotransmitter side, exercise stimulates the production of dopamine and serotonin in the brain.  Dopamine is the neurotransmitter associated with feelings of joy and positive excitement.  Consider when a dog greets you when you come home, wags his tail as you scratch him, or goes positively bonkers with excitement when he sees you grab the leash before a walk.  During these times, his happy little brain is coursing with dopamine.

Serotonin is the “well-being” neurotransmitter, present during feelings of contentment.  It is well documented that when a lactating female dog has milk letdown, she releases a pheromone and stimulates serotonin production in her puppys’ brains as they sense it.  This offers them a feeling of peace and contentment that causes them to relax, be drawn to Mom, and feed.  This is so effective that there are commercially available sprays and plug-in diffusers that a contain lab synthesized version of this pheromone that promotes calmness for nervous dogs, or dogs that suffer from specific types of anxieties.

For dogs that suffer from age related cognitive dysfunction, aka,, dog dementia, regular exercise remains a significant component to their treatment regimen.  Since most sufferers of caning cognitive dysfunction are geriatric dogs, due to arthritic concerns that commonly come with age, there is only so much exercise these dogs can tolerate.  Still, I always advise pushing as much exercise as the cognitive dysfunction patient will tolerate for its positive effects on reducing the stress hormone cortisol and enhancing the positive neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin.

Cognitive dysfunction causes more distress than just senior moments.  It interferes with sleep/wake cycles and commonly leads to a sundowners like syndrome where sufferers of canine cognitive dysfunction vocalize and pace at night.

Make sure in all life stages, from puppy through old age, that your dog gets a regular dose of exercise each day.  A regimen that necessarily includes consistent exercise will invariably lead to optimal physical health, as well as mental health.

Dr. Roger Welton is a practicing veterinarian and highly regarded media personality through a number of topics and platforms. He is the author of his top selling memoir The Man In The White Coat: A Veterinarian’s Tail Of Love. In addition to this writing this blog, Dr. Welton also hosts the popular Space Coast Pet Podcast.  He is the CEO and chief attending veterinarian of Premier Veterinary Care in Viera, FL.