# dog workouts?



## Daniel Lybbert (Nov 23, 2010)

The treadmill thread got me thinking that I am pretty lazy about keeping my dog in top physical shape.
What do you do to keep your dog ready? How often do you train?
I will play fetch with mine once in a while and take him for a run by the truck once in a while. Train once in a while. Nothing is very structured here for physical fitness.


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## Tammy St. Louis (Feb 17, 2010)

I go for hikes in the bush at least 4-5 times a week , for about 2-3 hrs they all run free
at thier own pace, 
I train, agility once a week with my mal and probably do Ob one night a week also 
i have been doing some dog sledding too, once a week , for a change of pace, and harder work for them , 
in the summer i take them swimming 2-3 times a week 
i LIVE by the motto , tired dogs are good dogs,,


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## Brian Anderson (Dec 2, 2010)

Daniel I have always looked at it like this. If my dog is expected to compete in a sport or do a task. Then in essence he is an athlete. In order for him to perform at his highest genetic potential he has to be in good shape mentally and physically. JMHO


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## Larry Krohn (Nov 18, 2010)

I bike with mine. You could give them a great workout in a short amount of time. Sometimes I will have them carry a tug in their mouth to teach them to breath through their nose. That is something I got from Bart Bellon.


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## Thomas Jones (Feb 4, 2011)

mine runs behind the four wheeler with me everyday when I'm home he also jumps hay bales like the one in my profile picture


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## Anna Kasho (Jan 16, 2008)

I bike with my grown mals in the morning (pups are released in the backyard meanwhile), and every night go to the park with several of them to let them run, play fetch, train, for 2-3 hours. Usually take a dog to work with me too, which means an extra 1/2 hour to run/play/train in the morning before we get there, and sleeping in the crate with 3-4 exercise breaks through the day.

In the weekends I plan my errands so I could bike and take a dog along to do something different. 

Haven't had time or energy to do that for the last 4 days and they are driving me crazy. Dusting off the treadmill...


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## Jessica Kromer (Nov 12, 2009)

I have mine run on the treadmill for at least three miles in the morning and a bike ride of about the same distance in the evenings. Prolly five days a week…
They drag a tire a couple of times a week, anywhere between a quarter mile to a full mile at a time. 
Swim weekly at the beach. I also get them digging in the wet sand to tire them out even more. 
Weekly trail ride in the sand dunes where the dogs are free to run up and down them at will for a couple of hours.


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## Faisal Khan (Apr 16, 2009)

For my dog, just regular training keeps him super fit. Running blinds/bitework/tracking/obedience (retrieves, send-outs etc) 3-5 times a week is plenty to wear him out physically and mentally (he's psycho to begin with).


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## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

I do lots of running in snow in the winter and swimming in the summer, the dog I mean but I get him to do it.
He's 2.5 yrs now and starting to get ripped, I think anyway.

I'd like to try a slatmill.

http://i881.photobucket.com/albums/ac13/ggrimwood/feb1.jpg


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## Jackie Lockard (Oct 20, 2009)

I do ball retrieves with my guy to get him in shape. After the winter gets out of his system regular training keeps him pretty fit. I think for the next winter I'm going to look into a treadmill (for both of us).


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Larry Krohn said:


> I bike with mine. You could give them a great workout in a short amount of time. Sometimes I will have them carry a tug in their mouth to teach them to breath through their nose. That is something I got from Bart Bellon.


This works...a big tug. I did not hear of it before I did it, but to make sure I don't get blamed for stealing an idea, I will let Bart take the credit. 

I am pretty lazy, me and the dog need to get in better shape...


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## fiona gilmore (Jun 5, 2009)

I run mine off lead in the forest for 2 hours a day (very wild forest so lots to jump/clamber over) and then we probably play fetch for at least an hour a day. Then a lot of the day they are out and about following me around as I do outdoor jobs.

I do agility once a week with one dog and train IPO twice a week with the other. And then we usually do some of the agility stuff I have at home once a day.


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## Tommy O'Hanlon (Feb 21, 2008)

Fortunate enough to know some top greyhound trainers so i copycatted their fitness training years ago and i am very happy with it, 3 to4 miles a day at 6 to 6.5 miles an hour and then what ever training i am doing after that, i do this on the bike and other people that have picked up on it have found great benefit to it, the speed is quite slow on a bike. Most of these guys stopped using treadmills years ago because of weakening of a group of muscles that manifested at high speed they have moved onto circular walkers that can be reversed in direction like a mini horse walker
Tommy


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## chad paquin (Apr 16, 2010)

Some great ideas. But 1 ?. Do most of you work from home? Seems like 3 to 4 hrs a day is taken up. Think its great but i dont always have that time. 
Well winter mnths are treadmill work outs then summer is swim, bike, hike,drag wght or 2 ball. What ever i do i watch the dog when it at its top performance i stop. Like people you dont want to push every work out.


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## Daniel Lybbert (Nov 23, 2010)

I was thinking the same thing. 3 hours a day is a lot. Id have to get up at 4 in the morning to do that. We train 3 to 4 days a week. Thats about all I ever muster up. Sometimes I hang chains on them and do a lot of face flee and gun attacks.


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## Peter Cho (Apr 21, 2010)

Treadmill.
The only way to go, especially in Canada.


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## Mark Horne (Oct 12, 2006)

I take this with a pinch of salt when I read about about this 2-3hrs a day stuff, you need to have retired or not actually have a job, remember the family always comes before the dog.

How to destroy your dogs and your own fitness quickly; do the same thing every day without fail no rest days, ignore any advice on recovery or active recovery e.g tracking. Lots of exercise over hours and hours remember schutzhund dogs work at intense levels for up to 6mins, K9's a bit less, likewise for PPD so make sure your training does not relate to real life challenges you know best.

Throw the ball every single day, especially down hill where gravity can really load the joints and tendons beyond normal expectations, and no rest days. Keep those ribs sticking out on that dog it means he's superfit and healthy! Not that these owners have seen their own feet in years.

A bit sarcastic I know, but thankfully many on hear have already said they don't do enough, and wish they did but there dogs are actually better for it.

It takes the human body 6 weeks to adapt to any new exercise routine before it stops improving, gains are lost, then repetive strain injuries will gradually develop. A cheeky guess that the superior dog adapts in much less time. A human athlete is supposed to eat with 45mins of training, some dogs wait 18hrs being fed only once a day after hard training.

Less is more, variety is key, followed by rest and nutrition. And try and focus it around his function; obviuosly this doesn't include kipping in front of the Tv.

My dogs do a day road walking, a day in the woods, a day running in the fields with other dogs, a day off ot tracking. Training is usually incorparated after a good warm up along the way. Never out more than an hour or some days 2 x 35mins.

Cheers 

Ronin


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Joby Becker said:


> This works...a big tug. I did not hear of it before I did it, but to make sure I don't get blamed for stealing an idea, I will let Bart take the credit.
> 
> I am pretty lazy, me and the dog need to get in better shape...


Joby, I remember you made the suggestion to me on another thread with my dog. I've been jogging with him short distances (I'm woefully out of shape, so we're working our way up in distance cause I normally loathe running ) with him carrying a tug. Can't tell if it's helped during bite work breath through his nose, but he does seem to hold it a bit more calmly since I would expect chewing during running would not be particularly enjoyable.


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