# Exercise Routine



## Kobe24 (Jul 28, 2011)

I need help creating a exercise/play routine for my 7 month old gsd. I don't think he's getting enough exercise because he is always so full of energy and seems restless at times. 

Our schedule now consists of a 2 mile walk in the morning, a 1/2 mile walk around noon, and a 1 mile walk around 7:00 pm. In between the walks we play inside through out the day. We also go outside and he plays/lays in the yard for about 1-2 hours. It isn't vigorous the entire time. He also trains for a good 20 minutes a day.

We don't have a fenced in yard yet, so I cant just let him play around freely outside without a runner. Should his walks be longer and more frequent at this age? All of his walks are on concrete sidewalk, I don't want to overdo it and hurt his joints/muscles. Any routine ideas or games we can play would be great. I don't want a bored and restless puppy. Thanks guys.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Sounds like he's getting enough physical stimulation but he might need a hobby or job. Have you considered something like Agility or Flyball?


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## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

After a walk, if my dog still has alot of energy, I take him in the backyard and throw the frisbee and have him chase and catch it over and over until he drops-literally drops in exhaustion.lol You could try frisbee with him, it is a great energy burner, and if your dog has a strong chase drive like mine-it helps to satisfy that as well.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Germanshepherdlova said:


> After a walk, if my dog still has alot of energy, I take him in the backyard and throw the frisbee and have him chase and catch it over and over until he drops-literally drops in exhaustion.lol You could try frisbee with him, it is a great energy burner, and if your dog has a strong chase drive like mine-it helps to satisfy that as well.


Yeah, we do ball instead of frisbee, but it's the same concept.

OP doesn't have a fenced yard, though, and it's hard to play ball or frisbee dragging a long line.


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## Kobe24 (Jul 28, 2011)

I have thought about an Agility class that my trainer teaches. I just have to finish my Intermediate Training class first. Do you have any ideas for jobs for him? I also wondered if biking with him would be a good idea, since I can't keep up running with him for long periods of time :blush:. I wish we could go on hikes but there aren't any trails in my area.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Hmmmm. . . not so sure about biking at 7 months old. . . . he really needs an opportunity to get off leash and _*run*_. I'm normally not a fan of dog parks, but are there any fenced parks nearby where you can throw the ball or a frisbee or just let him run and be a dog?


Kopper (10 months) spends a lot of time in the yard or on our hiking trail with his ears flat on his head and his tail straight behind him, running as fast as he can.


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## Kobe24 (Jul 28, 2011)

We have a dog park near by, but i'm also not a huge fan of them. We live right next to a regular park that has a fenced in football field. I always thought about taking him to the football field and throwing the ball and letting him run. I have two reservations about the park though, one being that I don't know the dog policy there. Some people tell me that you can take your dog there, while others say you can't. My other problem is that I think it may be hard to get him to go home. I don't want to chase him all over the field.


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## MustLoveGSDs (Oct 31, 2008)

Try a Bob-A-Lot. It's a fun toy you can pick up at petco

Amazon.com: StarMark Bob-A-Lot Interactive Pet Toy, Large: Pet Supplies

It keeps my young ones entertained, even the ole 5 year old husky is amused by it


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Kobe24 said:


> We have a dog park near by, but i'm also not a huge fan of them. We live right next to a regular park that has a fenced in football field. I always thought about taking him to the football field and throwing the ball and letting him run. I have two reservations about the park though, one being that I don't know the dog policy there. Some people tell me that you can take your dog there, while others say you can't. My other problem is that I think it may be hard to get him to go home. I don't want to chase him all over the field.


Sounds like a good, safe place to practice your recall. Call, treat, let him go. Call, treat, let him go. Repeat. If you call and he doesn't come, take of running as fast as you can away from him. He *will* chase you. When he catches you, give him a treat. I guarantee you'll become the most interesting thing in the park. He'lll get the idea pretty quickly that coming when you call means he gets a treat and goes right back to playing, not always the end of fun.


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## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

Emoore said:


> Yeah, we do ball instead of frisbee, but it's the same concept.
> 
> OP doesn't have a fenced yard, though, and it's hard to play ball or frisbee dragging a long line.


You are right, I didn't think about that when I replied.


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## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

Emoore said:


> Hmmmm. . . not so sure about biking at 7 months old. . . . he really needs an opportunity to get off leash and _*run*_. I'm normally not a fan of dog parks, but are there any fenced parks nearby where you can throw the ball or a frisbee or just let him run and be a dog?
> 
> 
> Kopper (10 months) spends a lot of time in the yard or on our hiking trail with his ears flat on his head and his tail straight behind him, running as fast as he can.


Good idea. Brought back a memory-when we first got Brutus, we didn't have a fenced in yard (we didn't get one until he was 1 year old) but I used to take him to the park, during school hours so the little kids weren't there-we'd go to the fenced in area where they have the baseball field and I'd let him loose and he'd be so excited to get to run free for a little while.


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## Kobe24 (Jul 28, 2011)

Thanks everyone for the great advice. I think I'll get Kobe that toy and look for other stimulating toys for him. I also think I'll try the park with him tomorrow. Any idea how long I should play with him there?


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## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

Kobe24 said:


> Thanks everyone for the great advice. I think I'll get Kobe that toy and look for other stimulating toys for him. I also think I'll try the park with him tomorrow. Any idea how long I should play with him there?


If he is running on grass, I think you can play with him until you can tell that he is tired. My dog will just lay down with his tongue hanging out when he is pooped out. You'll be able to tell when he has had enough playing.


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## Kobe24 (Jul 28, 2011)

Great! I'm going to give it a try tomorrow. I think he's going to love it. Wish me luck.


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