What is with these trainers that think that the goal in dog training is a calm dog?
It is because they don't know how to otherwise deal with nuisance manners problems in the home. So the solution is to exhaust the dog.
Exercise should either be in the form of fitness work or actual work the dog was bred to do. Fitness programs should be well considered to avoid repetitive injuries, but increase fitness / strength. Actual work should be suited to the ability of the dog.
... while at the same time, the dog should be able to recover from the exercise. Otherwise you will break the dog down, and injuries or diseases will follow.
I have experimented with exercise tolerance from a variety of dogs (and never to an extreme that would have harmed the dogs). Most dogs can't do daily 2 hour exercise programs. Do this for a while and all they will do is sleep afterwards, including on subsequent days, almost all day and night long. Some dogs can't take that much exercise because they will overheat. Some dogs are lethargic by nature and to them all that exercise is like a forced march towards a concentration camp. Some breeds start out with physical limitations, almost to the point of deformities, that cannot do any kind of sustained exercise. All I'm seeking for a pet is to improve their health, give them an enjoyable experience, and to let them expend enough nervous energy so that they are comfortable. I want to see that they recover from exercise within a couple of hours as if they hadn't worked out at all that day, otherwise it is too much for that dog.
With working dogs, assuming you really have such a beast, then they might be able to do more work than this. Even so, any dog can be overtrained, just like a human. You need to know your breed and understand the reasonable period and intensity that dog can tolerate, and build up and stay under that threshold so that they recover. Too much work will result in injuries, either now or over the years. I also do not believe in entering dogs into extreme sports, something similar to an Ironman triathlon, just to gain some kind of award. That is pushing a dog too far to get some worthless award. Dogs will be subjected to physical quests that are unnatural. Working dog teams often rotate dogs during deployment to allow one dog to now rest while the other dog takes over. Many hunters, for example, will bring more than one dog along for a trip, starting with one dog, and then putting that dog up, and bringing out a second dog.
I do not subscribe to exercise rules of thumb, such as saying every dog should be exercised 1 to 2 hours a day, 7 days a week. Figure out your dog... gradually. Do a lot more research into what is reasonable for a dog like yours from those who do that kind of thing for a living. Don't just take some random internet guru's advice just so he can get more clicks on his Instagram account... at your dog's expense.
Don't use exercise as a substitute for good dog training and behavior modification, either.
Plan accordingly.
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