We have all heard of the many positives to be gained from regular dog walking, with plenty of documented physical and mental health benefits for both humans and canines. With many dogs (and humans) being classified as overweight, walking is crucial to improving cardiovascular fitness, blood pressure and muscle strength. Plus, going out for walks with our dogs allows us to further bond with them through new experiences. Exercise is also good for our mental health and the mental health of our canines, who need stimulation to remain healthy and happy.
So why this article?
For most dogs, even the most sociable and chilled characters, going out in the world is an arousing experience. Stress can be positive or negative, depending on what is happening at the time. Eustress (or positive stress) for your dogs might involve the excitement of the physical exercise of the walk or simply playing with you out in the open. Distress (negative stress) might be caused by loud noises, too many stimulating experiences, or a difficult interaction with another dog. These distressing situations can lead to your dog experiencing an unhealthy level of stress when out and about, and these negative stresses can build up to a full stress response.
Known as the ‘fight or flight hormone’, adrenaline is the hormone responsible for the immediate reaction we feel when stressed. Following on from adrenaline, cortisol – known as the ‘stress’ hormone – is released and sticks around considerably longer than adrenaline. While adrenaline gives the body the energy and focus it needs to deal with stress, cortisol manages bodily functions like blood pressure to ensure your body is prepped for the stressful event.
Dogs need a certain amount of cortisol, but too much has negative effects. A very high level of cortisol can physically result in, amongst other things, digestive issues, a suppressed immune system, skin issues and pancreatitis.
Behaviourally, the higher the cortisol level in the dog’s system, the more likely they are to be nervous and reactive. A large amount of cortisol heightens our dog’s awareness. A stressed dog is more likely to react to, or show concern about, something they might generally be able to cope with, such as seeing another dog. This becomes a vicious cycle, as the stressed dog (with a high cortisol level) continues to respond in these situations with a stress response, further raising the cortisol levels.
This leads us to the topic of this article; the importance of rest days.
What is a rest day?
A rest day is one without any walks. It is a day free from interactions with the outside world. It allows our dogs to relax for a full 24-hour period. On a rest day, we should aim to avoid any activities that could cause adrenaline and cortisol to be released. We swap energetic movements and exercises for calm sniffing or chewing opportunities. Outside stimulation is replaced by mental stimulation – although these mental workouts mustn’t overwhelm your dog and cause frustration; otherwise cortisol levels will creep up.
So, whilst society expects us to walk our dogs every single day, there are huge benefits to introducing a single rest day or multiple days with slightly reduced outside interactions in a week. Dogs need this downtime to get the full benefit from their walks on the other days of the week.
NOTE
Some pet parents use dog walks as their primary source of interaction with their canine companions. The thought of removing walks leaves them worrying about boredom or destructive behaviour. Rest days are, however, not about ignoring your dog’s need for social interactions or stimulation. Rather, they are about switching walks for a different kind of activity.
Activities for rest days
Rest days allow our dogs the opportunity to sleep. Many dogs get inadequate sleep each day, particularly if they live in a busy household or regularly attend events with you. Ideally, a puppy should sleep 18-20 hours a day, with 12-16 hours being the average for an adult dog. Both the length and quality of sleep affect cortisol levels. A dog that has poor sleep is also less likely to successfuly learn new behaviours as sleep supports memory function. So, if you’re working with your dog on a behaviour modification programme, then taking them out into the world both stressed and without the right amount of sleep is setting yourself up for failure.
Rest days are also good opportunities for promoting more leisurely eating. Slower eating can produce a release of oxytocin, which provides pro-social benefits (feelings of connection and love) as well as a reduction in stress and anxiety. Adding some food-based entertainment, as discussed in our enrichment article this month, can help your dog have a more enjoyable and beneficial feeding schedule.
Chewing is also a good activity for rest days. Chewing makes dogs feel good by producing dopamine, a happy hormone. Chewing can be encouraged with natural chews, appropriate-sized raw bones and food-filled toys.
Take home message
For dogs and humans, the need to exercise and stay healthy is very real. Yet the detrimental physical and emotional implications of continually expecting our dogs to experience the stresses of life are also real. As we ask our dogs to live in a stressful human world with little opportunity to make their own choices, adding rest days to their routine is one excellent choice we can make for their wellbeing.
