The dog musing/vent thread

JazzyTheSibe

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When some people talk about how much exercise their herding breeds need I don't know if they're trying to be scary...or it's really 3 hours of intensity every single day @_@ I mean I know some dogs are up there but I'm trying to imagine biking or fetching or advanced training for more than an hour daily, being an average person who would be working and fulfilling other hobbies as well. What I read or am told gets to be rather intimidating or discouraging sometimes.
I do think they are trying to scare [some] people off by saying that. There's so many people who want a BC(or other herding breed.) because they are "easy to train".Then breed isn't for them, & they end up surrendering their dog.

In reality? Most people don't do 3 hours of high intensity exercise a day. And , I'm not saying that as bad thing.If you decide to do that much exercise on daily basis, they'll get conditioned to that,& expect that much everyday. I mean a good amount of herding breeds do need more exercise, than the average [pet] dog, but not to the amount that people say.


I think very capable of owning a Herding breed, based off your previous posts. Are their any particular breeds you've considered?
 

amberdyan

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When some people talk about how much exercise their herding breeds need I don't know if they're trying to be scary...or it's really 3 hours of intensity every single day @_@ I mean I know some dogs are up there but I'm trying to imagine biking or fetching or advanced training for more than an hour daily, being an average person who would be working and fulfilling other hobbies as well. What I read or am told gets to be rather intimidating or discouraging sometimes.
Meh. I'm sure others with more experience could have a better answer for you, but I have a herder mix and although he VERY easily COULD go all day, he doesn't NEED it. He gets quite a bit of mental stimulation and about an hour of outside work/play on weekdays, more on weekends. My in-laws herder mix is the same way and my neighbors BC gets about the same, except they do a little more focused work. Hugo does go to daycare once a week.

Plus... when people say 3 hours, what does that 3 hours consist of? Hugo could go on a 3 hour walk and not put a dent in his energy but swimming, playing with the flirt pole and running on a wooded trail for a quarter of the time helps him settle.

I think the big thing is making sure you set a reasonable amount of stimulation that you can keep up with consistently. That and making sure there's mental stimulation. Fetch does little for Hugo because he kind of just zones out and runs, but he's pretty tired after 30 minutes of impulse games with a flirt pole.
 

Melle

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I think people exaggerate exercise needs. Cajun is really high energy, and Juno was too when she was younger... and while I exercise them more than the "average" person probably would, it's certainly nothing outrageous. I work full time, I put in 11 hour days, it's fine. ;)
I've been yo-yoing about seriously considering Aussies in the future and I go online and "1 hour of running + 1 hour flyball, also headstands, backflips, learning Dutch" :rolleyes:

My comfort zone for any dog I've determined would be a couple brief sessions of general training a day (for Nina that was always finding something silly for her to do, like balance on something or just heel with me when I walked across the room to get something, find her kibble/toy, stuff like that), an easy bike ride or hike every now and then (basically on weekends, where possible), and definitely daily fetch/frisbee in the yard or park until I got tired of throwing.

I suppose I worry about it more because my area won't really be dog-sporty, nor have I ever really been into dog sports, and getting places will be harder. Luckily it is just kind of open farm fields and then the coast.

EDIT: Just saw the other posts!

@Jazzy: Besides Aussies, mostly GSDs, Dobes, Rotties, and a few molosser breeds. Something unlikely to spend its like wanting to eat Tobias, really want to work with me ("why?" types are ehhh to me, hence Rotts and mastiff types being a little further down the line for me), turn off well in the house if I have a long day of work or am just wiped out, but like to get out and do stuff without being nuts.

Probably a lot of smaller breeds would work but living there, I'll want something that will make people with negative intentions think twice. Kind of a rougher rural area somethings, it can depend on the day.

Sometimes I think Nina could be a little up there, but was near perfect in the house. I probably cut back a lot on exercise time because we'd cheat with the flirt pole and some hard tug with impulse control, a little outdoor obedience training here and there, play some more in the house, and she was good. Sometimes we'd go to the park on the long line and just explore for an hour.

Any dog that would just be fine with all of the above would be great for me.
 
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BostonBanker

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Gusto is only half herder (and the other half terrier, for better or worse in this regard), but he would probably be fairly destructive on that amount of exercise. With him, it also involves taking into account that fetch is 100% the worst exercise for him, because it makes him lame (and honestly, after dealing with this and discussing it with vets, I'm not sure I'll ever be as intensely excited about fetch as I was previously - it is really, really hard on them). So keeping him sane ideally involves finding at least 30 - 40 minutes a day of off-leash running that isn't me standing in a yard throwing things, and probably 15 minutes of active, focused training. And that's at 3 years old. 10 months to about 2.5 years was the hardest for me as far as keeping up with his needs. He's gotten easier lately.

