"Good" exercise versus building stamina

Obviously all dogs need some form of exercise to keep them healthy. On lead, off lead, structured training and walks etc.

What I've been thinking about is "good" exercising, that tires a dog out mentally and physically; and "too much" exercise that, whilst tiring a dog out, ends up building stamina so the dog needs exercising more. Does that make sense?

For example, the longer you take your dog out for over a period of time, eventually the dog becomes used to this; and needs more exercise to tire them out. You end up building up the stamina so that the dog needs more exercise to tire them out.

Do you see exercising your dogs as a balancing act between finding the right level of exercise; or do you just take the dog out regardless; or do you actively try and build stamina?

This something I`ve never considered, actually. I take my dogs out because I like it and so do they, and I love to watch them swim, run, jump & track. Is this a concern for people with working dogs? I would have thought working would keep the dog fit in itself.

with china we find she is happy with 45 minutes involving a bit of river paddling and letting her off in the kiddies area and playing hide an seek...

we sometimes take her out for upto 2 hrs but we can tell she is knackered afterwards so we find it best at about 45 minutes...she would happily go for about 1-.1.5 hrs but we would be making a rod for our own back!!

I think I get what you are saying. I take mine out once a day for at least an hour(sometimes twice but the 2nd is a shorter walk) I have had 2 neighbours say(both own labs, they got them because of mine) I should walk them more as they are not getting enough, they walk theres 3/4 times a day and get restless if they miss a walk or still want to go out. They seem shocked but dont say anything that when mine play with them, mine will run them ragged so when they are slowing mine havent broke a sweat yet will still be calm when home. I think its more the quality of the walk then quantitiy.

Our walks are a mixture, some I will get them playing and chasing, some training and some with the labs dummy work, for the 1 or two walks while the others 3/4 walks does nothing really apart from have them expecting the walk.
I hope that makes sense.

This was prompted by a conversation with another (very experienced) Boxer owner.

We saw her in the morning on Saturday when we did our usual 2 mile walk; and then we saw her at the shop on Saturday afternoon, when we said we were going up to the Lakes for the afternoon to do some walking.

She'd said that I should be careful as to what exercise they get, as I'd end up making a rod for my own back, because the dogs would have more stamina/energy than I could use up, and would end up being a problem.

We can, if wanted, walk up to 5 or 6 miles with Murphy (who sets the pace, being the youngest), and I know that Max can manage 10 miles. Not of haring around like a loony, but just walking, off lead, having a run and a sniff as wanted.

We certainly don't do this every day (I can't manage it!!) but since we've had lighter nights etc, the dogs have definitely had more exercise (mostly off lead). We're walking them about 4 miles a day altogether, plus whatever they do when chasing in the garden.

I don't actively build stamina, but I do know that I've inadvertently built stamina in the past.

The difficulty I have now is that Eddy needs shorter walks so I take them out for a little less time and train when I get home so that Takara's not bored but Takara's getting a little porky!!

That said, dallies have brilliant stamina anyway - Eddy's walks need cutting down due to him losing weight and to save his legs BUT he still needs walks to keep him from stiffening up - the problem is, he's a dally and he will walk for as long as you let him! Try taking Takara out without him and you get the pleading sad eyes!!

Della our last dog used to get a 15 min walk along the canal in the morning and the same in the evening. An occasional walk to the field and an extra long run around. She got used to that and was fine being left for a few hours after just having a 15 minute walk. These 2 beggars I have now get a good run in the morning around 30 mins and 15 mins along the canal at lunch and 30 mins to an hour in the evening. Weekends they get 2 longer walks and I miss out the lunch time walk because of this but Freddie does get restless and looks at me as if to say 'why haven't I had my lunch time walk' I think it's more routine with him though.
I will be watching this thread with interest though

I think you're right to an extent - IMO the more exercise they have on a regular basis, the more they will get used to it and probably come to expect it. But personally I think the ocassional (e.g. couple of times a week) additional walk won't do any harm.

I sort of play it by ear a bit. Usually their normal routine walks result in them happily lazing around in between, but just ocassionally they still seem restless. In this case, if its a nice evening I will take them out again, if its not, I'll do something round the house with them such as a few games of hide and seek.

Im trying to build stamina in my lot at the moment, I agree with what you say though, after starting there fitness program a few weeks ago when they where knackered after say 40 min, Im now finding that they come home less {panting, } and we are doing about 1.5 hrs now, so it doesnt take long to build it up, yesterday I started twice dailys,, the first one being around 35 min then later on at night they got 1.40min, so its building up quick, {this is on top of there normal stuff} I have also started Kaos and vinnies road work on top of that,, gawd my legs are nipping,, { I just hope the pain killers I take for my back and hips can keep up with the dogs stamina building now } gona try a bike for the road work, this will be fine with kaos but Im still tringing to get the goofster vinnie to walk in a straight line before I even think about it with him,

ment to add, im building stamina as I have found showing takes it right out of them, I can get them fit looking without the extra work but they still lacked stamina even though they look fit, so yes stamina and looking fit are not the same thing imo,

I've always taken the dogs out for long walks and even though Flynn is only just a year old, he has immense stamina and never seems to tire. I think this is because he has been going on long walks even as a pup and so yes, I do believe i've made a rod for my own back but I enjoy the long walks myself.

I do find that if they've been hunting pheasant they tire far quicker and only need that really instead of a full walk. I think it's because they have to concentrate, use their brains as well as their noses and both dogs are panting vigorously after only half an hour.

Depending on the weather they also swim. Flynn in particular will do retrieves from the water and this obviously tires them because it's not a form of exercise they get as often as running and so arent used to it.

Their exercise routines varies from simply running around sniffing off lead on long walks, chasing a ball/frisbee to hunting and agility so they get both mental exercise as well as stamina building exercise. I try to get a balance but I would say stamina is more my aim.