[Kylee Dietrich]

How often do you guys exercise your pups? I take Eclipse for walks three times a day, but due to the hot Florida sun, I only keep the walks at a 30 minute minimum. Should I exercise her more than this or is this just fine?

 

[tim_s_adams]

Walking your dog is good, but in my experience they need more than walks. Play, fetch, use a flirt pole, or spend time training. Mental work tires them out a lot. I also like to give my pup some off leash free play time each day...but I get that that can be a difficult thing depending on your circumstances. If you're walking her and training her while at home, that should be good enough to meet her basic needs...but if you can get her out occasionally for an adventure now and again that would be awesome too!

 

[Kylee Dietrich]

Walking your dog is good, but in my experience they need more than walks. Play, fetch, use a flirt pole, or spend time training. Mental work tires them out a lot. I also like to give my pup some off leash free play time each day...but I get that that can be a difficult thing depending on your circumstances. If you're walking her and training her while at home, that should be good enough to meet her basic needs...but if you can get her out occasionally for an adventure now and again that would be awesome too!

I've been wanting to train her off leash sooo bad, but we live just a few feet away from a busy highway that I've had some bad experiences with when one of my dogs got out. I'm constantly playing with her when I'm not walking her, and my other dogs like to keep her on her feet. There's a little nature trail a few miles from my house that I sometimes walk her through and she loves it so much! I'm glad to know that she's getting enough exercise. I've been so nervous that I might be doing something wrong, since I'm a first time GSD owner.. haha!

 

[McGloomy]

How old is this pup of yours?

 

[Kylee Dietrich]

How old is this pup of yours?

She'll be five months old in a week in a half!

 

[McGloomy]

Ahhh right. That age is pretty much where the 1st growth spurt is nearby and they're growing by the hour, so when my pup was that young, I take him on 2 walks a day morning and evening 30 and 30mins, 1 hour or so at a park where he can just run and take a break whenever he wants, and 2 sessions of mental exercise around 10-15 mins. Did this up until he was 9-10 months where I start rollerblading with him (on his pace). Started at 1 km, 2km, 3km. I found that as he gets big, the more he needs an outlet for his energy. Walks just didn't do it no more.