How Much Exercise Does a Chihuahua Need – All You Need To Know!

Chihuahuas are such adorable little dogs! They make great pets because of how small they can get but still need an active lifestyle just like any other breed of dog.

They are also known for their energetic and lively personalities so they need to be active in order to live a healthy life. So how much exercise does a chihuahua need?

Chihuahuas are small dogs that should have 30 minutes to an hour of exercise per day depending on their size and build. Smaller chihuahuas should be exercised more than bigger ones since they can get tired faster and need to recover longer. This exercise also needs to include mental stimulation because just like humans, physical activity can be boring if it’s limited to a single activity.

In this blog post, we will cover the different types of exercises that chihuahuas need, how to exercise with your dog, and when to avoid exercising.

To learn more, read below!

Chihuahuas and Their Temperament and Behavior

Chihuahuas are very energetic and lively dogs. They love to explore the environment and get into anything they can. However, chihuahuas tend to be more cautious than other breeds of dogs when it comes to new people and things.

Because of their personality traits, chihuahuas need plenty of mental stimulation as well as physical activity. They are toy dogs that need to be constantly playing with their owners or other toys.

Without mental and physical stimulation, chihuahuas will resort to destroying your property or barking incessantly at everything they see which can get annoying very quickly.

Chihuahuas love to play with their owners and need plenty of exercises.

Benefits of Exercising

Before you can know how much daily exercise does a chihuahua need, it’s important to know the benefits of exercising regularly with your dog.

There are many benefits of regularly exercising with your dog which include:

• Mental exercise for both owner and pet
• An increase in the bond between the two
• Exercise helps prevent obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, heart conditions, etc.
• Helps them live longer
• Cheaper medical bills because of the reduced risk of developing certain diseases
• A happier pet that does not resort to destructive behavior

Types of Exercise for Your Chihuahua

There are several different types of exercises your chihuahua will need. Chihuahuas are small dogs that have lots of energy, making them perfect for all sorts of activities where they can run around without getting too tired.

The three main types of exercises you must provide your Chihuahua with are daily walks, high-intensity free play, and mental stimulation.

Daily Walks

Chihuahuas are small dogs that don’t take too much energy to carry around. Taking your Chihuahua out on daily walks will help them gain traction on their muscles and bones.

Daily walks also help keep your Chihuahua’s weight under control, prevent chafing of the skin, and improve their mood with time.

However, it’s important to make sure your chihuahua doesn’t overdo it in the summertime due to the warmth and risk of heatstroke. Make sure they have water when going on walks or that you provide a portable bowl for hydration if necessary.

High-Intensity Free Play

Chihuahuas are very energetic dogs. They love to run around and explore the environment without being held on a leash or being restricted in any way.

So it’s important that you provide them with the perfect outlet for their high energy levels by providing them with plenty of toys that they can play with by themselves.

High-intensity free play not only helps burn off your dog’s excess energy, but it also provides the mental stimulation they need.

Even though chihuahuas are generally very active and livelier than other dogs, they still get bored after a while if their exercise is limited to just walking around or being held on a leash for extended periods of time.

For this reason, high-intensity free play is an excellent way to exercise with your chihuahua without having to worry about them getting too tired or worn out.

Examples of high-intensity free play are:

• Catching a Frisbee Chewing on toys Running around in an open yard
• Tripping someone with a toy on a string
• Backyard agility exercises

Mental Stimulation

The third and final type of exercise a chihuahua need is mental stimulation. Chihuahuas need to be mentally stimulated as well as physically stimulated because they have short attention spans due to their small bodies.

For this reason, it is best to find games they can play where mental and physical abilities are needed simultaneously.

Some examples of these activities include:

• Hide-and-go-seek around the house with treats or toys
• Tugging on a rope toy together
• Tossing balls for your chihuahua to pounce on and catch

As long as your chihuahua gets the required amount of exercise every day, they will be sure to live a happy and healthy life. Daily walks and high-intensity free play should be enough to keep them fit and slim, but mental stimulation is also important for keeping their brain active.

