Does three hours of dedicated dog time sound like a lot or a little?
Under proposed new animal welfare laws in the ACT, dog owners would need to spend at least three hours with their pooches each day.
We asked experts whether three hours really is the ideal, and how to tell if your dogs’ needs are being met.
Is three hours about right?
Jade Currie says dogs are a social species and it’s important to spend “quality time” with them. (Supplied: Jade Currie)
Jade Currie is the animal program manager at The Lost Dogs’ Home and a qualified animal trainer and animal behaviour consultant.
She says setting an exact figure on how long you need to spend with your dog works in theory, but not in practice.
“It’s going to completely depend on the dog, your lifestyle and the type of relationship that you have with your dog.”
Ms Currie says “dogs are social animals” that require daily interaction, and she says you need to respond to the needs of the dog in front of you.
What are your dog’s needs?
Susan Hazel, an associate professor at the University of Adelaide’s School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, says “spending three hours a day with your dog is not going to be in itself enough to make sure they have a good life”.
She says it can be helpful to think about meeting your dogs’ needs in relation to the five domains of animal welfare: nutrition, environment, health, behavioural interactions and mental state.
Meeting these needs would involve, for example, making sure they have fresh water, a comfortable environment that isn’t too noisy, any health problems are treated, they have toys to play with and they get to have positive interactions with other animals and people, Dr Hazel explains.
“If you provided all of those — specific to the individual requirements of your dog — then that’s going to be a pretty good life for them.”
She also notes that dogs’ needs change as they age.
Susan Hazel says it can be difficult to calculate home much time you spend with your dog over the course of a day. (Supplied: Susan Hazel)
Ms Currie says the quality, not just the quantity, of time you spend with your dog matters.
Think about the kind of activities you are doing with your dog and whether they are enjoyable or engaging for the dog (not just their owner), she suggests.
If you are taking your dog for a walk, she recommends considering whether it’s an enriching new environment or whether it’s the same old predictable route.
“[It] could also look like having time to settle and rest and relax around other social beings … maybe that looks like your dog coming inside for a couple of hours in the evening with you [and] relaxing on the couch.”
How important is mental stimulation?
“Mental stimulation is just as important as physical exercise” for your dog, Ms Currie says.
“It’s really important that people are thinking about both.”
Should the government tell you how long to spend with your dog?
Ms Currie says a common problem is dogs that have a lot of anxious energy getting a lot of physical exercise but not enough on mental stimulation.
Exploring new spaces and enrichment activities such as training puzzles can help, she says.
Dr Hazel says, “training is great if you’re using positive reinforcement”. An activity, such as teaching them to find a scent “really engages the brain and tires them out”.
And, remember a walk or run is not only about the exercise benefits.
“Don’t drag them along. For dogs, letting them go really slowly and sniffing everything is great enrichment.”
How to tell whether you’re doing enough
When a dog’s needs are not being met they can show signs of stress, Dr Hazel says.
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This includes barking, digging and destroying furniture.
Other dogs may become withdrawn. “If your dog looks bored and a bit shut down and not interacting, then that could be a sign.”
Ms Currie says you may notice “repetitive behaviours with no obvious goal or function” — such as pacing in the backyard or excessive licking.
Dr Hazel says pain can also have a big impact on dogs’ behaviour so checking on their physical health issues is important.
If your dog starts acting up in ways they haven’t before, Dr Hazel says “there will be a reason and it’s important to get veterinary attention or to get a really good positive reinforcement-based trainer to have a look at them”.
