As with all dogs, English Toy Terriers require regular and appropriate exercise to stay healthy and happy. English Toy Terriers need exercise that is both physical and psychological, and making sure that your dog has both will help them to live a much more enriched life and can help prevent unwanted behavioural issues.
On this page we look at great ways to provide your English Toy Terrier with great exercise, both physical and psychological, to live an enriched and happy life.
- Enriching daily dog walks
- Playtime with your ETT
- Super-sniffing
- Boredom busters
- Calm & content
- Team activities for you and your dog
- Safety considerations
- Canine enrichment – further reading
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1. Enriching Daily Dog Walks
For most dogs, going on a walk is one of the top highlights of their day and this is no different for English Toy Terriers. ETTs need a minimum of a 30 minute walk each day, although they are very happy to join you on longer walks and hikes too.
There are simple things you can do to make every walk even more enriching.
- Vary your dog walks – explore new territory together.
- If there are practical reasons which mean you do have to walk the same route each day, at least vary this by doing the route in reverse from time to time.
- Let your dog sniff – don’t be impatient and hurry them on if they want to sniff every lamp post and tree – sniffing is really good for them physically and mentally.
- If you don’t tend to meet other dogs on your walks, arrange to walk with a dog friend from time to time.
- Let your dog choose – it’s important to allow dogs to make choices so if you’re in the park and they want to explore an area you weren’t planning to go to and it’s safe to do so, then let them lead the way.
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2. Playtime with your English Toy Terrier
English Toy Terriers are playful by nature and it’s important that you play with your dog every day, not least to help build and maintain the bond between you and your dog, but to keep them engaged and their minds sharp.
Although some ETT’s may look fragile with their tiny frames, the toughness of the terrier roots and the ratting instinct shines through in these sorts of boisterous games.
The Blue Cross has a great article on playing with your dog.
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3. Super-Sniffing
Sniffing is brilliant exercise for dogs with both psychological and physical benefits. According to the American Kennel Club, 20 to 30 minutes of good quality sniffing will leave a dog just as tired as if they’ve had a one hour walk. Why? Sniffing raises their respiratory rate as well as giving fantastic mental stimulation for dogs which is hugely important for long-term canine wellbeing.
We’ve already mentioned giving your dog time to sniff when they’re out on a walk and at home, there are heaps of fun things you can do to get your dog’s nose going, from simple treasure hunt type “find it” games of hiding treats or toys in a room and asking the dog to find the items or starting scent work training. Watch the video from PetPlan above to see how easy it is to get started.
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4. Canine Boredom Busters
Food is one of the highlights of the day for most dogs and anything we can do to extend that feeding time or use food as a bait to get our dogs to interact and play with an object can be good for their mental stimulation. There are heaps of boredom busters avialable to buy on the market from simple treat balls or a classic Kong, to puzzles of varying complexity that a dog needs to solve to get to some treats, and long-lasting chews such as Yak Chews (give under supervision only).
Simple feeding “toys” such as Kongs can be stuffed with wet food so that your dog eats their feed over a longer period of time. Treat balls can be filled with dry food for a dog to push around to get to their food.
For dry food eaters, one of the best things you can do in dry weather is take their feed and throw it all over your garden and send your dog out to find their dinner, making them use their nose for food.
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5. Calm & Content
Much enrichment activity involves providing stimulation in a canine-appropriate form, but it’s also important to help your dog learn from an early age that calm is a good state to be in. Over-stimulating young puppies in particular until they wear themselves out, with their daily routine becoming a cycle of ‘crazy to crash’ on repeat, is not a good idea for their long-term psychological well-being.
Teaching a dog to settle is well worth the investment in time, particularly if you are planning to include your dog in lots of your own daily activities such as going to coffee shops, visiting friends, or eating out. Dogs Trust has really good advice on how to train your dog to settle.
Giving a dog a long-lasting chew on a settle mat in a calm space is a brilliant way to give your dog some quality calm time.
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6. Team Activities for You & Your Dog
We know that the bond between a dog and their owner can be incredibly strong and building up this bond through teamwork can be incredibly rewarding for both the human owner and the dog.
There are heaps of activities that dog owners can get involved in with their dog that require good teamwork from trick training at home, agility or canine hoopers in your garden or with a local dog club, cani-cross if you and your dog love to run, or even conformation showing for a day out with other ETTs and ETT lovers.
Here’s a list of useful resources:
- The Royal Kennel Club ‘Find a Club’ – for all kinds of dog clubs and dog activities
- Agility.net – for agility clubs in the UK
- Canine Hoopers – a bit like agility but less physical impact and just as much fun
- Trailrunners – free cani-cross training plans, including for beginners
- Trick Training – Dogs Trust has some lovely training guides for tricks
- Conformation Showing – see our guide on how to get into showing – it’s not simply a beauty pageant, requiring a handler to work in perfect harmony with their dog.
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7. Safety considerations
Puppies and Young Dogs
- Limit your puppy’s walks to prevent long-term joint and soft-tissue damage: puppy walks should be on lead and limited to 5 minutes for each month of age up to 6 months.
- Do not allow young puppies to jump excessively, especially off furniture from a height to prevent damage to their joints which are still forming and not properly knitted together.
- English Toy Terriers can be affected by Patella Luxation, where their kneecap in one or both of their hind legs dislocates from the joint. It is essential that puppies are not over-exercised to minimise the risk of long-term damage to their joints and soft-tissue.
In hot weather
- Go out our early or late in the day – avoid exercising your dog during the hottest part of the day as English Toy Terriers can overheat very quickly despite their short coats, and heatstroke is a real risk.
- Always carry water for your dog in hot weather to avoid dehydration and heatstroke.
- Be mindful of the temperature on the ground – while we wear shoes, our dogs do not so be mindful that pavements and surfaces such as astroturf can be extremely hot in the sun. If you must walk with them in hot temperatures, think about protecting their paws with dog boots to avoid burning their feet.
In cold Weather
- Wrap-up warm – your dog will appreciate a warm jumper or coat in cold and/or wet weather.
- Protect their feet – if you are walking your dog in extremely cold temperatures on snow or ice for any significant time, protect their feet with dog boots.
- Wash their feet if they have walked in grit / salt that is spread on roads and in public spaces in freezing temperatures as it can be harmful to our dogs.
Senior Dogs
Be mindful that older dogs may need their exercise regimes adjusted as they slow down in their later years.
Signs of over-exercising
- Excessive panting or drooling can indicate overheating or exhaustion
- Limping or stiffness, especially in puppies and senior dogs, stiffness after exercise may indicate they’re doing too much.
- Reluctance to exercise – if a normally energetic dog seems uninterested in exercise, it may be overworked or dealing with an underlying health issue (e.g. a heart problem) so seek veterinary advice.
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8. Canine Enrichment – Further Reading
There is heaps more on the rewarding subject of canine enrichment all over the Internet. Here’s some of our favourite reads:
- Dog’s Trust on canine enrichment
- GuideDogs.org.uk on canine enrichment
- Kong – some great ideas for food-based boredom busters
- Battersea Dogs’ Home guide to DIY boredom busting toys
Search also on social media for ideas on canine enrichment – there are lots of groups on Facebook and various hashtags on Instagram and TikTok.
