Question:
How much exercise does a German Shepherd need?
anonymous
2012-09-26 15:47:27 UTC
My family is moving to a new area after I graduate high school and we will have a lot of land so my mother said I could get a dog of my choice. I've decided that when the time comes, I'm going to adopt a German Shepherd puppy with the help of sites like petfinder.com and a nifty German Shepherd rescue website that I found.

That isn't for another two years, but I'm excited so I'm starting to prepare in advance so I'm starting to read up on German Shepherd books and whatnot haha

I'm just curious about how much exercise the dog will need when he grows up? Is an hour long walk a day enough or should I walk more? Is it okay to walk for one hour if I add around 10 minutes of running? I have no problem with increasing the exercise time. If he's active, I'm active so it's pretty much a win win situation :)

Thank you!
Seventeen answers:
anonymous
2012-09-28 12:34:56 UTC
Hello, future GSD owner! How I envy you the chance to get your first GSD. I bought my first puppy in 1983, and I've never had another breed since then. They're wonderful!



The first thing to note is that with any large breed dog, you need to be careful not to over-exercise him when he's a puppy. German Shepherd Dogs have long backs and hocks, and they need to develop good muscles to support their frame when they are older. A GSD with a German blood-line will have a strong, straight back, which is very important. The GSDs who have clearly defined hip angulation (ie a steeply sloping back) will almost certainly develop problems in later life.



Like any young mammal, their long bones are 'soft' until they've stopped growing. A GSD will grow upwards until he's about 9 months old, and then will start to 'muscle up'. (If you follow the feeding guidelines in your GSD breed books, you should be giving him the right blend of protein, vitamins and carbohydrates to help him build a good body and immune system.) Until your pup is one year old, don't walk or run him too much on hard surfaces - it's best to exercise him on grass/sand as much as possible. I always start off with (say) 15 minutes in the morning, throwing a ball for the dog, if possible up and down a slight hill so that the pup's back and hip muscles get a really good work out. Then a gentle 30 to 45 minute walk later in the day. (Bear in mind that the GSD's usual 'gait' is a trot - he will cover 10 miles for your 5 miles!) Of course, if he can play with other dogs, that's the BEST exercise in the world - 20 minutes racing around with his pals is better than a whole hour walking!



All my GSDs have loved swimming, which of course is a fantastic way to give them a good work-out! It's great to play football with them too, but try to avoid things like frisbees or anything that will make the dog leap up in the air, because over time that will put a huge amount of stress on the dog's hips and and knee joints. In Germany, in order to achieve championship (sieger) status, the dogs have to be able to trot alongside a bicycle for several kilometres, but again, I think that too much hard exercise will have unwanted effects later in life.



The main thing to bear in mind is this ... having a GSD is like having a 3-year-old child who will never grow up. They don't need HUGE amounts of exercise (although if you can supply it, that's great!); what they DO need is MENTAL STIMULATION! Once you get your GSD, talk to him/her all the time, treat him/her like your best buddy. Hide toys and get him to find them and bring them to you. If you play with your dog every day - from 8 weeks old to 13 years old, if you're lucky enough to have him that long! - he will stay youthful and love you to bits!! (I currently have a 12-year-old *****, whom I adopted when she was 11 weeks old, and my previous two GSDs lived to 12 years and 13.5 years old respectively. Everyone (even the vet) remarks on how young my dogs have always looked - good nutrition, moderate exercise, tons of play and love, that's the key to a happy, healthy GSD!!



I do hope you'll have many happy years with your new friend. Happy GSDing!
?
2012-09-26 23:29:41 UTC
German Sheppards are big powerful dogs, and quite mind-blowingly hyper when they're younger (having said that mine's still very active at 6 years old)



The bare minimum you should really be exercising it is 1 hour... but realistically they'll need a lot more than that. In an ideal world they need 2-3 hours per day.



