A question that is often debated is how much exercise do dogs actually need? There is no straight-forward answer to this question as your dog's exercise needs vary based on your dog’s age, breed and health. For example, a 10 month old golden retriever puppy is going to require more exercise than a 7 year old Miniature Schnauzer. To make things even more complicated, the needs within a breed of dog vary based on age.

Generally speaking, a good rule of thumb is your dog should be slowed down by the time you stop. My dog Harley is quite high energy and is a leash puller so I know I have adequately exercised her if she is no longer trying to run around by the end of our walk! 

A few guidelines for exercise for your dog:

• Most dogs need a minimum of 60-90 minutes of physical activity daily
• Active breeds need a minimum of 30 minutes of hard aerobic exercise on most days of the week (ideally daily). Taking your dog for a jog or run with you is a great opportunity to bond with them (plus good health for you!), or providing a safe area for them to run are great ways to exercise your high energy dog.
• It is a misconception that most small breed or toy dogs get enough exercise inside the house. Certain small breeds, such as pugs, are prone to obesity and therefore require consistent outdoor exercise.
• Exercise benefits dogs both physically and mentally. It is also a great opportunity to bond with your dogs and maintain an active and healthy lifestyle yourself. Try exploring a new hiking trail or take your pup to agility classes!
• A tired dog is a good dog!

Always remember, just like for humans exercise and diet go hand-in-hand helping your dog to live a long, healthy and happy life! We are advocates for all dogs thriving, not just living, and feeding your dog Puppy Gang Fresh Foods will play a big part in nourishing your dog through healthy whole foods!

Did you know that just like for humans, feeding your dogs leafy green vegetables helps them reap a ton of health benefits?! A study conducted on Scottish Terriers found that just by adding leafy green vegetables to their dry kibble reduced their risk of bladder cancer by 90 percent! Given that cancer is on the rise in dogs in North America (an estimated 60 percent of dogs die of cancer each year) this statistic cannot be ignored.

Dark leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach contain a variety of vitamins and minerals essential to your pups health such as Vitamins A, B, C and K in addition to calcium, iron, fiber, manganese, folate, and potassium. 

These nutrition superfoods are extremely beneficial to your dogs health and help to defend against inflammation, cardiovascular issues along with their cancer preventing properties. 

Leafy greens are particularly important for dogs with digestive issues due to their ability to help prevent constipation amongst other issues in the digestive tract and the addition of fibre helps to prevent waste buildup. 

All our recipes at Puppy Gang Fresh Food contain high quality leafy greens in addition to our other nutritional ingredients to ensure your dog stays as young and healthy as a pup as long as possible. Try our healthy dog food with our 7-pack variety trial pack today and give your pup the gift of great health!

We are living in unprecedented times. Like many around the world, we are all at home practicing social distancing. This is tough, and many people are finding the isolation difficult. The silver lining in all of this for those of us that have dogs, we have great companions, and the social distancing DOES NOT apply to your pup! :) In fact, this extra time we have at home is a great opportunity to bond with your pup and show them even more love than usual!

You can still get outside and take your pup for a run, walk or hike but we thought we would share a few great activities you can do with your pup at home

1. Hide treats around your house and have your pup search to find them

2. You can make (or buy) puzzle boards for your pup and help them to open them up for treats. Here are some ideas for DIY Brain Games for your dogs that you can make from items you likely already have around the home :)

3. Play tug of war with your dogs (my dogs like to play this together too...here is a video! : 

4. Teach your dog some new tricks! It is never too late :) There are a ton of awesome Youtube videos to find some ideas and instructions on how to teach your dog new tricks! Here is one to get you started!

5. If you have stairs in your home throw a ball up and down the stairs to help your pup get some indoor exercise!

6. Make your dog a new toy to play with from items you likely already have lying around the house. Here are some ideas: https://barkpost.com/life/3-dog-toys-you-can-make-from-things-around-the-house/

Remember, doggy cuddles are the best remedy for anything that ails you! From our Puppy Gang team to you and your family, we wish you well during this difficult time.