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How much exercise do they actually need?


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What's important is not how many miles your dog walks a day or how many times he returns the ball or the Frisbee, but how often and well you engage with him. I am old, even older than Donald McCaig, and I have a Border collie because they are, well, such engaging dogs. In fact, I carefully limit my dog's ball playing and any other activity that has the potential for becoming obsessive. What I prefer is to find as many ways as possible to engage her mind. I have just played ducks with her while I soaked in the bathtub. I toss the duck and ask her to toss it back. I hide the duck behind the shower curtain and ask her to find it. I might ask her to pluck the duck from the water or place it in my hand. Of course, we walk a lot because it is good for both of us and sometimes I just watch her being a dog, but other times we converse, sometimes in whistles, or by a change in breathing patterns, sometimes with words. When I am able to cheat and let her off leash (I live in NYC), we will play a game in the middle of a long walk, retrieving or jumping over things or crawling under things or finding things I hide. When I am tired, I play with her from bed, hiding a toy under the blanket or throwing it under one side of the bed so that it comes out the other. I also name everything, exercising her brain along with her body. If you plan your dog's exercise, both mental and physical, so that it fits in with your lifestyle and so that it is beneficial and interesting for both of you, you'll have a happier, healthier you and a well-exercised dog who keeps you moving and has a good and happy life. Keep us posted when the time comes.

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What does "free shape" mean?

 

 

Sorry your question was overlooked.

 

Here are a couple websites that explain it and and one walks you through an exercise:

http://www.teachingdogobedience.com/2009/06/free-shaping-in-training-dogs.html

http://www.dog-training-excellence.com/clicker-training-free-shaping.html

 

Here's a video with Dr, Yin demonstrating the technique:

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  • 4 years later...

I know this post is old now, but I just wanted to add my thoughts as well. Like most have said, it really depends on the dog. My collie mix is fine with a bike ride in the morning, some fetch in the afternoon, a 45-minute walk in the evening and some short training sessions in between. I've never had a problem with him "acting out" in the house when my wife and I aren't home.  

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  • 1 month later...

Our boy Ben gets on average 1.5 hours a day exercise. Everyone warned us when we got him and said “oh you know they need a LOT of exercise?”.

 

Thing is though he never gets excited about the prospect of a walk. His morning walk is always on the lead and about half an hour. His evening walk tends to be about an hour, could be longer in the spring/summer. He goes off the lead whenever possible on his evening walk. 

He’s fantastic on his own, we know as we have a Nest camera in the kitchen that goes on when we aren’t at home automatically. He just plays with his toys and sleeps! In the evenings he sits with us. 

 

We’ve had Ben from 8 weeks old, he comes from a farm of working dogs. We met his mum and dad who both had a lovely nature, really gentle like he is. The rest of his litter were a little more lively than him, and we picked Ben as he was more chilled! So I don’t know if that means he is “well bred”, I don’t really know what that means if I’m honest! 

He certainly doesn’t come from a family of pets, but he’s turned out to be a great pet. 

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I take mine on a 20-minute walk in the morning and then an hour-long jog/walk in the evening. I also try to take them to the dog park or a longer hike once a week for an extra hour or two and they are both really well behaved. I also bring them outside when I go out to smoke or do yard work and I just live on a half acre. As long as I stick to the short walk in the morning and long in the evening they are happy and won't cause any mischief. Mine are 2 and 4 years old and in very good health

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  • 1 year later...

So i read this forum a year ago a couple months before my dog was born back in Jan, 1, 2019 in attempt to learn more about what my dogs need would be and now that I've had my own border collie for a year and some change I NOW have something words to say about this particular topic.

You dont need to live in a big house or have lots of land for your border collie to have a happy life, you do however need to give them at least 45 minutes of intense exercise a day preferably spread out into three 15 minute play sessions. I do this for my dog and honestly if it were up to him it'd be 5-6 sessions. These are working dogs! if you dont give him a job them will find  one like stealing your shoes or harassing the cats. This doesn't mean they need a herd to flock ,although that is were they'd be the happiest for sure; my dogs job is fetching the ball when i throw it and man does he ever take it seriously, its like watching Lebron dunk a basketball, the laser focus and athleticism is a sight to behold. On top of my dogs daily workout routine he plays a lot with my cocker spaniel.

I hope this makes it clear for any potential/ future bc owners 

My Border Collies Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/natures_a_collie/ 

My Amazon Store Front ( I sell dog toys )

https://www.amazon.com/shops/glr

 

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