Bearing in mind they get rather large, if you plan on getting a puppy, you NEED to get a training regime in place pretty quickly. There's nothing scarier than a German sheppard with an owner who has no control over it. Ideally take it to a puppy/dog training class, as this should help with socialisation with other dogs.
joy
2016-04-23 13:14:29 UTC
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Vert Shock is an extremely efficient program, is a type plan and it will give for the results.
anonymous
2016-04-14 07:42:38 UTC
Dog Training is all about getting your canine to behave well, but some people do it for sports and other entertainment purposes. Some of the other reasons people train their dogs are:



It rewarding since you get a sense of accomplishment once a dog can do something new.

It is a good opportunity to bond with the dog - this is important for the dog and for the owner.

You can make money when you train dogs as a business or for sport.

Training the dog is fun and it challenges the owner and the dog.

Different trainers have different techniques for training their canine. However, some techniques are more effective than others. To learn about the best techniques, visit a registered dog trainer, talk to a veterinarian, or do online or offline research.

There are several types of training that you, or a professional, can explore to train dogs and these are:



1) Behavior and obedience training: One training that is universal is behavior and obedience training. This is done on dogs of all ages, but it is better to start when the canine is a puppy because as they say, it is hard to teach old dogs new tricks. Behavior and obedience dog trainingbrings out the best in the dog and it makes understanding each other easier.



2) House training: House training is very important and it should also start when the dog is still a puppy. House training is all about training the dog to have house manners and to respect your space. There are several techniques used for this and they include crate training and pad training for training the dog to 'go' outside.



3) Positive reinforcement: Positive reinforcement is a new type of training approach and it is all about rewarding the dog for good behavior or for learning a new trick. All animals tend to perform better when there is a promise of a reward. Possible rewards are snacks, interaction with other dogs, giving the dog your attention, or giving the dog tug toys - the reward should take into consideration what the dog likes because dogs are different.



4) Negative reinforcement: Negative reinforcement training approach has been used for many years where the dog is punished for failure to learn or to behave properly, but this does not work because it only makes the canine scared and causes it to lose confidence. Negative reinforcement techniques included beatings and electric shocks.



5) Trick training: Trick training is done for fun, by those who want a sports dog, and those involved in other entertainment activities such as the circus. You should choose the dog carefully to avoid frustration because some dogs are easier to train than others.



6) Teething: It is important to train dogs when they are teething because they are under a lot of pain and they usually chew on furniture such as table legs, shoes, and even wallpaper. Possible training techniques for discouraging the chewing are bad-smelling sprays on items that are at risk and giving the dog chew toys.



7) Command training: It is possible to train dogs to follow commands. These commands include 'sit', 'attack', and 'fetch', among others. This requires patience and there are various techniques of dog training that can be used to achieve this such as giving rewards.



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John H
2012-09-27 03:29:46 UTC
The Answerer (AVATAR name) above - is incorrect - totally - if it is a puppy, you should not walk it for more than one minute per kilo of dog weight (approx) - so, if the GSD puppy is 10 kilos - it shuold have short, 10 minute walks a few times a day - as the weight increase, you increase the time out on walks.



You NEVER let a GSD jump about too much and this applies to any large breed puppy - at least for the first 6 months - you will, or may, damage their hips - you have to build up slowly over a period of time - A GSD is not classed as adult until it is 18 months old and the one thing you do not want, is a GSD puppy to grow up with dodgy hips........the muscles are also not fully developed and you have to take care with them....you should also NEVER throw tennis balls and allow them to jump and try to catch them - the jaws of GSD's can easily be dislocated by this action if they misjudge it in any way....as can most puppies - the jaws are simply not strong enough at this young age.



As the puppy enters the 7 month old period, you can increase the walks to at least 1 hour, two to three times a day if required, this allows them to rest in between walks.......at this point of their growth, you can start to allow them to run more freely and jump around a little - I know it is hard to stop a puppy jumping and playing and not all jumping is bad PROVIDED it is in moderation....you will see so many young GSD's in the vet's with hip problems simply because their owners did not do the right thing at an early age...



