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> A mile a day is not enough for a big dog. Big dogs need regular activity, preferably throughout the day. This applies to working dogs (which is what an aussi
by lijok 3y ago
> A mile a day is not enough for a big dog. Big dogs need regular activity, preferably throughout the day.
This applies to working dogs (which is what an aussie shepherd is), not big dogs.
> Failure to exercise a large dog properly leads to bad behavior, which is hard to correct
This is correct
> because they _really want something to do_. So many people, not providing enough training nor enough job for their dog resort to using harnesses and other restraints when in public, and then when they have company over the dogs are reactive until they are put in the place where they can be out of the way.
This is arriving at the wrong diagnosis. Yes, a tired dog is a happy dog and not exercising your dog enough will lead to all sorts of issues, but reactivity (what you're describing) is not addressed by merely working your dog out more. If your dog is showing reactivity, rarely is it just a lack of exercise.
> I strongly feel most people with large dogs, especially in suburbs and cities, are doing those animals a disservice
A dog can be effectively exercised via a combination of physical activity and exercising their nose. It's widely observed that ~20min of sniffing exhausts a dog as much as ~60min of hard physical exercise. This is one of the first things a competent dog trainer will teach you with regards to exercise - if you're busy, hide a treat and send the dog searching. There are also, plenty of jobs you can teach a dog to keep them busy around the house, for example, fastidiousness. Teach a dog it's their job to ensure certain items are in a certain place at all times, and it will keep them mentally engaged throughout the day. This is ofcourse much easier done with some breeds (Akitas for example) than others.
- ChuckMcM 3y agoOur lab totally preferred "searching for the treat" exercise way more than "run around" exercise :-) The killer though was while camping and taking him on a hike for 5 miles and him sniffing all the sniffs? Totally wiped him out.
- NickC25 3y agoOur (yellow) lab too. Her daily exercise was an hour long walk in the woods followed by 20-30 minutes at the dog park near the woods; and any activity post that was just following my mom around the house. But on rainy or snowy days where we couldn't take her out, the "search for the treat" or "kitchen floor patrol during dinner prep" seemed to engage her just fine. She broke down towards the end (hip issues) but managed 13 years before taking a final nap. I miss her dearly.
- rickydroll 3y agotry that with a coonhound and tracking training. 3+ hours nose work and the dog is fine but I am dragging my ass through the fields (damm you comfy office chair). Drive an hour home, the doggo is zzzzzzzzing away in the back seat so that when we get home she is rested and ready for a snufflewalk though the neighborhood.
- kridsdale1 3y agoSniffing is giving the doggie neural net as much work to do as complex text reading does for ours, I always assume. People can get tired from a fully sedentary day if they’re doing mental work. The universe of smell data that humans are blind to is fully stimulating to dogs.
- coolbreezetft22 3y agoI've been working with a trainer for our bichon frise (small dog) and they taught me this exact thing about the sniffing, which I've been trying to do more of. The dog are still reactive when visitors come to our home or they see other dogs on walks but making progress..
- 1vuio0pswjnm7 3y ago"It's widely observed that ~20min of sniffing exhausts a dog as much as ~60min of hard physical exercise." Is a snuffle mat sufficient.
- 4death4 3y agoI think it's better than nothing, but probably not equivalent to something like scent training. The way my dog breaths when searching for a scent is really pretty crazy. Imagine trying to inhale sharply twice a second. Just performing the physical act is tiring for me. If you haven't tried scent training, I highly recommend it. There's plenty of information online about it and it's really simple. You can even take a dog treat, put it in front of your dog, and say "find it." Keep moving the treat back until you get it out of sight. Then move on to hiding it in the couch, etc. My dog can find a tiny, 1 cm square of rubber in a huge grassy field. It's impressive.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- dtgriscom 3y agoWith my screen width, your post word-wrapped at > ~20min of sniffing exhausts which led to some weird imagery.
- Arrath 3y agoThe dog would get sleepy, just not for good reasons.
- brandall10 3y agoI let my late pug dogs sniff every pole they came across while out and about until they were no longer interested. From what I understood they could get an idea of dogs in the area, what their age/sex (breed perhaps), get a real mental map of the area. During their golden years I would take them out in the car at least once a day to some part of a neighborhood they'd never been to as I figured it filled them with all sorts of interesting 'experiences' even if they could only manage a few blocks.