German Shepherd Health|How Important is Exercise?

How Much Exercise Does Your German Shepherd Need to Stay in Good Shape

A tired German Shepherd is a good German Shepherd. Regular exercise like swimming will help keep your GSD in shape and it's easier on their body.

Exercise is important to help keep your German Shepherd in good shape but how much should you exercise your dog? The answer to that question really depends on your dogs age, if they will be a working dog or house dog, and how good of shape you want to get them.

Generally regular walks and feeding a proper (grain free) diet will help keep your German Shepherd in decent shape. However if you want to get them into solid shape you should supplement walks with swimming, climbing stairs, running either with you or on a dog treadmill.

How much exercise is enough? You should consult your vet before starting any hardcore exercise program for your dog. How old your dog is plays a large role in how much is too much. You wouldn't take a 4 month old puppy for a 1-3 mile hike. Tha would be too much for their little legs to handle. You wouldn't take a 13 year old German Shepherd on a 3 mile run with you either.

While dogs are able to run for long distances that doesn't mean they should. Just because you like to run does not mean your dog does. This is one of those things people do that can lead to their dogs having joint problems. Dogs were not designed to jog. Use common sense. If your dog is panting and their tongue is very large they need to quit.

Keep It Simple

Regular walks and allowing them to sniff around while out for a walk is healthy for the dog so let them do it from time to time. If you jog keep them short and do not expect your dog to be a marathon runner.

Swimming is absolutely the best form of exercise for German Shepherds because it is low impact high cardio and the extra bonus is most Shepherds love it.

Give your dog time to rest between those days where they played more or had a longer walk/run. Like you they get sore and need time to recover. Not allowing your dog to recover will eventually lead to lameness or worse.

Build your dogs health like you would build a house. Start with a solid foundation and gradually add floors, walls and a roof. The foundation of your dogs health is clean water, high quality foods, and regular light exercise. The floors and walls are all that aforementioned things along with harder exercises on certain days. They should get 1-3 days of rest between the harder days. This leads to a strong dog that you can have around for a lot longer.

If at any time you feel like the exercise is too much for your dog back off a little and give them 5-7 days of rest with regular walks. Getting your dog a vet check up before, during and after long stretches of exercise is a good idea too.

Back to Health Articles