# How long does it take to build up endurance??



## Heagler870 (Jun 27, 2009)

I was looking for a section of exercise and couldn't find one. Looked under health an wellness but I just wasn't sure where to post. So I've been going to a local shutzhund club and they've showed me what to do and the trainer told me Riley needed to lose a few pounds and that he looked jello(ey). I didn't mind because I thought so too but everyone before him was like "he looks fine." Anyways all I've been doing with him is playing tug and fetch and teaching him how to target. Well he's lost a bit of weight cause I cut back on his food intake. I've been playin tug and fetch with him 3 times a day for about 15 minutes. We'll play tug first for about 5 minutes and then fetch with 2 balls and he gets winded pretty quick. He'll still want to keep playing but I know that it's time for him to be done. So my question is how long should they be able to play fetch without getting winded and how long does it take? I probably have not given enough information so of you have any questions about him please ask so I can add to the details. Oh also I've gotten with another guy from the schutzhund club and he is teaching me how to teach riley the foundation of tracking. So we do that as well. My daily routine as is followed. 8 o clock get up and take him out to practice tracking. End on a good note and play fetch. Go home and crate him and then feed him about 45 minutes later. Go out at noonish or 2 and play tug and fetch, brig him home and crate him to rest. Then around 6:30 or 7 go out and play again.


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## chicagojosh (Jun 22, 2010)

not sure about endurance, but why does he get crated between fetch and breakfast?

good to hear your doing a lot with him!


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## Heagler870 (Jun 27, 2009)

I crate him so he'll rest because my other dg Apollo is out and I don't want them rough housing while Riley has just finished playing. I only crate him for maybe
45 min to an hour and then let him out. I have a spare bedroom that I have made into the dogs room and when I crate him I don't shut his crate. I say "kennel" up and then walk out of the room and shut the bedroom door. He gets free reign o that room but he stays in the kennel I'm pretty sure. I have it all fixed up like a cave. Lol sometimes he'll go in there by himself and sleep in it.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

If you want to build endurance, you need to get him out jogging. Playing fetch works only the fast twitch muscles, like a sprinter, and they will get winded fast. Longer, aerobic exercise, like jogging, is how you improve stamina.


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

I agree with Elaine, jogging would be great for your dog. And here's a big bonus, if you are not a jogger, just build up your dog's endurance while you are building your own. It has been my experience that a dog is going to be able to adjust to the increase in exercise much faster than you will be able to, so you run little risk of injuring him. Just don't overdo it for yourself.


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## Heagler870 (Jun 27, 2009)

Well I guess I know what I'm going to start doing! Lol. I kind of feel stupid for asking this question because it makes sense and don't know why I didn't think of it.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

If my dogs haven't been worked for a while, I start off with a short distance for about a week, then increase the distance over a period of time usually a week. Sometimes they walk sometimes they jog, I break it up. I wouldn't take a dog out an jog the whole time at first. Eventually I increase the pace to jogging. My knee bothers me so thats why I like taking them out with the bicycle, I do not run my dogs with the bike unless we are on dirt. I have to work 3 dogs individually right now because they are all on different exercise levels.


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## erpeden (Mar 10, 2011)

I found that the bicycle works much better for me since I end up winded much faster than the dog when I jog!! When its not raining, which is not very often it seems this spring, I try and go for a 2 mile bike ride with him adjusting the pace as we go. He seems to really like it but nothing replaces fetch with the ball.


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## krystyne73 (Oct 13, 2010)

If you aren't sure how to start a jogging program may I suggest Couch to 5K.
It starts you off slowly, I used it with my dogs on the treadmill.
I started off barely jogging for a few minutes now I jog fine for a mile or so. We also have large sled hills here. I take the dogs there and we run up n down the huge hills.
Something fun and physical.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

you didn't think of it for the same reason
i didn't think of taking the water bowl away
when my dog was going through the tip the water bowl stage
or put the trash can somewhere so the dog can't get to it
or close the bathroom door so the dog won't drink from the toilet.
it's great to be able to laugh at yourself. the things we don't think
of. ROTFL.



Heagler870 said:


> Well I guess I know what I'm going to start doing! Lol. I kind of feel stupid for asking this question because it makes sense and don't know why I didn't think of it.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

doggiedad said:


> you didn't think of it for the same reason
> i didn't think of taking the water bowl away
> when my dog was going through the tip the water bowl stage
> or put the trash can somewhere so the dog can't get to it
> ...


Something else you may not have thought of: You don't have to be able to jog miles in order to GO miles. Interval jogging is just as good for both of you and you can mix up the speed. Jog a minute/walk a minute or variations on that theme. It's more fun than just plodding along.


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## Heagler870 (Jun 27, 2009)

Okay so y'all don't laugh at my measly attempt today. Lol. I just got back from rding my bike with Riley. We did 2 miles may 2.5. On the way it's mostly small hills so he trotted on the way but when we came back it's down the hills so we were going fast. He galloped this time the entire time back and when we got back it's like he could still keep going. How long can they go like that? Galloping I mean. I think I'm going to do this verses jogging because it kills my shins.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

My dogs have all preferred to trot most of the way when I biked with them, but I had one foster dog (Lab? mix) who would want to RUN the whole way, and he'd go for miles. Most of the time I never even had to pedal because he propelled the bike too!


