Knowing how much to exercise a Bichon Frise is key to making sure they get enough of it every day.
Dogs that don’t get enough exercise can become bored and destructive. This means your new pair of shoes could be chewed to shreds if you’re not careful!
What’s more, inactive dogs can become overweight which can lead to a whole host of health problems that could otherwise be avoided.
A general rule of thumb is that an adult Bichon Frise needs 30 minutes of exercise per day. This can be done with 1 walk around the block or broken up into 2 or 3 smaller play sessions.
Now that we know how much exercise an adult Bichon Frise needs per day, the rest of this article will cover how often to exercise a Bichon Frise at each of its life stages, the benefits of exercise, and some great exercise tips to make exercising your Bichon more fun and enjoyable.
Table of Contents
How Much Exercise Does A Bichon Frise Puppy Need?
A Bichon Frise puppy is an adorable fluffball bursting with energy and excitement.
With that said, it’s important to understand your puppy’s muscles, bones, and joints are still developing. Because of this, you don’t want to strain them too much with lots of physical activity.
What’s more, long walks aren’t a good idea for small puppies as they may not have had all their vaccinations yet. Before they receive all their vaccinations from the vet, puppies shouldn’t be outside too often as they can become susceptible to various illnesses.
With all this in mind, you might be wondering how can you exercise your Bichon Frise puppy?
The best way to exercise your Bichon puppy is with small but fun play activities each day. This can take place in the house or the garden. It simply means engaging with your puppy. Encourage play with their favorite toys or run around with them.
It’s also a good idea to begin basic obedience training with your puppy as soon as possible. This can provide your puppy with tons of the mental stimulation they need each day to be happy and healthy.
As puppies get older, you can start to take them on short walks outside.
The general rule of thumb for Bichon Frise puppy exercise is 2 – 5 minutes for every month of age. For example, a 5-month-old Bichon Frise puppy needs about 10 – 25 minutes of exercise a day.
When you’re out walking with your puppy, be sure to keep an eye on them so they aren’t getting too tired.
Over time as your puppy grows into an adult, you’ll be able to take them on longer walks and even trips to the beach or to the park.
Linked below is a helpful video I found on tips for exercising your puppy:
How Much Exercise Does An Adult Bichon Frise Need?
Bichons are not the most active dog breed by any means, but they still need plenty of physical activity and mental stimulation each day.
It is generally recommended adult Bichons get 30 minutes of exercise each day. This exercise can be achieved in many ways. From a walk around the block to a trip to the beach to playing frisbee in the garden.
We’ll cover some helpful tips on how to exercise a Bichon Frise near the end of this article so look out for that.
How Much Exercise Does An Older Bichon Frise Need?
As Bichons age and move on to the later stages of their life, they tend to become less active. Their energy levels begin to decrease and muscles and joints tend to wear down.
With that said, Bichons of all ages still need daily physical activity for optimal health and happiness.
Exercise will ensure their muscles and joints stay healthy.
For instance, a common health condition the Bichon Frise breed is prone to is Patellar Luxation. This occurs when the patella (knee joint) becomes displaced from its normal position.
Regular exercise and a healthy diet will ensure your Bichon stays at an optimal weight which decreases the risk of developing this condition.
Obesity is also a risk for older dogs due to their more sedentary lifestyle. The health risks associated with obesity can include heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis.
With all this in mind, how can you exercise an older Bichon Frise?
To prevent joint and muscle damage in older dogs, it’s a good idea to shorten the lengths of walks. Keep them short and at a slow enough pace for your dog to comfortably keep up.
Another excellent way to exercise older dogs is with hydrotherapy. If this is possible it’s a superb option to consider as it allows your dog to exercise without putting too much strain on their muscles and joints.
Yet another simple way to exercise your older dog is through mental stimulation with dog toys.
Simple play in the house or the garden with various dog toys can often be enough to ensure your dog gets their exercise for the day. You don’t have to run a marathon with them!
You can find further information on exercising an older dog here: How to Provide Your Senior Dog With Proper Exercise.
The Benefits of Exercise For Your Bichon Frise
It’s all well and good to say that you need to exercise your Bichon every day, but learning about the benefits of regular exercise will certainly help to motivate you.
Let’s look at the top 4 benefits of exercising your Bichon Frise:
1 Exercise Helps To Manage Your Bichon’s Weight
As we mentioned above, obesity is an unfortunate problem that can result in some health issues in your Bichon if left unmanaged.
A dog that is overweight is carrying more around with them which causes extra pressure on their muscles and joints.
Over time this excess weight can cause them to wear down resulting in breaks or tears among other things.
Other health issues that can arise in an overweight dog including diabetes, heart problems, and lung problems.
