No dog in this world (excluding the very young, the old, and the ill) is even remotely “exercised” after a walk around the block. The idea that small dogs need less exercise is false, and it’s partly responsible for the high number of tiny dogs who are neurotic and angry. I’m a dog trainer, and the behavior problems dog owners experience often just disappear with an exercise adjustment.
It’s true that some breeds need to be more active than others, but anyone who is unwilling to take their dog out for two – potentially three – hours most days is better off with a senior.
Interestingly, dogs that suffer from lack of exercise over a longer period of time often seem like they’re doing okay. If your dog wants to lie around all day (while not old or ill), that should not be seen as a sign of him getting enough exercise from a twenty-minute walk. Rather, it is a fair bet to assume your furry friend is depressed due to lack of stimulation. If they had a human five-year-old lying on the couch all day, I bet most people would be worried.
My sister’s Maltese mix (six years, 8 pounds) just stayed with me for three months. She went from weeks of hardly any exercise to almost daily two-hour forest walks with another dog. When she arrived, she was gloomy and had trouble sleeping. She “wanted” to spend her days staring at the wall. Now, she’s back to being bouncy and curious. She walks and runs with her companion, then naps contentedly, her brain full of entertaining dreams.