# Do you "excercise" your working dog?



## Holly Huryn (Mar 12, 2008)

Just wondering how much other people excercise their dogs ... in addition to training.
I have a Ring 3 dog and I think that it is very important to excercise my dog so that he does not tire out during training and on the trial field, the R3 program is about 45 minutes long. I think these dogs are athletes and so that is how I treat them. I know many handlers who do not excercise their dogs other than during training, not that there is anything wrong with that, I think it's a personal preference.

Myself, I take my dog running 5 or 6 days a week for one hour, it's on soft packed trails through the forest with lots of big hills. 
4 or 5 days per week I take him for short speed drills beside the ATV. 
On top of this he goes swimming and I throw the ball for him and we train 3 or 4 times per week.


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## Corina Annette Gonzalez (Sep 28, 2009)

*Re: Do you "exercise" your working dog?*

Unfortunely I don't condition my dogs through any special physical training exercises. My goal for them is to burn off any anxiety or extra energy and just tire them out . 

The most "advanced" training I've done was "run" my dogs up and down hill through the common passtime of "fetch". Although, I did have my Malinois pull me around on the skateboard many times in the past before the deck (board) broke ( ). That counts as physical training, right? lol. Maybe one of these days I'll pick up sledding...

...until then... 

Occasionally we'll go on long walks around neighborhoods (at least 45 minutes to an hour) but I only do that if I'm really bored.

I usually just take them to a secure, fenced in field for a couple of, or few, hours and set them "free" so that they can run wild, be crazy and tire themselves out. This is where I'll get my exercise too because I'll run around with them until I'm tuckered out. I might even throw the ball around for them a few times. <--- If you ever hear me say, "I need to go run my dog(s)"...if it isn't related to a sport/performance venue...this is what I'm refering to.

Every now and then though, I will take them to the nice "upscale" parks, on hiking trails or even the beach (during the time frame in which dogs are allowed) for some good "outdoor" time. And we accomplish more of our walks this way.

I don't really have a schedule for this, it's just at random times from day to day. It varies from week to week, we go on plenty of "field trips", some weeks more or less then others. 

There are times in which I do consider "formal" training as a means of "exercise". For example, if I worked my dog really hard that day...you can bet we'll be at home resting ) ) .


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## Anne Jones (Mar 27, 2006)

I run my dogs at least 2x a day out in a field for at least 1/2 - 3/4 hour chasing their balls. Then after that we do some OB & walk on the bleacher seats, & jump over benches. walk on stone walls, up & down playground equipment & what ever else I can think of to challenge them a bit mentally & physically. We often go to different places that each presents it's own set of things to do. Now that the summer season is over here in the NE, we can start going to the beach to play. The dogs love the water & running in the wet sand. I also toss the balls for them to retreive in my yard if the ground isn't too wet to tear it up. They also get some time to hang out in the yard & play together, with me keeping an eye on things so they don't get out of control.


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## James Downey (Oct 27, 2008)

I do lots of hill runs, I have a pretty steep sledding hill by my house. and the other side is a bit more gentle of a slop. But I have the dog trained to go the bottom and I have her ball, call her and she charges up. I do that 2 times a week, I swim her once a week long, and once a week short sprints in the summer. We do some bites where the dog bites and just hangs on, a pair of ring pants work great for this. I do some tire drags, in the start of the season...My wifes a personal trainer, and has a degree in exercise and nutritional sciences. I have a very physically demanding job, So, I have some training in the physical fitness field. So, I try to apply the things I know to my dogs.


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## Corina Annette Gonzalez (Sep 28, 2009)

Oh yeah, I suppose the playground equipment counts as exercise too, lol. We just do them for fun though. 

My Malinois has a "slide" command. Shoot, I went to this one place where they had a tall straight ladder up to the slide (the ones with the handle bars). I didn't think she'd actually climb up it to slide down because that climbing wasn't an easy feat, but she did it! Crazy Malinois...


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## Heath Corte (Sep 1, 2009)

Have a 16 months old male rottweiler and a 9 month old GSD. I walk my dog for hours. The outdoor activity is walking 5 hours a day (3 hrs in the morning and 2 hour in the evening) as they are mostly inactive inside the house and besides that we do a lot of sprinting and running.


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## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

Yes I do ball drills, like a 100meter dash for doggies twice a day at least. I also road run them, .5-4 miles, depending on the dog and it's condidtion. I shoot for once a day runs but can't always fit it in. The swimming and other stuff is sporatic, for them it's just fun anyway.


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## Guest (Dec 1, 2008)

Treadmill helps...


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## todd pavlus (Apr 30, 2008)

Heath Corte said:


> Have a 16 months old male rottweiler and a 9 month old GSD. I walk my dog for hours. The outdoor activity is walking 5 hours a day (3 hrs in the morning and 2 hour in the evening) as they are mostly inactive inside the house and besides that we do a lot of sprinting and running.


Walking is just warming up for my dogs. Don't you work?? Who the hell has 5 hrs a day to walk their dogs;-)


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

I have all my dogs on a "program". Sprints and long distance runs with the four wheeler (treadmill when it is super cold out), for walks I will take them out and let them be dogs, but then I do control work with them as well for the mental stimulation and concentration. 

We play a lot too and then they all work once a day.....or more.


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## Bill Whatley (Aug 26, 2009)

How about swimming? Retrieving in the water is great excercise! Swimming with your dog is bonding, too!


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## Steven Stroupes (Apr 3, 2009)

Bill Whatley said:


> How about swimming? Retrieving in the water is great excercise! Swimming with your dog is bonding, too!


I was thinking the same thing. I usually throw ball with my dogs for 20 - 30 minutes every day in addition to whatever training they get. During the warmer summer months, I usually do this at the lake as the swimming seems to be an effective method of conditioning.


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

we do hills every morning and I toss the kong for about 20 minutes per dog in the evening.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

No exercise program here. Each dog trains a minimum of one day per week, which is 5 - 8 hours of periods of walking and waiting. I send a couple dogs out with volunteers for a day and they usually just walk around for a few hours in various environments. Each dog has retrieve and tug training, about every other day.

My goal isn't for an intense conditioned dog, but for a dog that can and will work for 8 - 10 hours per day. (Teaching the dog when/how/where to rest is essential!)


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