# How often should a person excersize their GSD?



## CertainlySpoiled (Dec 2, 2007)

Both of my dogs (GSD & GSD Mix) live on the inside of the house, and I won't tolerate it any other way.

Every day we let them out to run and play and excersize 2 times a day for about 20-25 minutes (We have a large open private property fenced in) sometimes longer or less depending on when they are ready to come in. Obviously they get to run when they get to go out to do their potty business. While I'm not home I won't let them stay out, because frankly I don't trust any of my neighbors and am afraid they might do something to them (no particular reason, I'm just protective). Sorry so long!

Question is........
How often do you let your GSD run/play excersize outside?


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## CertainlySpoiled (Dec 2, 2007)

I forgot to mention that they also run and play all the time in the house, as we have a very large family room we all get in the floor and play and play fetch and puppy stuff that even my 2 yr old (GSD Mix) still enjoys! A good game of hide-n-seek is always a fun game for us as well!!


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## Papanapa (Mar 1, 2008)

I am no expert but I am sure that there are plenty of people on here that will give you good advice. My guess would be that they are all different and require differing amounts of excercise. Are they happy and well adjusted dogs? It sounds to me like you are doing everything right.


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## wrenny (Sep 20, 2007)

I have a side joke that was kinda mean but funny. I totally didn't mean it that way.

I have a cousin who is 10 years old. Female. Shes already like 5'7 and plays two grades above her for basketball. She's a little over weight but its just because shes so big. Anyways.

She has TONS of energy and we were at a party. She kept running around and doing all these kid things like super hyper. So I made the comment "She needs to be exercised daily." My wife and I understood the GSD joke but two others thought I was making a fat joke. So it was embarassing at the moment but so funny afterwards.


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## Papanapa (Mar 1, 2008)

wrenny,
That is hilarious!!! I cracked up when I read your post.


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## shilohsmom (Jul 14, 2003)

I'm up at 4am in the morning at which time the dogs are up and playing around the house-they wrestle, I toss the ball, etc. At about 5:30 I open the front door and they are allowed out in the front until 7:00 or so when I bring them in for the day. I'm home between 5:00 and 5:30 and thats when we have two hours min. of ball throwing/catching. They take between two and three mini breaks durning this time. After that the front door is left open until 8:30ish when they are brought in and given their dinner. With the front door open they are free to go inside/outside as they wish. 
Rosa


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## Sherush (Jan 12, 2008)

I walk Jesse 3 times a day about 20 minutes per, a year from now he will get walked 2 times a day for about 45 minutes to an hour per walk. Plus play time in the summer in the pool, playing in the winter with snowballs in the backyard, playing fetch inside the house or at the park (late at night) when nobody is around. Hikes on the weekends.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Some days we do nothing; other days we will do agility in the yard, then go to training practice, then do a 3.5 mile walk, and meet some friends for an off-lead play date.... It sort of depends on the weather and Kenya. Some days I can't motivate her to do agility even for 5 minutes while other days the 3.5 mile walk is just a warm-up and then we have to do lots of fetch or me sending her off to run (we have this game where I say GO! and then she RUNS out to the back of the yard, around a patch of bushes, and back to me, sort of like running a blind. She thinks it's the greatest game ever and so do I since I can stand in one spot!).


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## Cooper&me (Dec 18, 2007)

every day. 3 x a day. Sometimes an hour each outing sometimes just 20 miniutes. We also have lots of property but do not let the dogs out unsupervised.


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## Bridget (Apr 5, 2004)

I have 3 large dogs and work full-time (yes, I'm making excuses for myself). On Saturdays and Sundays, I try to get them each out (sometimes I take two at the same time) to go somewhere for intense exercise, maybe a long walk or swimming or to the dog park. I try to make sure on most weekdays they get tennis ball fetching in the backyard or a neighborhood leash walk for each. I admit there are some weekdays that this just doesn't happen. They do exercise each other by playing somewhat.


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## CertainlySpoiled (Dec 2, 2007)

I would love to let the girls run and play outside as long as they want, but I can't do that if they are unsupervised, so letting them run and play as long as I can be out there with them or Del, he takes them for long walks and runs with them sometimes...or even if I can be at a window where I can see them, I'll let them play out alone like that, but for whatever reason (I'm not sure why) I don't really trust that one of my neighbors might do something to them, I guess I've heard one too many horror stories of people poisoning dogs, and if anything ever happened to hurt, injure or make my dog sick, it would just kill me. I guess I'm too attached to them, but goodness those eyes and faces make you fall in love with them everytime you look at them.