Obviously we survive on days where that can't happen. At this point, I can get away with a day where he gets a couple short leash walks (basically potty breaks), a few minutes off leash running (going down to the park, or driving my car to an empty field and letting him run for a few minutes) and a training session. That's what he got today, because it's gross and snowy and I wanted a lazy Saturday. I'll have to deal with the fall-out tomorrow, when the snow is supposed to stop but the temp is going to drop to a high of 20. We'll be doing a 30 minute hike, because otherwise he couldn't be left while I'm at work Monday. If I tried to do what I did today, Monday through Friday, I would not have a nice dog to live with.

Of course every dog is different, and you can stack the odds in your favor by getting a dog from lines that are known to do well with whatever your lifestyle is. I do think people exaggerate exercise needs - but I also think it's important to be realistic. An average herding dog IS going to need more exercise than the average of a lot of other breeds. I don't know many young herders that thrive as "weekend warriors". (and yes, now people can post all their stories to the contrary ;))
 

Laurelin

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I work full time and live alone. Hank is only half herder and half terrier (most likely... at any rate people that meet him say he acts like a heeler).

Like I said, I work full time and it's dark when I get home.

We leash walk about 3 miles most days. Paps come with if they're up for it. Other than that we just play around here and train something a couple times a day. When it wasn't dark after work he hit the dog park 3 or so times a week for 1- 1 1/2 hours. It's just too dark now. Weekends and my other days off I try to do a few hours with him. Today he got 2 training sessions at home, 1 1/2 hour group agility class, 15 minute romp with my friend's young golden where they sprinted the entire time, and then he and the paps did 3 miles this evening. He's crashed now. But after all that I took out some agility stuff and he was still ripping it up. He just goes and goes and goes.

Hank is fairly destructive but handles being crated while I'm at work just fine with a 30 minute break in the middle of the day. But when I come home, he is very energetic from 5:30 - 11 pm. Then he crashes and is asleep till I get up.

He's not too bad though. If he gets nothing for a day he's ok but a bit more jumpy and bitey. He WILL get zoomies for a good while every day that he doesn't do much. When I first got him from the shelter it was absolutely unreal what kind of energy level he had but he had been cooped up for almost a month. He really does need to go stretch his legs a few times a week and run off some steam for an hour or two.

My shelties weren't as bad but I remember them older than Hank is. None were very destructive even in their youth. Mia was more destructive than any of them but also Hank can reach things Mia couldn't and he's stronger so can chew through things faster.

I think personality and energy type matter more. Hank has a very physical, bitey kind of energy my other dogs haven't had. So I could see him getting kind of bad if not exercised much. I do spend a lot of my life catering to Hank's needs right now. He'd be fine in a non sport but active home. However, he's not going to be calm when he's had a dull day and I've been gone multiple days at work. Exercising him when I get home is priority. Can't just flop down on the couch anymore.
 
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Laurelin

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On the other hand, Hank is the ONLY dog I've had that will go put himself to bed if he thinks I'm being stupid and staying up too late (he just walked off and I heard him get in his crate).
 

Dagwall

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On the other hand, Hank is the ONLY dog I've had that will go put himself to bed if he thinks I'm being stupid and staying up too late (he just walked off and I heard him get in his crate).
Ha, my current foster will do that. Then she looks at me like I'm crazy when I try and get her up to potty one last time before I go to bed.
 

Paviche

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The boys just got into the worst fight they've ever had over a closed bag of dog food. I walked in, set it down on the chair to talk to my mom, and then suddenly they were trying to kill each other. They're okay, a couple puncture wounds but nothing serious. I got nailed pretty good separating them, though. Luckily I had a coat on so the teeth didn't go into my arm, but I've got some bad blood blisters where he got me. It stings like hell and we're all freaked out and out of sorts now. Really really lucky it didn't actually puncture, or it would've been nasty.

They've NEVER fought over a closed bag, or else I wouldn't have set it down at all. Still shaken up.
 

Julee

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The boys just got into the worst fight they've ever had over a closed bag of dog food. I walked in, set it down on the chair to talk to my mom, and then suddenly they were trying to kill each other. They're okay, a couple puncture wounds but nothing serious. I got nailed pretty good separating them, though. Luckily I had a coat on so the teeth didn't go into my arm, but I've got some bad blood blisters where he got me. It stings like hell and we're all freaked out and out of sorts now. Really really lucky it didn't actually puncture, or it would've been nasty.

They've NEVER fought over a closed bag, or else I wouldn't have set it down at all. Still shaken up.
:( No fun. Dogs are assholes. One of my client dogs (who is here more often than he's home, literally) went after Em over the same thing the other day, totally out of character for him. No holes, though.
 

