Those of you with high energy dogs...

[MilliesMom]

My dogs aren't really high energy, I am, LOL. Funny thing is that they THINK they are, at walk times they're bouncing off the walls. After a few blocks... not so much, they just want to amble.

I only work part-time, so my days off they get walked three times. First two go for about 45 minutes to an hour in the early morning (pre-fluffy puppy crowd, lots of dogs in my neighbourhood). It sounds a lot more than it is, one of mine's got corns, the other's just sort of lazy. It's a slow walk.

After the first two are home and tucked back into their beds, Millie and I go for a block or so stroll. She's starting to show her age so the walk is pretty much just for show, but she likes checking the peemail and visiting with the neighbours and their dogs. She can't go out when it's too warm, so Late Fall/Winter/Early Spring is "her" time.

If I'm home they get another walk at around noon. If I'm not (or if the weather's crummy) they get extended playtime in the yard. But again, Millie goes out on her own so she doesn't get mowed down. Our yard's fairly large and they're in and out several times during the day, somebody's always home.

Somewhere between 8 and midnight we do it all again but I've usually got company.

[AdrianneIsabel]

I'll hire you to walk my fuzzy dogs if you're high energy, most days I look at mine and think Xanax? Yes, Xanax.

:P they're lucky they're cute and I love training with them. lol

(I promise to re-like my dogs when we're out of a 500 sq ft apt)

[Flyinsbt]

Originally Posted by AdrianneIsabel

I'll hire you to walk my fuzzy dogs if you're high energy, most days I look at mine and think Xanax? Yes, Xanax.

:P they're lucky they're cute and I love training with them. lol

(I promise to re-like my dogs when we're out of a 500 sq ft apt)

You like Moo.

[SaraB]

Originally Posted by AdrianneIsabel

Will you please inform mine of this? Mine are bouncing on me to get out of bed every morning, as they always have, and yet every morning they go potty and then right into a crate/bathroom/tie down. They never give up that something more exciting may happen each morning, lol. The only smart one in our house is Shamoo who says, forget that this bed is way better than my crate.

Classic was that way too. Always waking up earlier and earlier and earlier.. But to be honest, that wouldn't have changed if I ran/worked him in the mornings, it would have actually made it worse, because then he would have had something to look forward to in the mornings. As it was, I made mornings as boring as possible and eventually he was content to stay quiet until I got up.

[AdrianneIsabel]

Originally Posted by Flyinsbt

You like Moo.

I do and funny enough she's convinced she's high energy but at least she can chill out usually. I consider my pit bulls to be my saving grace right now, they ask for just enough and give more than enough.

Last night Denis was laughing that if Arnold would play fetch he'd be the perfect dog for me, sleep all day until I wake him up and drag him out for a walk. :P

[jenv101]

I work 9-5 but come home at lunch, so mine are used to a routine as well. They get about 30-45 mins of free time in the yard in the morning (if they behave and don't bark their faces off) and the same at lunch time. They get runs/walks/training in the evenings, amounts vary depending on how annoying they are.

[adojrts]

lmao, my high energy dogs?? 'If' we are getting ready to go out and 'do' something, they are ready and willing. Otherwise......they go back to bed. Esp in the winter, to cold out, I freely and happily admit I am not a good dog owner in the winter. I don't walk my dogs, on a nice day we might go out a free romp around the farm. In winter they go in and out of the fenced yard as often as the want. Puppies are different, drag'm everywhere, but that is different than 'exercise'. Mental games go just as far on a miserable day or a day with little time.

[Flyinsbt]

I don't work normal hours, I work rotating shifts, so we don't have a routine, and the dogs don't always get exercised as much as ideal. Which can be a big PITA when I'm on night shifts, get home, feed the dogs, relax a bit, go to bed... and after a couple hours Tess is all "GET UP! LET'S PLAY! LET'S WALK! HURRY!

At night, she lets me sleep, even if she hasn't been exercised, but she's not a fan of this sleeping during the day crap.

[CaliTerp07]

It is SO MUCH MORE MANAGEABLE now that Lucy is 7 or 8. These days, all I have to do is a solid hour or so of activity when I get home from work, and a potty walk before bed. In the mornings before work, I just let her out in the yard, she runs some laps and pees, and is content to eat breakfast out of a toy.

When we got her (at 3ish), she was much needier, exercise wise. Every morning I would wake up an hour early and we'd go on a 45 minute-1 hour walk/run through the park, practicing training the whole way. Her meals were given in a toy of some kind. She'd get a kong when I left.

DH and I staggered our jobs so he got home by 3:30 (I didn't usually leave until 8:30), and he'd take her on another 45 minute walk then. I'd get home at some point (between 6 and 8 pm usually) and would take her to the dog park for up to 2 hours, where she would just run. and run. and run. She'd chase dogs, but if there were no dogs there she'd still run laps, just to burn off energy. I'd come home, and DH would feed her her dinner kibble by kibble teaching tricks or playing hide and seek or whatever while I ate dinner or did work.

Usually she'd settle for an hour or so at that point so we could both get some work done, and then she'd get uppity again and we'd play tug or practice recalls through the apartment, or whatever we could think of. Finally, around 11, we'd go out for one last 15 minute walk.

I'm glad Lucy was our first dog, so we had no expectations. If I had gotten her thinking that a 30 minute play session and an hour long walk each day would be enough, I don't think I would have survived her youth!

[Laurelin]

Mia's an early riser. If my alarm goes off, we're not getting back in bed. On the weekends she'll let me sleep in (I have no idea how she knows). Weekdays though... nope. I also don't kennel, she has a playpen and lots of chews and toys while I'm gone. I know she doesn't just sleep while I'm out because she moves things around her pen (today she dragged her bed across the room). As long as she's not destructive though, I'm happy.

Mia's very much the same though regardless of if she gets exercised that day or not. She's just... busy. All the time. I give up on trying to wear her out. I just try to give her a fair amount of exercise. If not possible that day... here's a kong and we'll play a little. She survives.

She sleeps though nowadays, which is nice. Her puppyhood was rough but we survived. I think she's one of those that you could easily condition to wanting constant exercise. But if you give her balance, she's ok.