[Melina]

Not sure if this is the right area to post this, but after looking them over, this looks best suited for my inquiry. Move if necessary. Now, my question:


Koda and I go for at least one, if not two walks a day. I decided to map it out in my car one day and it's about 2 miles. We don't saunter, we walk fast, and it can take us anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour...Depending on how strict I am with letting him sniff/mark things. Granted he more often than not goes on two a day, does that seem like sufficient exercise for a GSD? He's not at all destructive or showing signs of being in need of exercise, really. He doesn't chew, doesn't whine, doesn't have separation anxiety, doesn't dig, doesn't get into anything, he's the best behaved dog I've ever had indoors. The only reason I'm asking if it sounds as though he's getting enough exercise is because he seems to have...The best way I can describe it...Canine ADD. He's always "right there", then he'll run and grab a toy and I can envision what's going on in his head Mom! Look what I got! A TOY! A TOY! LOOK! look mom! look what I got! ...then he'll grab a different one... Mom! Another toy! MOM! look! look! look! Another toy!. Then he's still got an amazing amount of energy after our walks. He's panting, but still amped, I can see it. Not destructive, as I said, but seems like he could walk for hours.


I don't trust him completely off leash yet, otherwise I'd be happy to take him to a field and let him run until he collapses. I'll throw the ball for him in the yard, but he seems to bore of it after a while. I guess I'm just asking if his behavior around the house, since he's not destructive, is just typical of the breed and not due to lack of exercise? I'm not new to dogs, but he's my first Shepherd, so bear with the questions. I've learned quite a bit since acquiring him and joining this forum, I'm grateful to you guys!


My apologies for the long, drawn out post.

 

[Elaine]

I hate to say it but I could walk my dog all day and night and he wouldn't be in the least tired; walking is nothing to him. A more intense exercise might help take more of the edge off.

The ball drive is pretty normal and that won't change much even with more exercise.

It's hard to say if your dog is getting enough exercise or not as I can't actually see what he's like. The good news is he sounds well behaved and non-destructive so the exercise he's getting is at least getting him out and about which makes a huge difference in their mental health.

If you have the opportunity to give him more intense exercise, then you would see if it makes any difference in him or not.

 

[Melina]

Hmmm....I definitely try to keep him mentally and physically sound, obviously. Teach him new things all the time, and obviously as I've stated, walk him all the time. I was taking him for on-leash hikes, but it's been a little while since I've gone since so many people are on the trails this time of year, I don't feel like dealing with them.

As I said, he's not doing anything around the house, destructive wise, to make me think he doesn't get a decent amount of exercise...It's just the fact that he's always ready to go! that makes me want to kick it up a notch and ask if what I'm doing is okay, you know? I would love to let him run free in the mountains hiking, or run in a field, etc., but he's just not trustworthy yet. I can't get him on the bike, he's liable to pull me over. Dog parks are a bad idea. I've tried to set up play dates with other dogs but people flake (I suppose I can keep trying that one). It seems like my only option, that I can think of right now, is to walk him briskly, as I am. Don't suggest running, I hate it. I go to the gym for my exercise.


Is there anything else that I can do with him that doesn't require him being free of his leash?

 

[Denali Girl]

Maybe you can find a baseball field or a football field that's fenced in to let him run? I love the "chuckers" for the tennis balls, I swear I can throw them 75 yards lol....but it has to be a squeeky ball lol.

 

[doggiedad]

i've seen people get some distance with the chucker. i've tried
it and the ball goes 2' on a good chuck. sometimes the ball
hits dirt right in front of me. :crazy:

Maybe you can find a baseball field or a football field that's fenced in to let him run? I love the "chuckers" for the tennis balls, I swear I can throw them 75 yards lol....but it has to be a squeeky ball lol.

 

[Denali Girl]

i've seen people get some distance with the chucker. i've tried
it and the ball goes 2' on a good chuck. sometimes the ball
hits dirt right in front of me. :crazy:

LOL, You need to work on your "chucking' skills!!! Maybe a frisbee?

 

[doggiedad]

i don't walk my dog everyday. we play in the yard. we'll play
"find it", tug or i'll throw his ball and he'll retrieve it. i also
play "find it" and retrieving games indoors. my GF plays with
our dog indoors and outside also. when we walk around the neighborhood
it's probably a mile or more. when go to the woods it's a 5 mile walk.
my dog has balls, ropes, bones and kong toys laying around. he'll go from toy to toy. sometimes when does this i'll play with him and sometimes i
let him play alone.

i don't know the proper amount a exercise a GSD needs. i also wonder
if all of them need the same amount of exercise. my dog is calm and
not destructive in the house with the amount of exercise he receives.

 

[doggiedad]

when it comes to the frisbee "i got skills". behind the back
throws and catches, skip it to you, long arch, over hand throws, side arm throws, can throw the frisbee when it's upside down, throw it up
and make it come back to me, lay down on my back and catch the
frisbee with my feet. with all of this i never thought about
throwing it for the dog, duh. :headbang:

LOL, You need to work on your "chucking' skills!!! Maybe a frisbee?

 

[Denali Girl]

Yep, I honestly don't think there is a right or wrong answer to the question "how much exercise does my dog need". I think the answer is to learn how to read your own dog and go from there. Some need lots and some don't or are more content with less.

 

[Zisso]

Right now my dogs are only getting run time in the yard and I know it is not enough by any means. I have not been walking them, because to be honest there is no amount of rain gear that can keep one dry in Washington rain this time of year. Even the find it games around the house, the mental stimulation of a Kong, and the occasional run at a friends house doesn't exhaust them-they need this every day which we just can't do right now. All I can do is hope the rain subsides soon so we can go someplace for good old fashioned run ourselves till we're pooped time

 

[Cusack's Human]

If you go to the gym for your exercise, why not a treadmill for him? I haven't tried it myself but it's Cesar Milan's favorite LOL