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## GSDog (Mar 5, 2008)

My GSD goes out everyday for either to the park for an hour or so running with his buddies and I powerwalk 4ks with him. And thats aside from when we play with him outside in the yard with his frizbee or ball...He has not choice to move cause hes only 6months old at 80lbs so he's got to move and good for me too...


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## CertainlySpoiled (Dec 2, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: GSDogMy GSD goes out everyday for either to the park for an hour or so running with his buddies and I powerwalk 4ks with him. And thats aside from when we play with him outside in the yard with his frizbee or ball...He has not choice to move cause hes only 6months old at 80lbs so he's got to move and good for me too...


Wow, he is a big boy!!


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

A lot depends on the weather!!!









When the Hooligans are outside,







we play ball, they run around playing with each other, chase squirrels, chickens or whatever critters happen to be in the yard, run the fence, but they also relax (except Mac who constantly trots around with his ball). They range in age from 12-1/2 to 3 so the amount of actual exercise each one gets varies.

During the cooler months, they are usually outside playing for about 4 or 5 hours in the morning and 2 hours or so in the evening. 

During the hot Florida summer months, they usually get about 2 or 3 hours in the morning (they are always back in the house no later than 10 AM). They get another hour or two after dark. The old guys aren't as active but they still seem to get a lot of exercise.








When we have really nasty weather they only go out for quick potty breaks and then delight in driving me nuts in the house because they haven't had any exercise.


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## Timber1 (May 19, 2007)

Sounds good to me. My neighbor and I have adjacent yards along a river bank. I tend to think if the dogs run. play, do catchum for a bit, that is much better then a one mile walk.


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## CertainlySpoiled (Dec 2, 2007)

I guess it all depends on how each individual GSD needs are when it come to excersize?!?!? I'm pretty sure my Dogs get pleny of excersize, because come the end of the day, they are exhausted and have no problem sleeping through the entire night.


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## SuzyE (Apr 22, 2005)

my dogs walk aprrox 40 min per day and if the weather is nice the shepherd & THE shepherd mix hang outside.


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## GSDog (Mar 5, 2008)

yup he's getting huge now...he's on adult food too..orijen Fish...guess the fish diet is making him bigger..lol.. 

this morning we went out and did 5ks so when we got home he was tired...went to rest a bit then he was ready to go again...but i wasnt...LOL


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Rafi has hip issues so I don't do a lot of high impact activity with him, especially now that the snow is gone. We play fetch in short sessions a couple of times a day and I walk him with Chama 1-2 miles (that's a slow walk) and he and I do a 3-4 mile power walk every day. If he doesn't get his power walk he just lies there and stares at me! He's got me trained!


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## Keeyah (Apr 24, 2007)

2x a day. Everyday. We walk to a nearby field in the morning for some running, sniffing and playing ball. About 30 mins of this.

Then walk home and he plays in the garden with the pup while I see to my other animals.

Later on we go for another walk of about 1 and a 1/2 hours. This is mostly off lead and involves lots of running!

We also do training and hide and seek in the house.

I have two high energy dogs. If I wasn't prepared to give them this much exercise I wouldn't have got them.


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## littledmc17 (Apr 9, 2008)

I play with my 15 mins in morning before I go to work, come home at lunch so he can do his business and play 10 mins. after work play from the time I get home until dinner time 1- 1 1/2. (we have 2 1/2 acres) All depends on weather too. some days its go do you business then I will paly in house. Now that the weather is getting warmer I will take Brady for walks every night after dinner. On weekends to park or lake. 

I NEVER leave my dogs out when I am not home I don't trust people and we have had incidents with poeple turning around in our driveway (horseshoe shape) going pretty fast and almost hitting our dogs. So I don't blame you for not wanting to leave them out when your not home. I leave or door open to so they can come and go out too.

It hall depends on age and energy of the pooch


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## tibvixie101 (Nov 26, 2007)

Right now im working from home, so in the morning after the've all been fed, we head outside (weather permitting) and play some ball games, and chasing each other and whatnot, maybe about 30 mins or so. Then i have to go inside and work. I take a break at lunchtime, and again we do some outside playing, and i also do some cleaning while they play inside. Then its back to work on the computer, or if im not to busy with work that particular day, i'll take them out to the park to hike, or swim. Sometimes, like yesterday i'll take just one of them so they get some one on one time alone with me. When brett gets home from work around 5ish, i let the dogs back outside and brett and i talk to one another about our day, as we play with the dogs. Thats pretty much are daily routine. On weekends i try to make it to the park for a good hike at least one of the days.


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