# How much time do you play/interact with your dog?



## jprice103 (Feb 16, 2011)

Cheyenne is 8 months old, and since I got her at 8 weeks, I probably spend about 3-4 hours a day truly playing/interacting with her. Luckily I work from home, and I take 10 minute breaks throughout the day in between meetings and play ball with her, or run around with her. Then I'd take her for a long walk at night and spend quite a bit of time playing with her at night...to the point where I don't even really sit and watch 1 whole show on television because I'm concerned that she is bored and feel that I have to entertain her! My husband thinks I'm ridiculous...that she is "just a dog"...and my life should not be spent being 100% servant/plaything for my dog. She is a velcro dog, and really doesn't leave my side. My kids will try to engage her in play, and she will play for a minute, but then its back to my side. 

So I guess my question is...at night after work, how much time do you/should you spend with your dog? Not just with them there with you, but truly interacting/playing with them?


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

Monday-friday 2:40pm-12:00am or until I go to bed.

Saturdays and sundays I spend the entire day with them.


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## jprice103 (Feb 16, 2011)

LaRen616 said:


> Monday-friday 2:40pm-12:00am or until I go to bed.
> 
> Saturdays and sundays I spend the entire day with them.


So you do nothing but play with them during that time? You don't ever sit down and watch a TV show? You don't ever surf the internet? If that is the case, I feel worse now!!

I just want to be clear, she is WITH me constantly...I'm talking about actually engaging them in playing, etc.


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

On weeknights, I probably only spend 2-3 hours actively engaged with my dogs (not including the little pets and play here and there). I do sit down to surf the web and watch tv (usually at the same time) and take me time. I don't stay up late so I only have 4 or so hours at home each night obviously excluding sleep.

Weekends, I spend a lot more time engaged with them either training, hiking or just being together.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

jprice103 said:


> So you do nothing but play with them during that time? You don't ever sit down and watch a TV show? You don't ever surf the internet? If that is the case, I feel worse now!!
> 
> I just want to be clear, she is WITH me constantly...I'm talking about actually engaging them in playing, etc.


I am on the internet right now because I am at work. :laugh:

I usually go on the internet at night for a half hour or so, I have 2 dogs and 3 cats, I am the only human in the house so I have to spend time with them all. We go for walks, I work on their training every night even with my very well behaved 2.5 year old male. We go to the beach every other day for about 2-3 hours. I went to a cook out over the weekend and took the puppy with me, I babysat 8 kids yesterday and took the puppy with me. I do everything with them, where I go, they go (except for when I am at work).

I have no kids, I have no husband/boyfriend so my animals are everything to me.

Yes, I do sit down and watch a tv show but I am on the floor playing tug with the puppy when watching a show, throwing the ball for my male or petting them while watching tv. My DVR is pretty full right now because I have been very busy with the dogs, I only watched 1 show last night.


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## jprice103 (Feb 16, 2011)

Lauren - I promise I wasn't being critical..was just amazed! I wish I could spend that much time 100% focused on her, but I'd probably end up divorced! 

Ok...so I don't feel too bad then! My husband makes me feel like I am a freak because I WANT to play with her all the time. Our other dogs are couch potatoes...they don't even really WANT to play...so he just doesn't undertand that GSDs are different! I just wish I didn't feel so guilty on the nights when I have stuff to do...and can't play with her as much as I'd like! I need to find a balance...so I'm giving enough attention to her...and to the rest of my family! lol


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

I would think it would be hard on a relationship if you spend as much time with the animals as I do, I have to find a man that is as obsessed with my dogs and my cats as I am.


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## paulag1955 (Jun 29, 2010)

jprice103, you have a husband and children so you have to fit the dog into your life in a way that works for your entire family. If your husband is already commenting about the amount of time you're spending with the dog, it's probably time to reassess. I don't mind sacrificing TV time for my dog but I wouldn't sacrifice quality time with my family or my closest friends. But that's just how I've chosen to work Shasta into my life. I work from home, too, and I am constantly talking to Shasta throughout the day, taking her outside for a quick game of fetch, a bit of training or a short walk. In the evenings (my husband works nights) I'm either taking her for a long walk, for a car ride to do some socialization or working on some other aspect of her training. So the dedicated time I spend with her in the evening can vary from an hour to three hours depending on the day. But I don't have children at home any longer and Shasta is my "baby."


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## lrodptl (Nov 12, 2009)

2-3 hours a day exercising him with walks,swimming,dog play and ball play. Maybe another 30 minutes directly playing with him in the house. If I go out,he goes out,if I run an errand,he runs an errand.


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## ayoitzrimz (Apr 14, 2010)

There are 2 humans and one dog in our house so we split the load as follows:

Weekdays:
I spend about 1-2 hours a day (either before or after work) exercising, training, grooming, playing with the dog, and my fiance does the same (if I go in the morning she takes him out in the afternoon and vice versa). 

Between work and graduate school, that's all I can afford to give so we make the most of it.

Weekends:
We spend (in addition to the weekday schedule) probably another 2 hours on saturday playing. On Sunday we spend the entire day together at the Schutzhund club.

Then of course if I go for a car ride, my buddy HAS to come with, as well as on the occasional store run...


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## rashadlc (Apr 8, 2011)

I used to work at home as well, and my GSD was with me 24/7... Was the perfect bond. I would also take breaks in between, then right after i log off take him to the dog park to burn some more energy. 

Got laid off and now started working at the office, with an hour commute, then a new born baby came too.

I immediately take him outside to play, then later before bed, i take him bike riding to burn energy, but just not enough hours in the day. 

So finally purchased a pup to keep him busy during the day. So far it's working great. Now it's about 1hr to 2 hours per day.


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## fuzzybunny (Apr 29, 2011)

I'd say on weekdays I spend about 2 hours walking and about 30 minutes with them. They prefer to play with each other anyways . On weekends I spend about 3-4 hours each day.


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## Karla (Dec 14, 2010)

I'm retired and I have 2 German Shepherds, a Cocker Spaniel (for Hubby) and two 18 year old Siamese cats. My life pretty much revolves around the dogs. I walk them twice a day.......365 days a year, I enjoy training and I do rally and obedience with my male GSD, Timber. My husband and I usually take the dogs different places to walk and play. I'm very content being a home body and no matter what I'm doing, inside or out, they're always close by keeping a watchful eye on me.


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## Shaina (Apr 2, 2011)

Oh lord. My dogs both come with me to work and get to be in doggy daycare when I'm out with them, so that is a good few hours of pure play, swimming, and doggy mingling. On my off days, we go to the dog park for a few hours and swim there. We may go to Petsmart and walk around for a bit. We go to my friends houses, and most of the time we just watch our dogs play and throw the ball for them. We do three days of more "serious" training a week, lasting anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour for each dog. Then, of course, we go home and play in the back yard. Needless to say, we're a bit attached! I wouldn't have it any other way.


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