How much exercise for a non-high energy dog?

[schtuffy]

With all this hurricane rain that's been bombarding the northeast, Louis has been spending a lot of time indoors. I can tell he's bored...and it got me thinking if I don't exercise him enough. The thing is, he's not a high energy dog. He's not lazy, he just doesn't have a lot of stamina. We used to take him to the dog park 2-3 times a week, but like I said there has been so much rain this year. When I take him jogging with me, he gets pooped after 1 mile. One time after the jog, he slept for the rest of the day.

So how much do you exercise your non-high energy dogs? They say Japanese spitzes only need a 20 minute walk a day, but that doesn't seem enough to me. What do you do on rainy days?

[MollyWoppy]

We still go out. I enjoy walking in the rain, getting soaked and splashing through the puddles and stuff. Just different, thats all. If its lightening and thundering badly though, thats another story. I'd either put Mollie on the treadmill (but that would have to be no exercise for a day or two, and that doesn't happen down here). Or, keep her mind busy with learning new tricks, mind puzzles, hiding treats. Or, rides in the car. I find those sorts of things tire her out almost as much as a good 3 mile run.

[RawFedDogs]

How much energy a dog has does not affect how much exercise he needs. Actually I think a low energy dog would need more exercise just to get his energy level up.

[Tobi]

My gauge is by how much he sleeps after i work him...

If he sleeps all day after that run, i'd say that's sufficient. I love it when Tobi sleeps for long periods after we get home, I know that he worked hard, and i know that he enjoyed himself

I'd say play some games until he just doesn't want to play that game anymore, play another game until he bores of it again, keep changing it up, and keep it interesting, and make him tired, a tired sleeping dog isn't bored... just content. ;)

[kevin bradley]

David,

Whats up with Tobi smiling in that picture you use? Gotta fill us in. It almost looks like he's in front of a fan or something blowing his mouth open.

Love it.

[Tobi]

David,

Whats up with Tobi smiling in that picture you use? Gotta fill us in. It almost looks like he's in front of a fan or something blowing his mouth open.

Love it.

I was scratching "the good spot" on his neck

actually this isn't even a good spot... it's an amazing spot... like if he's standing up, this is the spot that you can make him completely collapse. he was laying on his back on the couch and i had the camera looking at pictures, and his lips got all dry and when he grinned form me scratching it just stuck!

[Slayer Girl]

I always go by how the dog is responding..I walk/run/work my dog until she starts panting.then we either slow the pace or cut the exercise time. I like to make sure she gets her work out.

[catahoulamom]

My dogs get 2-4 walks a day. Each walk is usually 30-60 minutes. We've been having pretty unpredictable weather here recently though (thunder/lighting storms come out of nowhere), so some days they've just gone in the yard briefly to do their business. I take them on a car ride around the neighborhood if I feel bad that they've been stuck in the house all day because it's raining.

I'm a dog walker so I'm in and out of the house a lot. I am usually able to come home every four hours during the weekdays and usually occupy my time while I'm at home with walking them. I enjoy it. :)

One of my dogs is a 7 yr old cocker/lab mix, and while she has a pretty intense personality, I wouldn't really call her high energy. She would rather be lazy all day. However I walk her just as much as my other 2 high-energy dogs (1 mid-energy) because I think she needs it to help cut down on her neurosis. She can be quite the anxious dog.

Speaking of unpredictable weather, I just had all the dog's leashed up right before I typed this... and now I can hear heavy rain on the roof. Dangit!

[schtuffy]

Okay, I have been taking him with me on car rides due to the rain. I couldn't do that before since we had a hot summer. The weather has been crazy with all these tropical storms...we've been having thunderstorms on and off for the past week.

We take Louis out about 4 times a day, but usually it's a quick circle around the neighborhood for him to pee, poop, and sniff. In the evenings or before bed is when we do the longer walk. It kills me though...our neighborhood is so tiny, only 4 little streets connected to the street leading out of the neighborhood...if we walk beyond that, it's a lot of office buildings and industrial warehouses. That's where I do my jogging circuit on weekdays (weekends we drive to a park) and I feel like I inhale so much pollution from all the trucks and cars driving by. I also see broken bottles, old batteries, rusty tools etc littering the roads. I would love to take him jogging with me more, but I don't want him stepping in any of that. Sigh...can't wait till we can move

[chowder]

You really have to take the breed into consideration and how they are built. Chows are very 'low energy' dogs. Their faces restrict their breathing and their legs are not meant for long distance travel. They get winded and hot very easily and will happily spend all day long on an air conditioner vent. With them I do short outside playtimes in the yard. When I did agility with my black boy, an hour session was way too much for him. He was a lot better off doing 15 minute sessions at a time, several times a day.

Rocky is higher energy then most Chows because he is part husky. That's not to say he is loaded with energy! That just means I can actually take him for a walk. If it is below 40 outside or actually snowing, he can walk a couple of miles with me. Anything warmer then that and we stick to 1/2 mile at at time, twice a day. Then several short romps in the yard with Shade a few times a day. He's just not built for anything more then that without overheating or taxing his knees.

In July and August he stays glued to the air vent and only steps outside to pee.

Shade, on the other hand can walk a mile, get hot and tired, rest ten minutes, then be raring to go again and start running laps around the yard. He's got energy to spare.