How much exercise does your dog get?

She must be one of them there Texan Huskies.

 
No doubt.[sm=lol.gif]
 
Shadow's fur doesn't grow quite as long as a pure Husky but the combination of what fur he does grow and the waterproof skin of a Lab seem to help him like the cold weather.
 
I once read of a mushing team that used hounds with a Lab for a lead dog and how they had to modify the racing harness to fit a Lab chest.

Millie doesn't really exercise too much. She walks a few times a day, but it's all she really needs because she is older. She's also very reactive, so it's hard to take her out.
Max usually walks several miles a day, depending on weather, what I have to do, etc. Some days we run, either because I don't have time to walk as much, or because he is exhausted, or both. We were out running Saturday morning at 12:30 because he just wouldn't go to sleep. Some nights I have him run up and down the stairs between my sister and I for his dinner, I we play fetch up and down the stairs. I've also frozen food in his kong to keep him occupied. Today we went walking in the park. There are also two picnic benches that are close enough together for him to jump between, so he did that 10 or so times before we left. That seemed to wear him out since he's sleeping now. I also get him bones sometimes if I am totally exhausted, or have a lot to get done. He was going to get one tonight, but he's pretty tired anyway, and my work is almost done now.

Until recently two of my dogs cycled, and ran with me on a daily basis.  We were going on average 10 miles a day.  Now, after an achilles tendon rupture and repair, I am sidelined for at least 10 months.  I have been changing their exercise to fit my physical capabilities.  Luckily our yard is five acres, so the dogs can run on their own accord.  This isn't enough activity for them, so I have been throwing the frisbee (about 100 throws each) daily.  I have also engineered a tug rope attached to a bungee cord attached to a tree for the dogs to pull & play with.  I also hide toys throughout the house for them to have to search out.  My fiance is now in town for good, and he claims that he is going to start "exercising" the dogs.  Today they all went for a 10 minute walk.  I had to gently tell him that they were used to much more than that.  He said "I never said that I was in great shape, I'm working on it"  I guess that's a start!![]

ORIGINAL: BEVOLASVEGAS

My fiance is now in town for good, and he claims that he is going to start "exercising" the dogs.  Today they all went for a 10 minute walk.  I had to gently tell him that they were used to much more than that.  He said "I never said that I was in great shape, I'm working on it"  I guess that's a start!![]

Haha!  Thats BF to a tee.  The other night, he decided he would take the dogs to the park while I made dinner.  He was back before the watere even boiled!  He just doesn't have the same standards as I do. 

Chelsea, mental stimulation can tire a dog out almost as well as exercise.  A really good training session can leave Crusher almost as exhausted as a good run in the park.  Not every day, but once in a while.  Even stuffing a Kong or a marrow bone, will help take the edge off a crazy dog.   I try to keep a couple in the freezer for those times when I just cant get them out of the house.

Out dogs get two walks a day, each one being about 1 mile long.
 
I haven't been running since I injured my leg a couple months ago, but before that, I'd take the younger lab out for a 1-2 mile run before the walk in the morning.

This is so weird,i came into this section to start a thread on excercise,but you beat me to it [] I was going to mention that IMHO it is a dog owners duty of care to make sure their dogs get out of the house at least a couple of times a day,and that if owners cant manage an hour or two a day for their dogs than should they really have a dog,do they honestly have time for a dog?? There's a LAW in Italy that owners must take their dogs out for one,or it may be two walks every day or risk a huge fine,or possibly worse,i cant remember the exact details other than it is law that they take their dogs out daily.I think this is a brilliant idea []

Chelsea what do you mean by "reactive" exactly? Keep in mind that my training knowledge is next to nothing and i dont know your circumstances,but wouldnt taking a dog out that has problems, as much as possible eventually desensitise it?

If my dogs could watch tv,read a book,chat on the phone with friends or entertain themselves than i wouldnt put so much emphasis on outside leisure time,but as it stands they can not do these things,so they have no other choice but to sleep,now personally i cant expect my dogs to sleep 20+ hours a day,nor can i expect them to get the same mental stimulation from running around in their own backyard.They are not crated during the day while i am at work,or at night,they have access to the yard through a dog door to play if they wish,and either myself or my mom come home at lunch time to give them attention.I imagine crated dogs would need more time and excercise than i would ever be able to provide.

My dogs get around 2 hours of off lead exercise a day outside of the home,but they arent high energy breeds,i would imagine a lab,husky etc would need at least that much physical excercise plus the same amount of mental stimulation to properly satisfy them... Walking on a lead is a mute point IMO.I couldnt give my dogs the amount they need on the lead,they need to run and explore at their pace,not mine []

I missed our evening walk the other night which is usually around 6 or 7pm,because i just plain couldnt be bothered as i was sooo tired,but at 12:45am i ended up doing it anyway because the dogs just wouldnt settle,and the guilt took over so i took them out,45 minutes later they were sound asleep in their beds,which makes me happy.I love to see exhausted,satisfied dogs []

Chelsea what do you mean by "reactive" exactly?

 
Oh, I mean she viciously barks, lunges and snarls at other dogs. Plus there's usually loose dogs in my neighborhood, so one wrong turn on a walk could lead us right into a very nasty dog fight.
 
She's the same way off leash, so going somewhere off leash where there's other dogs is not an option, but even if there aren't other dogs somewhere, if there's people, I can't have her off leash either. She's also aggressive towards people she doesn't know, and doesn't have a great recall (which we're also working on).
 