NEXT and ultimately just as important - FOOD....do not buy cheap rubbish Pedigree pet food - it is junk and mostly water - it simply fills the dog up and is no good for them - get a good, high quality dry food that has the EXACT ingredients for the dog - all the vitamins and minerals and is SLOW RELEASE.........no good buying a food which is good, has all the vits and minerals but is digested and pooped out before any of it can be used....



As soon as possible, get the dog off the wet puppy food and gradually introduce the dry food.



But, if you remember nothing else of what I have said here - remember one thing at least - DON'T let your GSD puppy over walk or over jump itself..........you will do more harm than good.
Tiffany
2012-09-26 16:16:48 UTC
It will depend on the individual dog but IME they are medium-higher side of medium energy dogs. Walks are nice, but they are not real exercise. Do some heavy exercise for about an hour a day and you should be fine. Heavy exercise could be: running, fetch, flirt pole, weight pull training
Allison
2016-02-14 02:39:09 UTC
It's important to know not only how to train a dog, but what to train it to do. Read more https://tr.im/gNCTw

Puppies have no sense of correct behavior, so they offer a million things you could correct; which should you address? In this section, we'll cover what to correct as well as how to train a pooch. We'll also discuss dog obediences classes -- also known as puppy kindergarten -- and specific thing you can teach your dog if you plan on traveling with it. Life tosses up myriad challenges to a dog's sense of obedience, and the more he's trained to understand, the happier you both will be. Finally, for fun and practical benefit, we'll cover a few basic tricks you can teach your dog. They're a wonderful way to bond with your pet and to entertain the both of you, while teaching it how to behave and react to your commands. Everybody wins!
Socalsilver
2016-05-23 20:27:33 UTC
Kiss him/her daily. Tell dog how good they are when they follow your command. Give plenty of daily exercise 1-3hrs if possible). They love swimming, so take him/her to the beach or river or lake as much as possible. They need chew toys too (still teething). I have a 5 month old that loves to play at the dog park everyday. Never chews things in the house because he is pooped from all the fun he had earlier in the day! Got him at 9 weeks when he weighed in at 11lbs. Now he s almost 5 months and weighs in at 41lbs. I feed him "Lotus" dry puppy food & "Puppy Gold" powder for extra nutrition. Boiled chicken here & there for extra protein & to mix it up a bit. All the best with your new doggy to be.. :-)
dennis
2016-05-17 10:51:52 UTC
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anonymous
2017-02-17 23:29:15 UTC
1
anonymous
2015-02-15 06:18:34 UTC
Learning how to train your dog will improve your life and hers, enhance the bond between you, and ensure her safety and it can be a lot of fun. Dogs are usually eager to learn, and the key to success is good communication. Your dog needs to understand how you’d like her to behave and why it’s in her best interest to comply with your wishes. Check here to learn how to train your dog properly https://tr.im/4BU9A
anonymous
2012-09-26 15:50:42 UTC
That is a good amount, even more is better but you should be giving him/her enough with that. A good thing to do is to train your dog to come without fail and put it on a 50ft hunt line and let it run and throw a ball to.
anonymous
2016-12-17 09:54:24 UTC
Gsd In Need
?
2016-09-28 07:10:15 UTC
Gsds In Need
?
2016-04-13 16:21:54 UTC
For the best answers, search on this site https://smarturl.im/aD6Vq



here are some ideas that you might want to do with your dog and might find fun and interesting... Agility flyball Schutzhund SAR (search and rescue) CGC (canine good citizen) GSD's love to work and have a purpose....I wish you the best with your GSD and have fun!
anonymous
2015-02-15 10:21:40 UTC
Learning how to train your dog will improve your life and hers, enhance the bond between you, and ensure her safety and it can be a lot of fun. Dogs are usually eager to learn, and the key to success is good communication. Your dog needs to understand how you’d like her to behave and why it’s in her best interest to comply with your wishes. Check here to learn how to train your dog properly https://tr.im/0hluk
?
2012-09-26 15:48:12 UTC
All dogs need loads of exercise!!


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