Is there any way to figure out how much exercise your dog should be getting? I realize there are many variables, but what kind of exercise time (factoring in intensity) should a two year old gsd be getting? I think me and my two would benefit from having a goal to shoot towards.

Also- what kind of different things do you do for exercise (other than the typical walk or run)? and are there any exercises that can involve both dogs at once?

Thanks-

I measure the correct exercise level by behaviour. If my guy is digging holes in the yard, barking at everything that moves and trying to act like a boomerang in the house, I know he needs more. You want them tired mentally as well as physically for good balance. If I have time, I do a long walk in the AM. Sometime I thow a little training in while I'm at it. If there's not a lot of time, a half hour walk with a weighted vest or back-pack does the trick, as long as your dog is over two. In the afternoon I do some training, then throw a soft frisbee or a ball for a while, then a little more training. This usually seems to be enough on most days. How much you do really depends on your dog's energy level and stamina, and your goals for your dog, so you can play with it a bit and adjust as necessary. For me, a tired dog is a happy me.

This is diferrent for every dog. You need to read yours. Be careful working in drive as you can over work and maybe goes as far as kill your dog. I have a GSD who can't go very long and we pushed to hard just playing ball one day and he started swaying almost falling over. long walks are good excercise for both dog and owner. Swimming is also great. Your dog should tell you when he has had enough if you read the signs. My doberman can go all day and come in pant for a minute and be ready to go again. My new Mali don't know for sure yet, just wish us luck with him

 Quote: carolyn pike

I think me and my two would benefit from having a goal to shoot towards.

Also- what kind of different things do you do for exercise (other than the typical walk or run)? and are there any exercises that can involve both dogs at once?

Thanks-

A goal of mine is a tired dog - you know the saying "a tired dog is a good dog".

Here are some things I do for exercising my two GSDs:

Hike the local nature trails
Go to the playground (seriously)
Play fetch with a "chuck it" in the yard
Set up the agility equipment and do some runs
Walk and do basic obedience throughout the walk
Set up my Rally-O course and do a couple of those

I follow a basic schedule as my work schedule allows - basically Monday - Thursday, we play fetch in the yard in the morning and walk in the evenings. I find that if I actually load the dogs up in the car and go somewhere, they get more tired as compared to a walk in the neighborhood. Weekends are for agility and social outings - I set up an agility course in the yard on Fridays and we run it all weekend. We also go a lot of places like the petstore, friend's houses, etc.

As for exercising two dogs at once, with activities that require me to work one on one (obedience, agility, etc.) I work on perfecting the other dog's down stay while I work with them. I can do this with all but agility - my younger dog just can't stay under the distraction of the other running the course...so I have a small dog kennel that she goes in when it's not her turn.

Oh, and I have found that my dog's ability to get tired, so to speak, varies on the activity. My 1 yr old gets good and tired after agility, my 5 year old seems to get tired after a good round of obedience. Just depends on the dog, I suppose.

Hope this helps a little!
Melissa