Paviche

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:( No fun. Dogs are assholes. One of my client dogs (who is here more often than he's home, literally) went after Em over the same thing the other day, totally out of character for him. No holes, though.
Is it a full moon or something? It was really strange. Freaking terrifying, too. My mind went completely blank when they went at it. I know to wheelbarrow them but that was so far from my mind it's not even funny.
 

Julee

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Is it a full moon or something? It was really strange. Freaking terrifying, too. My mind went completely blank when they went at it. I know to wheelbarrow them but that was so far from my mind it's not even funny.
I don't know. Copper, who is probably the most neutral and tolerant dog to walk the earth, has started like 3 fights this month. Again, nothing serious (though Em put a hole in her and she knocked it off after that lol), but what the hell? My girls NEVER fight. Ever.
 

Dogdragoness

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I've been yo-yoing about seriously considering Aussies in the future and I go online and "1 hour of running + 1 hour flyball, also headstands, backflips, learning Dutch" :rolleyes:

My comfort zone for any dog I've determined would be a couple brief sessions of general training a day (for Nina that was always finding something silly for her to do, like balance on something or just heel with me when I walked across the room to get something, find her kibble/toy, stuff like that), an easy bike ride or hike every now and then (basically on weekends, where possible), and definitely daily fetch/frisbee in the yard or park until I got tired of throwing.

I suppose I worry about it more because my area won't really be dog-sporty, nor have I ever really been into dog sports, and getting places will be harder. Luckily it is just kind of open farm fields and then the coast.

EDIT: Just saw the other posts!

@Jazzy: Besides Aussies, mostly GSDs, Dobes, Rotties, and a few molosser breeds. Something unlikely to spend its like wanting to eat Tobias, really want to work with me ("why?" types are ehhh to me, hence Rotts and mastiff types being a little further down the line for me), turn off well in the house if I have a long day of work or am just wiped out, but like to get out and do stuff without being nuts.

Probably a lot of smaller breeds would work but living there, I'll want something that will make people with negative intentions think twice. Kind of a rougher rural area somethings, it can depend on the day.

Sometimes I think Nina could be a little up there, but was near perfect in the house. I probably cut back a lot on exercise time because we'd cheat with the flirt pole and some hard tug with impulse control, a little outdoor obedience training here and there, play some more in the house, and she was good. Sometimes we'd go to the park on the long line and just explore for an hour.

Any dog that would just be fine with all of the above would be great for me.
Sure maybe when they are teenagers, MAYBE. But good mental exercise trumps physical any day. Even my high drive ACD from working parents only needed like, an hour of hard physical exercise a day, what really tired her out was getting her to use her brain lol. Josefina is the same, she is up for anything, but also can settle, just today she was in the house for over half the day, I played with her this morning and did some training, but we left at about 11 am and didn't return til almost dark, and she was fine with just a quick potty break.
 

Melle

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I went and read the old thread about how much exercise people really give their dogs and to say the least I feel a lot better about myself as a dog person :p
 

Lyzelle

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Is it a full moon or something? It was really strange. Freaking terrifying, too. My mind went completely blank when they went at it. I know to wheelbarrow them but that was so far from my mind it's not even funny.
I think it is a full moon, actually. Quinn has been a major bitch too. I was thinking hormones and being a bratty teenager.

But we are in Sagittarius...and full moon too. I know not everyone believes in that sorta thing, but it explains a lot.
 

Slick

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I got a noise complaint from my neighbor :( For Leo, one of the quietest dogs I know.

Apparently he has been whining a lot when I am at work and he is outside.

The note they left wasn't like super mean or anything, but I still have a major sad :(
 

Southpaw

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Sometimes I can't even handle how smart Cajun is, how quickly the puzzle comes together in her head, and how willing she is to do everything. She has me spoiled in a lot of ways. I wish I were more competent because I think she could do A LOT and be really successful!!

GUYS I THINK I LIKE HER.
 

Dogdragoness

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I went and read the old thread about how much exercise people really give their dogs and to say the least I feel a lot better about myself as a dog person :p
Dont feel bad :) every dog is different, with a fenced yard, Josefina as a mature, 5 year old dog, would need about 30 minutes of fetch and one walk a day, but here visiting OH, there is no yard for her to run around and expend her energy chasing squirrels and whatnot LOL so i have to take her twice for fetch and one walk a day, maybe a pee break at noonish depending on how much she drinks during the day.

I dont really think she NEEDS that much per say, but I am a very active, hyper "on the move" person, so I do it because I enjoy getting outside a few times a day :)
 

monkeys23

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WOOHOO!!! I found the snap end of Lily's leather leash that Scout ate!! It was between the bed and the wall! So relieved to have it accounted for! :D
 

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