She's not like going crazy from too little exercise. She's generally pretty calm and content. Once in a while she'll get obviously hyper, and we'll run around, play ball, or something like that in the yard til she's tired. I just feel bad, like she needs more exercise, and I don't know how to give that to her.

I usually walk him once a day.  Lately (I'm so bad) I've been slacking.  It is cold, and by the time I get home from school, it is already pretty dark, and I can't walk him in the mornings, as I am too busy.  Today I couldn't walk him, because I was gone all day.  Yesterday I walked him and took him to a field a couple blocks down to run in the snow with my friends and their dogs.

ORIGINAL: chelsea_b
Oh, I mean she viciously barks, lunges and snarls at other dogs. Plus there's usually loose dogs in my neighborhood, so one wrong turn on a walk could lead us right into a very nasty dog fight.

She's the same way off leash, so going somewhere off leash where there's other dogs is not an option, but even if there aren't other dogs somewhere, if there's people, I can't have her off leash either. She's also aggressive towards people she doesn't know, and doesn't have a great recall (which we're also working on).

She's not like going crazy from too little exercise. She's generally pretty calm and content. Once in a while she'll get obviously hyper, and we'll run around, play ball, or something like that in the yard til she's tired. I just feel bad, like she needs more exercise, and I don't know how to give that to her.

 
Just out of curiosity, do you walk her on a retractable or regular leash?
 
It's kind of a stupid question, I know, but I'm bored.

More exercise then most!!! Raja has the energy level of a Dalmation! She gets played with about 4 times a day outside with a ball for about 30-45 minutes each. Then usually she gets an hour walk or goes to the dog park. Once I play with her she is tuckered out but within an hour if not less she is bouncing and jumping everywhere. I have never had a dog with the energy level of her, she is also alost 4 years old, but she does sleep very well at night...thank god. But she keeps me active and i think I might have lost a few pounds since getting her haha. Not to mention I have gotten to know all my neibors better...since the tennis balls always seem to go in their yard somehow!!

I take Scout to a fenced-in ball diamond near our house to run off-leash. The only openings are at the dugouts, and I block them in with the park garbage cans.
 
Obviously you can only do this during off-season or when it's late enough that it's dark out and no one wants to use the diamond.
 
It is great for getting exercise safely.

Ella USUALLY gets a long walk in the morning with her backpack on, BUT it's been 10 degrees here these past couple of days and she doesn't want to go beyond the yard, I have to make her walk. Even with her fido fleece on. She'd be content to stay inside and just play. Um, maybe I'm a bad doggie owner, but her walks have been cut down to 2 short ones a day with a TON of running and playing in the house. Also, I've set up a spring pole type thing in the garage for her and she's been working out with that. So I AM compensating in ways for a lack of walks. I'm sorry, even bundled up, Chicago winters are ROUGH. Being a pittie, she HATES the cold. As do I.
I've also cut her food intake back.

My dogs get official leash walks when I think of it, or when I have something specific to work on. It's not all that regular, though - here and there. They get probably about 1-2 hours daily running & romping with each other in the back yard (which they'll only do with me RIGHT there, and this is broken up in 15-30 minute increments throughout the day). In addition, I have two dogs in agility, one in herding, and one upcoming in herding. I do little obedience sessions throughout the day (keeps thier minds busy), and they each get some one-on-one exercise time with me each night - whether it be frisbee, or fetch (the puppy is getting leash walks right now though). We do fetch over flyball jumps in the hallway, etc - just whatever I come up with that day. Most weekends we either travel to sheepdog trials, other friends farms, etc., and hike off-leash there.

I can't give a specific amount of time exercised, because it varies day to day.

In other words, they get enough exercise to keep them happy, but not enough to make them maniacs. I don't throw the ball for three hours every day, and so on. I expect my dogs to settle when its time to settle - and they do. Yesterday I didn't feel well, and after dinner the puppy climbed up on the couch and napped, and quietly chewed his bone until bed-time.

They get two walks a day on weekdays, of 30-40 minutes each. Marlowe has a backpack that he sometimes wears with a little weight in it, and sometimes I take him to the park with a 30 foot lead so he can run around and track. Conrad's older and slower and has lower energy so it's not quite so important for him. On the weekends, they usually get a 1-2 hour trip to the dog park (depending on how many other dogs are there to play with) at least once, sometimes twice if the weather is nice. They get out of the house every single day at least once, usually twice. If there's seirously inclement weather (which in the summer includes it being too hot for Conrad to walk too far safely) we will play indoors and do some training.
 
This morning was definatley the coldest morning thus far this year and Marlowe was definatley not enjoying his morning walk. As soon as we got back in the house, though, he shook off a few times and then engaged in Zoomie Madness for about 15 minutes. Conrad had to put the smack down on him because Conrad is Not a Morning Dog and was not ready for hyper spastic teenaged antics at 7:30 AM.  I'm very lucky in that both dogs are pretty heavy sleepers, and this morning both had to be physically roused for their walk. I caught them looking at me out ot the corners of their eyes while pretending to sleep, thinking, "If she thinks I'm sleeping, she won't bother me." Think again, canines. There's a windchill of 5-above and we're going for a walk. It's character building.

I caught them looking at me out ot the corners of their eyes while pretending to sleep, thinking, "If she thinks I'm sleeping, she won't bother me." Think again, canines. There's a windchill of 5-above and we're going for a walk. It's character building.

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