Why Dogs Love Exercise?
Dear Diary,
I wish they made a Fitbit for dogs. I’d strap it on one of my four wrists and then I’d run around the block twenty or so times, at least long enough for my tongue to hang out the side of my mouth. That’s how I know that I got in a really good workout. I bet I could get a ton of steps by doing some zoomies.
Going on so many walks is making me wonder why dogs like to exercise so much. I think it’s in our genetics like we’re designed for physical activity. Even the neighbor’s poodle that’s always getting pushed around in a baby stroller probably likes to run every now and then.
But it’s not always about physical activity, either. We like exercise for other reasons, too. For instance, going on walks lets us sniff and we like to sniff……..a lot. Dogs have a super-charged nose that lets us experience an entire world through smell. My favorite odor ever is dead fish. It’s exquisite.
We also like to go on walks because we’re aligned with nature and it’s fun for us to spend as much time outside as possible. Plus, when you’re outside, there’s so much to see – bees, birds, squirrels. One time, I even saw a coyote. I think it was maybe my cousin, Sal. He’s from Toledo.
Of course, going on walks lets us patrol the grounds too, and that’s the only way we can keep our owners safe. And we HAVE to keep our owners safe. They rely on us. Sure, they have locks on their doors and cameras, but they need us to save them from any threat that approaches the front porch. I just don’t know what mankind would do without us!
