How much exercise does a Great Dane need?
Do you have a Great Dane or are you thinking about getting one? Before you get a dog into your house, you should take a closer look at its special characteristics and needs. In this article I will discuss how much exercise a Great Dane needs.
On average, a Great Dane needs a lot of exercise with about 60 minutes of exercise per day. A longer walk a day, off leash if possible, as well as smaller rounds and some head work should form the basis.
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How much exercise does an adult Great Dane need?
An adult Great Dane is an averagely active dog. With an average of 60 minutes of exercise, you have a reasonable basis to keep your gentle giant sufficiently busy.
A longer walk, where your Great Dane has time to sniff and explore, should be included daily.
You can divide the daily activity into 3 categories. Your Great Dane needs walks in nature, play sessions and mental exercise.
The Great Dane is not suitable for jogging or cycling due to its build and heavy weight.
How much exercise does a Great Dane puppy need?
You need to introduce your puppy to exercise slowly. Even with the Great Dane, the body and weight develop faster than the bones and joints.
So you should be careful on the one hand that they don’t get heavy too fast and on the other hand that they don’t walk too much and for too long in the beginning.
A good basic rule is 5 minutes per month of life. This means that you can walk your dog for about 5 minutes per month of life.
So when your Great Dane is 3 months old you can be out for about 15 minutes.
This is not only because of the physical requirements, but also because your puppy needs to mentally process everything new.
Dogs, and especially puppies, get mentally exhausted very quickly. Be it from training or taking in new impressions, smells, sounds and much more.
How often does a Great Dane need to be walked?
You should walk your Great Dane at least 2 times a day. Of these, one walk should be slightly longer, where your dog can run freely, off-leash if possible.
The second round can then be a slightly shorter pee round.
Great Danes need regular exercise, but they also love to lie next to you on the couch.
It’s important that you don’t feed your Great Dane before you walk him. Large dogs, like Great Danes are more prone to gastric torsion, which most often occurs when running, frolicking or playing after eating.
Since we also have two big dogs, we got into the habit of taking the first walk right in the morning and feeding the dogs afterwards.
Then they first lie in their dog bed and sleep and we have time for the daily things.
It doesn’t matter if your dog likes to lay on the couch or not. Every dog needs a dog bed or pillow to retreat to.
The second walk takes place in the afternoon or early evening, depending on the weather. Either it is a longer walk through the forest, or we go running or cycling.
You should keep this to a minimum with the Great Dane. Due to its build and heavy weight, it is not the best companion for sporting activities such as running or cycling.
How far can a Great Dane run?
In general, it is better to walk shorter distances with your Great Dane more often.
Regular extensive walks are rather unsuitable because the physical strain and the high weight put too much stress on the joints.
How to exercise a Great Dane?
You need to keep your Great Dane busy physically, but also mentally. You won’t get most dogs tired physically. But after a few minutes of mental activity, you realize how exhausting it is for them
Walks
As with all dogs, it is important for Great Danes to get their daily walks.
If you walk your dog sensibly every day, it is not tragic if you miss a day in between.
Everyone is sick in between times or has so much to do at work that it is simply not possible.
The important thing is that you do a reasonable walk with your dog and do not run the same route twice a day.
Because many dog owners just want to complete the given minutes and think their dog would now be satisfied. But this is not true.
Dogs want to move freely, or at least run on the drag line. They must be allowed to sniff, even rummage in the bushes off the beaten path. Simply explore the surroundings.
Running the same route every day is also not ideal. Offer your dog variety. You should have at least 2 different “house rounds”. In addition, now and then an excursion in a forest or in the fields of the neighboring village.
Nose work
Lay a track that your Great Dane has to follow or just throw some treats on the meadow and let him search for them.
Basic obedience
Most people don’t count this under exercise. But learning and performing commands puts mental strain on your Great Dane and makes her tired.
Purposeful rest breaks are also exhausting. For example, when you are talking to a neighbor, your dog should stand quietly next to you, not sniffing everywhere and walking within the boundaries of the leash.
Training this is incredibly exhausting for dogs and at the same time strengthens your role as a leader. Because you as the dog owner decide when movement is called for and when your dog should wait quietly.
Dog Park
A visit to a dog park or private meetings with other dog owners are perfect to bring variety and activity into the daily life of your Great Dane.
However, don’t just let your dog play with another dog. Arrange to meet for a walk first.
The dogs don’t even have to walk right next to each other to “get to know” each other. This way you can see if the dogs get along or if they react aggressively to each other.
Why does a Great Dane need regular exercise?
Daily exercise in the form of walks is important for the Great Dane. It helps to release excess energy to become tired and relaxed.
In the long run, if your Great Dane doesn’t get enough exercise and activity, she may exhibit undesirable behaviors that you don’t want.
Excessive barking or destructiveness are probably the most common symptoms. And the Great Dane has an imposing, dark bark.
If they bark all day in the apartment because they don’t have enough exercise and activity, you will quickly get into trouble with your neighbor.
Also by destroying furniture or shoes can show too little exercise and employment.
The Great Dane, like any dog, gets frustrated over time and looks for an outlet to get rid of this frustration.
In addition to behavioral problems with too little exercise, health problems can occur.
As already mentioned, a Great Dane is a very large and heavy dog.
Sufficient movement ensures that the musculature is stressed and trained. The musculature is a protection and helps to avoid injuries.
Furthermore, sufficient exercise helps not to become fat. If the Great Dane is overweight, this puts even more stress on the joints.
How long does a Great Dane sleep during the day?
A Great Dane, like all dogs, sleeps between 17 and 20 hours a day.
With Great Danes, it will probably be closer to 20 hours, as they need exercise on one hand, but also like to lie on the couch or in their dog bed.
Conclusion: How much exercise does a Great Dane need?
A Great Dane needs an average of 1 hour of exercise and activity per day. A Great Dane should get a longer walk every day to satisfy their urge to exercise and at the same time promote their health. In addition, nose work and basic obedience are a great way to mentally stimulate a Great Dane.
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