How often and how far do you walk your dog?

[Lindy]

my two get a quick pee in the morning then off to work with me, about 30 mins at lunch time so anywhere between 12.30 and 1.30 then they get 1.5hrs to 2.5hrs every evening, at weekends they get 1 big walk anything from 1.5 hrs to 5 hrs both days and lots of out in the garden to pee and play. Also if I am walking at work they come too so on occasion's like today I was out for 1.5hrs and they came too and then we went on the long walk tonight 2.5hrs so altogether they have had 4hrs walking today and about 40 mins in the back garden.

[JayDee]

[Lindy]

[Mary]

Danny and Jack get an hour every morning (unless the weather is really foul, in which case they get til I get soaked). Lunchtime I go home and let them out into the garden and then in the evening 30 mins to whatever depending on where we go, weather, who we meet etc....

They get hyper if they are not walked, if for some reason I cannot take them.
_________________
No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as the dog does - Christopher Morley

[Louise McBain]

We've been really bad by the sounds of things. Heidi gets out for toilet in the morning, then I take her for about an hour after 9.30. She gets into our (very small) garden as often as she wants and later in the day Peter takes her a quick walk. The people we bought her off breed show dogs and they told us that she should not be taken on a long walk (he said a 5 mile hike) until she was about 18 months old. I take is this is pants? We have noticed her behaviour is much better when she has had a big walk but we were wary about doing this.

[Emma*]

Louise i am not sure abut GSD's but it is the same for most pups and great danes in particular, have to have restricted walks because of possible damage to their joints.

Best talking to John or Marcella as they have alot of experience with this breed.
_________________
Happiness is being loved by 2 Great Danes

[John Thomson]

Louise....Heidi is still very young and should not be walked too much ( patrticularly on hard surfaces).
Gsd's are prone to joint problems and over excersising a puppy can result in joint damage.

Take things nice and slow with Heidi.

all the owners here talking about large walks do this with older mature dogs.
_________________
John Thomson
www.cumbernaulddogtraining.co.uk

[Laura]

My girls do around 8-10 miles road walking daily when I am conditioning them for a show often more at the weekends. On average, when Cassy is getting fit for a show we will do five miles in the morning on foot, three in the afternoon on bike and a further two at night on foot. In between she gets twenty minutes of flirtpole, a half hour swimming (depending on our walk) and fifteen minutes on the springpole. It's not a dead cert but this is roughly a days work. This is really bringing them down to "Peak" weight where all the fat is stripped down and your left with muscle and little else.

If we are not in training they get around five miles of walking minimum, I aim for two hours a day out running free and being dogs, each dog will get a twenty five minute burst of flirtpole, some a-frame and then either a bike ride or just a rest, we do this for say two days then a rest day then two more like that then a rest and so on. It works well for my own dogs and I find a tired dog is a happy dog, but it's important to understand individual breeds requirements and not to overdo it I doubt I'd do the same if I had a chi or a great dane Staffs are active dogs and need a LOT of exercise, the pup at the moment is getting at most 3 miles daily I pretty much let him decide, we go up palacerigg and he gets off lead he goes at his own pace and if he wants to go home we do (never happened yet). I also introduced him to the a-frame, springpole and flirtpole from a young age as its something I utilise with all my dogs in keeping them fit and mentally stimulated. I think folk forget as much as you can go out walking there is a range of stuff you can do at home that not only keeps a dog physically fit but mentally too.

[geri carroll]

my 2 get a 30 min run off lead every morning. at lunchtime we tend to have about 45mins, with about 30 mins off lead and evenings are 10 mins about half off lead.
on a thurs and fri the poor souls miss out on the lunchtime walk.
at weekends they tend to join the big saturday walk to get plenty of fun and running about.
i dont tend to find they complain too much as long as they get their morning walk.
they are both ideal weight.
we have a garden and train and play for a short time most days.

[Deborah Hamilton]

Mishka gets a quick toilet stop first thing (When we fall out of bed!). Then around an hour later will get at least an hours power walk and play. A trillion bell ringing toilet breaks throughout the day In the afternoon she usually gets a short walk. then another trillion toilet breaks. And one last walk in the evening 1/2 hour+.

Usually all with Robert as I am working on my lifebelt ( increasing by the day)

[JennyMc]

My 2 get 40ish mins in the morning with a wee bit off lead, for her as no-one around when I finish work (nights) out in garden during day. 40 mins at 3 and then further 3 20 mins walks before bed. longer walks at weekend toys and training every day.
Bear also swims to help his muscles.

[Suzanne H]

I do worry about over-exercising and have to rein Ian in a bit as him and the dog would be off up hills or going on 20 mile bike rides.

He's one next week, so that has always been the hill walk limit - so up Tinto at the weekend.

We kept his longer runs to soft ground, and restricted it to weekends and only a hour. Latterly he's been getting longer as he's at full height and his muscles are developing - and plus he'd drive me mad.

[Nikki]

Millie gets 10-15 mins in the morning on the lead!!
40 mins in the afternoon both on and off lead playing with a ball when she is off!
And then 10-15 mins at night before bed on the lead!!
Plus a million toilet breaks and training!!
_________________
When a dog wags her tail and barks at the same time, how do you know which end to believe?

[Lisa]

Kai gets walked for around 2 hours each day during the week. This is normally 20 mins at lunch time and then 1.5 hours at night. This is will increase now the better weather and lighter nights/mornings are here as we'll be going out more in the evenings and we'll also have a morning walk. We tend to be out for 3/4 hours a day at the weekend. Kai is still quite young at 11 months and we don't want to overdo things. Most of Kai's exercise is off lead so he can go at his own pace.