How much exercise do you (really) give your dogs?
- Thread starter Laurelin
- Start date
I went back and read mine too, still pretty accurate. Romeo, Skye, and Zoie are pretty chill, really.
Fiona is a lunatic when she is bored. I'm finding as long as we get out for some hard playing (ball throwing or flirtpole) mixed with some obedience at least an hour everyday, she is ok. It takes off the edge. Otherwise she is a bit wired and overstimulated, like literally vibrating when you touch her. Walking/hiking won't cut it-maybe in the middle of summer where walking for 15 minutes you almost get overheated, but right now where it's cool, not so much.
If I'm being totally honest, I'm finding her ideal situation would be literally on a farm-help someone herd the livestock in the morning, and then follow along behind the tractors during the day, then catch some calves for branding in the evening... :rofl1:. Or at work with someone all day, doing an activity (scent detection, patrolling...something!). She would probably thrive with some sort of all day work. As it is, I'm trying to brainstorm something we can do everyday at home with minimal equipment (I've started her a little on tracking). She's definitely needing a job.
Fiona is a lunatic when she is bored. I'm finding as long as we get out for some hard playing (ball throwing or flirtpole) mixed with some obedience at least an hour everyday, she is ok. It takes off the edge. Otherwise she is a bit wired and overstimulated, like literally vibrating when you touch her. Walking/hiking won't cut it-maybe in the middle of summer where walking for 15 minutes you almost get overheated, but right now where it's cool, not so much.
If I'm being totally honest, I'm finding her ideal situation would be literally on a farm-help someone herd the livestock in the morning, and then follow along behind the tractors during the day, then catch some calves for branding in the evening... :rofl1:. Or at work with someone all day, doing an activity (scent detection, patrolling...something!). She would probably thrive with some sort of all day work. As it is, I'm trying to brainstorm something we can do everyday at home with minimal equipment (I've started her a little on tracking). She's definitely needing a job.
In the spring and summer, 5 hours is absolutely normal for Sham and Elsa. Not because they REQUIRE 5 hours but because **** it, I love the spring/summer and I'm constantly out, so they may as well be with me. Hiking, running, training outside, flirt pole in the fields, swimming.. all that super fun stuff. The winter, not so much, but largely because it just got too f'ing cold to tolerate being outside.
The rest are usually 1-2 hours, excluding Magpie and Jack. Magpie is basically a permanent couch fixture at this point and enjoys a loaf around the neighborhood at best, and Jack just poops out after an hour hike or so. Old dog problems.
The rest are usually 1-2 hours, excluding Magpie and Jack. Magpie is basically a permanent couch fixture at this point and enjoys a loaf around the neighborhood at best, and Jack just poops out after an hour hike or so. Old dog problems.
As most others, season and schedule really determine exercise.
We are hermits in the winter. I do not like the cold. No thank you.
Spring/summer/fall we are out a lot more. Probably do a decent hike at least once a week, dog park a day or two, biking with the Nub at least once. Rider needs less physical and more mental, so we do that. He normally spends 10 hours a week at the dog park and gets a lot of "exercise" that way. We do short training sessions at home.
Mainly, my crew just sleeps. A lot.
We will see how I adjust back to high drive puppy and NEEDING to exercise an adolescent ACD.
We are hermits in the winter. I do not like the cold. No thank you.
Spring/summer/fall we are out a lot more. Probably do a decent hike at least once a week, dog park a day or two, biking with the Nub at least once. Rider needs less physical and more mental, so we do that. He normally spends 10 hours a week at the dog park and gets a lot of "exercise" that way. We do short training sessions at home.
Mainly, my crew just sleeps. A lot.
We will see how I adjust back to high drive puppy and NEEDING to exercise an adolescent ACD.
Well, I live out here on 70 acres with a 2 acre yard they stay out in all day (weather permitting ... but weather seldom becomes an issue here), there are only really two that *need* stimulation (Bear, and Josefina). I play fetch when them twice a day, on the days I go for a run, I only do it once a day (Josefina goes with me) We run a mile and a half.
I am always doing things to mentally challenge her, I don't know if the needs it or not but she sure enjoys it
I am also a very active person naturally so I am always outside doing something anyway (off and on, sometimes all day if the weather is really nice).
the important thing for me is a dog who can settle inside when its time to come in. I will NOT put up with screeching or screaming or pestering me inside, inside is quiet time and if they do they get a time out.
I am always doing things to mentally challenge her, I don't know if the needs it or not but she sure enjoys it
I am also a very active person naturally so I am always outside doing something anyway (off and on, sometimes all day if the weather is really nice). the important thing for me is a dog who can settle inside when its time to come in. I will NOT put up with screeching or screaming or pestering me inside, inside is quiet time and if they do they get a time out.
Zoe gets a 1(ish) mile walk each day, often a bit longer. Sometimes she gets another short walk. I try to get her to the beach more often than we have been going, and might be there 1-2 hours, and we do hikes of about the same length, but neither has been happening often over the winter.
She also does nose work class once per week, and we practice outside of class. I count that as exercise. It tires her body and mind, and she gets antsy without it.
It seems people who think it takes TONS to tire out dogs aren't providing enough mental stimulation. That, IME, makes all the difference. Not that some dogs don't really need a lot of exercise, but I think some really overestimate due to lack of time spent wearing out their dogs' minds.
She also does nose work class once per week, and we practice outside of class. I count that as exercise. It tires her body and mind, and she gets antsy without it.
It seems people who think it takes TONS to tire out dogs aren't providing enough mental stimulation. That, IME, makes all the difference. Not that some dogs don't really need a lot of exercise, but I think some really overestimate due to lack of time spent wearing out their dogs' minds.
Fiona sounds like Izze when she was young. And I worked/had horses at a boarding stables where I took her every day as soon as she got her puppy shots and was cleared by the vet (stables are germy places lol). She had to be taught to settle.
She did but the need to work was always right under the surface, like if I would move she would jump up like "where we goin? We gonna work now?!" But I could get her to settle quickly.
She did but the need to work was always right under the surface, like if I would move she would jump up like "where we goin? We gonna work now?!" But I could get her to settle quickly.