If you can provide all three types of exercises every day, you will be sure to have a happy and healthy Chihuahua. Keeping them physically fit will increase their lifespan as well as keep them from developing certain diseases.

How to Exercise With Your Dog

Now that you know the different types of exercises your chihuahua needs to stay healthy, let’s talk about how to do them.

For Chihuahuas, 30 minutes of exercise per day is ideal for their small size and build which allows them to recover quickly once they’re done.

It doesn’t matter if it’s 30 minutes of two 15-minute sessions or one of an hour. The important thing is that your Chihuahua gets what they need, just as long as it’s consistent and spread out throughout the day.

Hiring A Dog-Walker

If you’re someone who’s not too active themselves such as a student or stay-at-home parent, then you can also hire a dog-walker.

Dog-walkers are people who will take your Chihuahua out for walks, play with them, and clean up after them so you can do everything else while they take care of the exercise.

Lastly, make sure your Chihuahua has plenty of space where they can run around because it’s important for their mental stimulation. It doesn’t matter if it’s an open area outside or indoors. Just make sure

When To Avoid Exercising

Now that you know what exercises your Chihuahua needs and how to do them, it’s important to know when not to do them.

Over-Exertion

Never let your Chihuahua overdo it with exercise because they can easily get overheated in the summertime due to their small body size.

If you feel they’re getting overheated, take them inside and provide a cool place for them to lay down.

If your Chihuahua is wearing a coat or sweater when going out in the wintertime, make sure to remove their clothing before exercising because it can cause heatstroke if they’re bundled up.

Never allow your Chihuahua to run around the neighborhood by themselves because it’s not safe and can result in lost pets.

Be sure they’re always wearing a leash when running around outside and make sure you know where they are at all times otherwise, they can get hurt or lost.

Heatstroke

If your Chihuahua is panting heavily and you feel they may be overheating, provide them with a cool environment and plenty of water to drink.

Never let your chihuahua stay in hot cars because it can cause a heatstroke which can lead to brain damage or death.

Weather Extremes

Never let your Chihuahua go out and play in the snow during cold weather because it can make them hypothermic.

The same goes for hot weather as well, but to a lesser extent since they’re not as sensitive to it as they are to extreme cold weather.

If you know that there’s a heatwave coming, keep them indoors and provide them with plenty of water to drink.

Chihuahuas need daily walks as well as high-intensity exercises since they’re small dogs that don’t take too much energy for you to carry around. Make sure you know when not to exercise and your Chihuahua stays healthy and happy!

Exercise Precautions for Chihuahuas With Prolonged Illnesses

When a Chihuahua first gets an illness, it’s important to monitor their activity because they will have a fever.

Never allow your Chihuahua to run around by themselves if you know that they have a fever or any type of illness since it makes them more susceptible to heatstroke and other weather-related conditions such as hypothermia.

If you notice your Chihuahua is lethargic, this means they’re sleeping more than usual and their body temperature is elevated. So never let them outside to go to the bathroom because it’s cold outside and they’ll freeze!

They can also develop hypothermia which leads to organ failure and death so keep an eye out for any signs of lethargy, sleeping more than usual, or excessive shivering.

If you are able to notice your Chihuahua’s illness early on before it becomes prolonged, then you can begin exercising again at a low intensity since their body temperature is still normal.

Be sure to monitor them closely during exercise because they can still get overheated, but they won’t be as susceptible to excessive sweating and both of them can develop heatstroke.

Although it’s important for Chihuahuas to exercise on a daily basis, it’s also important not to overdo it in order for them to stay safe and healthy!

Final Words

It’s important to know what exercises your Chihuahua needs and when they can’t do it. Exercise is good for them but make sure you know when not to push their limits because it will cause exhaustion or overheating.

Be sure to keep an eye out on your Chihuahuas while exercising in order for them to stay safe and healthy!