Yesterday's weather was soggy and disgusting. On both of our trips to the park we saw the same woman I always see with her working line GSD, and nobody else.

I thought it was interesting that we were there despite the weather and all the other dog owners stayed home. I guess when you have a dog who will chase you around the house barking because she is bored its good motivation to get out there

The dogs had a great time playing together with the 66 acre park all to themselves!

It got the idea in my head to post here asking you all what your day with your dog is like. I'm especially interested in how people with multiple dog households and sport dogs do it. My one pet dog is so much work, I don't know how you guys pull it off!

Our day:

7:30 to 9:00 a.m. at the park: training, playing and a short walk

11:00 a.m. 45 minute walk, then I go to work or get stuff done around the house

4:00 p.m. back to the park for an hour, either with me or the dog walker if I'm working.

8:00 p.m. another 45 minute walk, with some focus work and obedience training while we are out. Tricks, smart games or other training when we get home if I have the energy for it.

On my days off we will sometimes also go hiking if the weather permits.

Keep in mind that my dog is 5, and a Labrador. Not a working line GSD puppy.

I set this schedule up knowing that this was what it was going to take to keep a dog happy living in an apartment.

7:30-ish, walk around the block before I go to work.
12:30 I come home from work for lunch and we take a walk around the block in the other direction.
6:00 if we don't have a dog training class we go to the local park and walk in the woods, then go out in the soccer field and play ball. Sometimes we're there for 2-3 hours, and the best nights are when his "pack" of border collie friends are there. They run for miles and miles. Like you, we see the same diehards there every night, people devoted to making sure their dog's exercise needs are met, regardless of weather.
10:00 last out for the night.

Lately, we're in class 3 nights a week. Rally obedience, regular obedience, and an obedience games class.

Weekends are all about the dog, and we'll probably double the above activity.

This is such an incredible and wonderful change from my sedentary life Before Dog. I never used to see the sun!

 Quote: Meredith Hamilton

This is such an incredible and wonderful change from my sedentary life Before Dog. I never used to see the sun!

I'm a hairdresser and my 6 week haircut clients have consistently been asking me if I just came back from vacation because I have a winter tan

Sure, this is interesting. We've been having some rough weather here, you get to find out who is actually committed to getting their dogs out (haven't seen anyone walking a dog the last two days except the old lady and her pug on their evening stroll).

6:30-7:00 to around 8:00- 8:30: Run dogs in wooded area off leash, with a mile on leash to get to the park. I run about 7-10 miles depending on conditions and location, dogs cover a bit more or a lot more. Short training sessions, mainly on come or check in commands (the reason I found Leerburg in the first place was to work on the recall).

8:30- 9:00: dog breakfast, me off to work.

6:00 to 7:00 p.m.: 4.5 mile run on leash generally. Work on passing training, sit, platz, stay, leave it, and mushing commands.

7:00 dog dinner

Depending on my schedule I train/play with the dogs for at least a half hour. Marker training, tug playing, restrained come, etc.

9:30: Mile jog before bed.

Weekends are north for all day skis/skijor or hikes with the dogs (15 to 30 miles/day). Or skijor races of generally 4-7 miles/day for two days. Climbed the 48 NH 4,000 footers this fall.

The schedule varies a bit if we have enough snow to ski out the door, or enough light to run off leash at night, or are doing field work. My primary dog sports are skijor/canicross/bikejor.

 Quote: Kiersten Lippman

I run about 7-10 miles depending on conditions and location,
6:00 to 7:00 p.m.: 4.5 mile run on leash generally.

9:30: Mile jog before bed.

Weekends are north for all day skis/skijor or hikes with the dogs (15 to 30 miles/day).

OMG, you're a maniac! I'd pay for a fraction of your drive!

