How much exercise does a Doberman need (+tips)

Are you thinking about getting a Doberman? But you are not sure if you are up to the task? Here you can find out how much exercise and activity a Doberman needs on average.

The Doberman is made for physical work and is highly motivated. A Doberman needs with about 3 hours relatively much exercise out in the form of long walks but also when running or cycling he is a great companion and needs this workload. In addition, you can do with the Doberman for various dog sports.

Does a Doberman need a lot of exercise?

Yes a Doberman needs a lot of exercise and activity to really get tired. They are just real powerhouses made for physical work.

In forums you can read that owners of a Doberman report that it is a real task to get a Doberman physically exercised and tired.

However, if you want your Doberman to be a family dog and not a working dog, it is important that you teach him from the beginning that there are also rests. Do not train him to an extreme level.

Exercise him on an appropriate level, but do not overdo it.

How much exercise does a Doberman need

A Doberman needs an average of 3 hours of exercise per day. If you divide these 3 hours into 3 “walks”, the Doberman should move intensively at least once a day.

That means you should take him for a long run, let him run alongside on a bike, or chase after a ball.

One Doberman owner reported playing fetch with his Doberman on a hillside. So the powerhouse was doing “hill sprints” to get tired somehow.

It is not enough to “just” walk the Doberman and go through the forest.

Walking with the Doberman

Of course, normal walks are important. But make sure that during the walks your Doberman can explore the surroundings and absorb new impressions. Give him time to sniff and explore.

The sniffing and also the new impressions and processing are all things that make your dog additionally tired.

Keyword: New impressions. Do not run the same route every day with your Doberman. Offer him at least 2 better 3 standard routes that you can vary daily. Even that gets boring for a Doberman after a while.

On normal walks, the Doberman needs a coat in winter.

Make your walk interesting

When you are out and about, incorporate games into your walk, for example.

If you can let your Doberman off the leash somewhere and there’s a large meadow nearby, that’s ideal to give him some exercise with ball games.

Let him balance over obstacles like logs in the woods or search for treats in the leaves.

These are all little things you can do in parallel to keep your dog a little more occupied on a walk.

How to keep a Doberman busy

In addition to exercising your Doberman physically through running, cycling, dog sports and walks, it is important to keep him challenged and engaged mentally.

You can keep a Doberman very busy and challenged mentally and physically with the following activities:

Agility:

Agility is a great way to keep a Doberman physically challenged. Overcoming obstacles in the shortest possible time is made for him.

Obedience Training:

Obedience training is all about the dog’s obedience and performing commands. In general, daily education and training of dogs is a perfect way to mentally challenge and exercise his dog. The positive side effect is that you get a great dog.

Tracking work:

Tracking work is something every dog likes. Using the nose to follow a trail.

Nose Search Games:

Just hide treats on your walk and let your dog sniff for them.

Ball search:

Besides the classic ball retrieving, you can also let your Doberman search for the ball. For this, your dog must be able to do a safe “Stay” or “Wait”.

So you throw the ball far away. But your dog is in “Stay” and is not allowed to go after it. Instead, he has to do a few extra commands.

This makes him forget exactly where the ball went. Only then do you let him search for the ball in the large meadow.

Running off and searching with his nose will tire your Doberman out.

Everyday situations:

If possible, try to integrate your Doberman into your everyday life. If you go shopping or eat ice cream take him with you. The new situations, impressions, people and cars are all things that are exhausting for your Doberman.

Of course, only if it is possible. If your Doberman reacts aggressively to all other dogs, it’s probably not the best idea to leave him alone for 5 minutes in front of the discount store or to put him under the table next to Grandma Dachshund at the ice cream parlor.

Then you should work on this problem first, perhaps with a dog trainer. 

Social contact makes the Doberman tired

Social contact with other dogs is also a welcome way to keep your Doberman busy.

If you have among your friends someone with a dog that gets along well with your Doberman, arrange a meeting and let the dogs play together.

On the one hand, this promotes the social behavior of your dog, on the other hand, playing with other dogs is a perfect alternative to make your Doberman tired.

Playing with another dog is much more exhausting for your Doberman than going for a run with him. The advantage is that you get a break in the meantime, 

When we let our Broholmer run with other dogs, she is always completely exhausted afterwards and sleeps for hours.

How much exercise a Doberman puppy needs

How much exercise a Doberman puppy needs depends on its age. As a basic rule, you can assume 5 minutes per month of life.

The 5 minutes are structured 5 minutes in which your puppy is specifically trained and occupied. The other playing etc. takes place in addition, of course.

But you have to decide individually if this is too much or too little and watch your dog.

With a hyperactive dog like the Doberman, make sure that you do not accustom him to the immense physical strain already as a puppy.

Signs of too little exercise

If your Doberman is not getting enough exercise and activity, the following symptoms may appear:

• Constant under-exercise can cause him to tear your house apart. These dogs are made for work and love to work.

• They may also develop an increased potential for aggression towards other dogs or even people due to frustration. So a 45 kg frustrated dog can also be dangerous.

• Your Doberman runs restless to hyperactive through the apartment to get rid of excess energy.

• Another point where you can see that your Doberman has too little exercise is when he is overweight. Especially in large breeds overweight has a negative effect on the bones and joints.

With Doberman it can go relatively fast that they are bored because they need very much run and occupation.

Conclusion: Does a Doberman need a lot of exercise?

Yes, a Doberman is a working dog and needs exercise and activity. On average you can plan 3 hours of activity in the form of physical exercise and mental work. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Regularly you should also be able to offer a Doberman intensive units, for example, on the bike to give him the appropriate load.

In addition, it is important that you regularly keep your Doberman mentally occupied and challenged. Nose work or search games are ideal to make your dog tired in a short time.

If you keep your Doberman busy for a longer period of time, it is not a tragedy if there is a little less activity in between.

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