With all this in mind, the best way to prevent obesity in your Bichon is with regular exercise and a healthy diet.
You’ll need to watch what they eat and how often they exercise to keep them at their optimal weight.
Remember: Exercise doesn’t have to be a boring job you dread doing each day. By making it fun for you and your dog, you’re both going to benefit from exercising.
2 Exercise Keeps Your Bichon Healthy
As well as managing your dog’s weight, exercise helps to strengthen their circulatory & respiratory system.
You might remember we talked about how Bichons can be prone to Patellar Luxation. Well, regular exercise will also help to keep joints flexible and muscles healthy.
Like with humans, muscles in a dog’s body tend to shrink without consistent use. So, with regular exercise, you are ensuring your dog makes use of their muscles which keeps them healthy in the long run.
3 Exercise Improves Sleep Quality And Duration
Getting enough exercise each day will improve the quality of your dog’s sleep.
Dogs that don’t get enough exercise throughout the day can become restless and full of energy when it’s time for bed. This isn’t ideal when you’re looking forward to going to sleep but your dog has other plans!
If you make sure your Bichon gets enough exercise throughout the day, they will be tired at bedtime and find it easier to fall asleep. They will also be less likely to wake up in the middle of the night.
4 Exercise Provides Mental Stimulation
Exercise in the outdoors will provide lots of mental stimulation for your dog.
This mental stimulation is crucial to a happy dog. Think about all of the sights and sounds and smells outside your dog will be exposed to.
Remember: your dog can smell up to 100,000 times better than you can so that’s a lot of smells to take in!
Not to mention the other dogs and other people your dog can interact with when you are outside.
Being able to give their brain a workout as well as their body is extremely beneficial for them.
Tips On How To Exercise A Bichon Frise
Now that we’ve highlighted the benefits of exercising your dog, it’s time to focus on some tips to make exercising your Bichon Frise even more fun.
Let’s take a look at the best 5 tips for exercising your Bichon Frise:
1 Take A Trip To The Beach
Something as simple as a trip to the beach can give your dog a ton of mental stimulation and physical exercise without much work.
Running on the sand and into the waves is an exciting and fun way to get exercise and most dogs love this.
What’s more, the salty sea air is a unique smell that your dog will find fascinating.
You’re also likely to run into other people and other dogs on your trip to the beach. This will give your dog even more exercise and mental stimulation.
The only downside to this trip is the sand that will inevitably be everywhere in your car and then in your house for the next few days (let’s face it months!).
Be sure to give your car and your dog a good clean afterward to reduce this.
2 Send Your Dog To Doggy Day Care Once A Month
Sending your Bichon to doggy day care every month or so will help them to get enough exercise on days when you aren’t up to the task of going for a walk yourself.
Your dog will be so tired but happy from a long day of fun and playing and they will definitely want to go back again.
There are lots of other benefits to sending your dog to day care every so often. In fact, I wrote an article about it: 7 Of The Best Reasons Doggy Day Care Is Beneficial For Your Bichon.
3 Playing Fetch Is A Great Way To Exercise Your Bichon
My top tip for exercising your Bichon has to be teaching them to play fetch.
A game of fetch for even 15 minutes will give your dog lots of exercise without tiring you out completely. Teaching your dog to play fetch is also pretty easy to do and is super rewarding when they get the hang of it.
What’s more, you only need a tennis ball or a frisbee to play fetch with so it’s inexpensive to do which is also a bonus.
4 Playing With Other Dogs Is A Fun Way To Socialize
A super simple way to exercise your Bichon is by socializing them with other dogs.
Running around with other dogs is in their nature so it’s something Bichons love to do.
Not only does this exercise your dog, but it also helps to improve their social skills which ensures a well-rounded dog.
5 Walking Around The Park Is A Staple Activity
A walk around the block can seem like a boring thing to do at the end of the day.
That’s why it’s a great idea to vary your walks to make them more fun for you and your Bichon.
For example, if you can only go to the local park or walking trail, vary the route each time by going in the opposite direction.
As well as this, try to explore the different walking trails or parks in your area to find a new favorite. You might uncover new places in your area you’ve never been before!
If you want even more tips for ways to exercise your Bichon without walking them, check out this video I found:
Conclusion
We covered a lot in this article so let’s summarize everything we talked about:
- How much exercise a Bichon Frise puppy needs
- How much exercise a Bichon Frise adult needs
- How much exercise an older Bichon Frise needs
- The benefits of exercising your Bichon
- Tips on how to exercise a Bichon Frise
So there we have it, I hope you found this information on how to exercise a Bichon Frise helpful and easy to follow. If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it on social media so other people can find it.
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