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

Heagler870 said:


> Okay so y'all don't laugh at my measly attempt today. Lol. I just got back from rding my bike with Riley. We did 2 miles may 2.5. On the way it's mostly small hills so he trotted on the way but when we came back it's down the hills so we were going fast. He galloped this time the entire time back and when we got back it's like he could still keep going. How long can they go like that? Galloping I mean. I think I'm going to do this verses jogging because it kills my shins.


No. Do not let your dog run long distances and especially do not run down hill as it's so dangerous - you don't have good control downhill at speed. 

The point of exercising your dog is to build muscle, heart, and lung capacity, and you get that from interval training, which means mostly various speeds of trotting, with some slow jogging and some fast running.

If you are biking, make sure you check your dog's pads after every ride and make sure the road isn't too hot for his feet. My general rule is if I can't walk on the road without burning my feet then my dog can't either. Keep an eye on the temperature and be sure to cool him off before and after a ride if needed.


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## timmster (Jan 26, 2011)

i dont intend to hijack this thread, but how long can a gsd in relatively good condition run? and in run, i mean like galloping, not trotting. I run my 5 miles at about 7min/mile pace, and i would consider that running for a dog. Is it alright for a big boned dog like a GSD to be RUNNING for that long, without rest?


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## Heagler870 (Jun 27, 2009)

Elaine said:


> No. Do not let your dog run long distances and especially do not run down hill as it's so dangerous - you don't have good control downhill at speed.
> 
> The point of exercising your dog is to build muscle, heart, and lung capacity, and you get that from interval training, which means mostly various speeds of trotting, with some slow jogging and some fast running.
> 
> If you are biking, make sure you check your dog's pads after every ride and make sure the road isn't too hot for his feet. My general rule is if I can't walk on the road without burning my feet then my dog can't either. Keep an eye on the temperature and be sure to cool him off before and after a ride if needed.


I'm not doing it during the hot part of the day. We went yesterday at night and it was slightly raining. I'm not quite sure how hot the pavement would get during the summoner because the trail is mostly shaded. At least the part I went on and the length I went. The trail is 7 to 10 miles or even longer so bot sure if all ofnits shaded.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

Heagler870 said:


> Okay so y'all don't laugh at my measly attempt today. Lol. I just got back from rding my bike with Riley. We did 2 miles may 2.5. On the way it's mostly small hills so he trotted on the way but when we came back it's down the hills so we were going fast. He galloped this time the entire time back and when we got back it's like he could still keep going. How long can they go like that? Galloping I mean. I think I'm going to do this verses jogging because it kills my shins.


That is not building up edurance. I never run my dogs like that, they jog and at times walk. If there is good dirt surface I may let them run but no where near as long as your describing. I have been staying out of the woods becuase of ticks, so we have been on pavement and I try to stay on the dirt sides as much as I can. When you come back and your dog still wants to go, throw the ball. Even when my dogs were younger and I took them out with the horse for 2 hours, they still would want to play when we got home.
Running does not build muscle, trotting or jogging will build muscle and 2.5 miles is a lot if your dog is just starting out.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

timmster said:


> i dont intend to hijack this thread, but how long can a gsd in relatively good condition run? and in run, i mean like galloping, not trotting. I run my 5 miles at about 7min/mile pace, and i would consider that running for a dog. Is it alright for a big boned dog like a GSD to be RUNNING for that long, without rest?


I would do my level best to keep my dog at a trot most of the time and you would be surprised at how fast some of them can trot. I bet even you as a runner don't go the same pace throughout your whole run and there are places you run faster and slower and that's what you should be doing with your dog.

A well conditioned dog can easily go that distance, with consideration for temperature, but he should not be at a gallop the entire time.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

Heagler870 said:


> I'm not doing it during the hot part of the day. We went yesterday at night and it was slightly raining. I'm not quite sure how hot the pavement would get during the summoner because the trail is mostly shaded. At least the part I went on and the length I went. The trail is 7 to 10 miles or even longer so bot sure if all ofnits shaded.


As you are in a southern state, you can always stop and check the temperature of the trail surface with your hand. It's very easy to burn your dog's feet so it's a good idea to always keep it in mind.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

timmster said:


> i dont intend to hijack this thread, but how long can a gsd in relatively good condition run? and in run, i mean like galloping, not trotting. I run my 5 miles at about 7min/mile pace, and i would consider that running for a dog. Is it alright for a big boned dog like a GSD to be RUNNING for that long, without rest?


I think most GSDs would probably be able to trot at that pace, rather than run. I don't think they are really made to be able to run for long periods without stopping, but they should be able to trot for them.

At least, my GSD will trot next to my bike when I am going quite fast.


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