Our schedule really depends on the weather. For instance, Luanne will get longer walks in the AM in the summer, because I swear to god no matter how hard I try it is almost impossible to get out of bed in the morning when it is still dark and cold outside.

but generally:

AM - 15-30 min walk (depending on the season)
Luanne goes in the crate when I leave for work
PM - Dog walker comes for a 15 min walk/potty break, and leaves her out of the crate for the rest of the day
After work - 30 - 90 min walk depending on the weather
I will put her back in the crate if I go out in the evenings, otherwise we will just hang out on the couch together, and maybe play a little fetch inside.
Night - usually just a walk around the block for a potty before bedtime.

On the weekends it's a little different too, generally all walks are longer, and sometimes I will take her to the athletic field, but she is not really big into "running around" or playing fetch outside for some reason. She'd much rather stand by the fence and watch people walking around, or stand next to me. But we will do training out there (in fact we are always in training mode, because she is DA), but i will have her do sits, stays, and comes in the field.

I so wish I could take my dog to the dog park to play with other dogs, but she's not always cool with other dogs (although she does much better off leash). When it's light outside after work sometimes we will go over there and do training/desensitization from behind the fence of the dog park. we do that for an hour sometimes.

Reading these, I really need to run my dog more.

6 o'clock.
Take her out for a pee break, and a quick run around the park.
It's only like 15 minutes.

Then again at 12.

Then again at 5.

Then again at 9, but there are usually dogs out so sometimes we're out there for 15 minutes - 1.5 hour depending what dog it is.

Then at 11, we go for a walk around either the mall, to blockbuster, or around the block.
Or sometimes me, her and stephen play out in the snow.
That's usually around 30 minutes.


Weekends we try and go to the dog park though, and we take the dogs for long walks at 12. Anywhere from an 1 - 2.5 hours.

We've also been protesting a lot with her, trying to get rid of the BSL law.

I live in the same area as Lauren and Kiersten and I can attest to the horrible weather. I just came in from a play outing with Cali in driving sheets of rain. Did I see anyone else t the field? No. I feel I took on the responsibility of having an active dog, so I suit up, and out I go. She's fine in any weather.

Our usual day:

5:15 am-short walk, short focus training session.

8 am--~1 hour. Ball play, training during play (sits, downs, focus, etc.) Heel-training walk. On my client meeting days, the dog walker comes at 11 for 30 minutes.

1 pm--if I'm not at work, it's ~20-30-40' walk depending. Obedience training.

4 pm--~45-1 hour, same at the 8am, but usually a longer walk than in the morning.

8 pm short walk. Before that another short training session of some kind.

When I can fit in a run with her, it takes up some of the exercise time. It depends on the day, and what I need to do. Takes a lot of time, doesn't it?

Now when everyone read this Phoenix is a medium to low energy dog. And i could never take her on a walk and her be very a very good dog.

The days I and hubby are home
Up at 8am breakfast then potty break

1 pm in winter we go for a 3 mile run well I bike she runs for three mile a hour at the beach. Yes we see the same dog owner and after training with distractions of other dogs. She get to play with three other dogs for about a hour.

In the summer we only do a late night run and beach time concrete to hot for her to run

Full running the whole time and swimming.

Home 3 mile run back and pretty chill the rest of the day.

The days that hubby is at work and I am not home.

4 am breakfast
Dog sitter come at 9 1 5 she get 30 minute ball games each time

Hubby home at 6 30 for her 3 mile run on bike.

Chill the rest of the night.

We do change schedule do to one thing or the other.
If it is raining we put the couches against the walls and play toss the ball for 3 1 hour sessions.

Some day we do nothing but that is our main schedule.

I knew I wouldn't have time for an exercise schedule like most of you have so I chose a lower energy Mastiff for my dog.
4:30 AM up and out for potty break and then back to bed.
5:15 AM Off to work.
10:00 AM Home from work. Breakfast and then rest for 30 minutes. then either go for a walk and do some training, or to the park for part walk, part ball chasing, part training.
3:00 PM Off to my second job. Boyfriend home by 6:00 to keep her company.
11:00 PM Dinner and 30 minute rest. Play ball in the house or backyard; working on 'watch me', stays, leave it etc.
12:00 Final out and then bedtime.

In the winter, I don't have the second job so we usually go for a 30 minute walk around 9:00 AM and then have breakfast.