# Exercise



## Sigurd's Mom (May 12, 2009)

Not sure if this is the right place to post, but I am curious how much exercise your German Shepherds get a day? and what kind of exercise you do? Thanks!


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## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

Jerzey's typical exercise consists of walks, Frisbee, hiking and drive work. She has the occasional trip to the dog park as well. Generally she gets a walk and Frisbee everyday. Sometimes we all have a lazy day and she gets less exercise. On hiking days she generally gets more exercise than the average walk around campus. I can't really say, in hours, how much exercise she gets a day because it varies depended on how busy we are and the weather.


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## Spiritsmam (Nov 10, 2007)

All my GSD's have hindlimb anomalies and walking them more than 1/2 a mile exhausts them and can cause foot trauma (I've yet to find tough enough boots). We thus are pretty much limited to the back yard (1/4 acre fenced) where they chase each other, run after balls, roll in the dirt/mud etc. resting every few minutes. A typical session is about a hour in length twice a day. 

My dogs are not very heat tolerant - just walking Eli from the parking lot to the vets results in his temperature jumping from his usual 100.5 to 104! As such the summer is a real trial for me. If I'm lucky we get 1/2 hour outside exercise a day which creates monsters. I'm currently tolerating 4 under exercised GSD's and a Lab/Beagle mix who thinks she's a GSD playing en mass in my 15' x 15' living room









Can't wait for Fall ...


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## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

Spiritsmam,

I TOTALLY know what you mean! Jerzey hates the heat so we either need to be up early or try to walk her later in the afternoon; our busiest times. Summer and winter _suck_. I need to live somewhere with a milder climate, lol. I'm just glad that Koji enjoys playing with Jerz so they just play and chase each other on the days we don't get Jerz outside for enough exercise.


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## angierose (Apr 20, 2009)

On weekdays, Kaylee gets at least 45 minutes in the morning of playing in the yard (fetch or tug and exploring), another hour after lunch of the same plus some leashwork, and a walk/play session of about an hour at night in a local park. She's not locked up at other times, that's just what I'd consider the focused exercise we do.

On the weekends we do longer hikes, usually a couple hours of hiking and then some time playing at whatever park we're at. What happens later in the day depends on how tired she is. 

We also have puppy class once a week, which lasts a bit over an hour and really really exhausts her.


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## Steffanie (Oct 1, 2005)

Depends on the day, but I always try to give them something. Time is a rough average. I currently am unemployed, so most of my day is spent with the dogs, hopefully I can keep up this plan when I manage to find a job!

We go on hikes/trips probably 3-4 times a week, 2-4 hours they get to run around and goof off, and a lot of times there's water they get to swim in. This is usually done early AM and they'll be pretty lazy the rest of the day. We never leave for a hike after noon, it gets too hot.

Also about 3-4 days a week we also go out to a nearby parking lot in the middle of the night and do obedience for an hour or so(lots of sniffing around and exploring time within that). That seems to wear them out just as much as a hike.

If we don't go anywhere specific, the backup plan is to take a leashed walk out to a small field where I'll let them off and play ball. Probably 45 minutes on leash, and about the same off leash fetching or running around the field.

They also have their pool in the backyard which is usually filled, and they run around and wrestle with each other and we have little play sessions like tug games just scattered in.

I like 'em tired!


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## mjbgsd (Jun 29, 2004)

My dogs both don't have that I NEED TO WALK everyday additude. We walk maybe 5 times a week with a lot of backyard running and running after the tennis ball for a couple hours. 
Because Cody has artritis and is getting older, he justs wants to lay on the couch most of the time.


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