goldendoodle exercise needs

Goldendoodle Exercise Needs – Don’t Make This Mistake!

Exercising a Goldendoodle is a must as it’s usually a dog with large amounts of energy and a brain that requires a good challenge once in a while to be completely satisfied. But when it comes to Goldendoodle exercise needs, what are they generally like?

A normal healthy adult Goldendoodle requires around 1 hour of exercise each day. If you have a less demanding Goldendoodle 45 minutes might be enough. Or you might have an extremely active one, where up to 1.5 hours of exercise a day is needed.

But just letting your dog run around for 1.5 hours a day isn’t the best way to stimulate it.

Most people are good at giving their dogs physical challenges, but they often forget a very important thing in the progress.

Goldendoodle Exercise Needs

Active and lively, a Goldendoodle does require a rather high amount of walks and general exercise every day.

Goldendoodles need at least two hours of exercise every day to burn off any excess energy these dogs are generally known for having. It’s fine if you split up the two hours into several walks throughout the day.

If you find that you often have to leave your Goldendoodle home by itself for a longer amount of time due to work commitments, try to schedule the first walk before you leave home heading for work.

And if this means that you have to wake up an hour earlier than usual, so be it, as it will be more than worth it in the long run, as you will find that your Goldendoodle is a lot more likely to relax and snooze while you’re gone, instead of turning their boredom into destructive behavior.

No Rule Fits All Dogs

Not all Goldendoodle requires the same amount of daily exercise. There are several factors that will determine the time required to walk a pup. If you happen to live in an apartment with your Goldendoodle, the lack of room and no easy access to the outside world, mean that three walks a day are probably necessary.

If you live in a property with a lot of free space, perhaps even a farm, then going on walks with your dog probably isn’t even all that necessary as the dog will always be on the move with all that available space.

Having even a small garden or yard is great, particularly if we’re talking about your Goldendoodles’ toilet needs, but taking a dog on a walk isn’t only about allowing them to relieve themselves. Dogs also require exercise to help support cardiovascular fitness, making their muscles and bones stronger, as well as securing the overall well-being of your dog.

Routine

As with every other dog breed, Goldendoodles prefers routines. This is the reason why it’s a good idea that you try and take your pup for a walk around the same time every day. If you fit it in with your own schedule, it shouldn’t give you any issues.

As I mentioned above, if you have to leave early in the morning, go on a walk with him before leaving. Then you could also fit in a quick walk when you’re back home from work, and finally, a simple toilet trip just before bedtime should be enough to keep most Goldendoodles comfortable and satisfied.

The Thirty Minute Rule

A tip I should give you is that you shouldn’t take your dog for a walk right before or after they eat. When you get back home from going on a walk with your dog, you should wait around thirty minutes before you give him anything to eat.

If you decide to feed your pup before going outside for their daily exercise, a good idea is to not bring them out until at least an hour has passed. Exercising a Goldendoodle just before or straight after eating a meal could end up giving your dog a bloat.

Mixing it Up

If you constantly take your Goldendoodle to the exact same place day in and day out for his walks, I can guarantee you it will quickly become boring for both your pup and you. The solution to this is to vary the walks once or twice a week. If you have no other option but to go to the same few places every time, at least try and take a different route once in a while to break up the monotony.

A good idea can be to bring a ball, or perhaps even a frisbee with you. The more variety you’re able to give your dog in his exercise routine, the more pleased he will be.

It’s great that you take your Goldendoodle for prolonged walks to exercise his muscles, but remember, you will also have to exercise his mind, so remember to add some mental stimulation every once in a while.

And that brings us to the next section.

Don’t Miss This Often Overlooked Exercise

We’ve all heard the old saying, “a dog is man’s best friend”. But can you count on the opposite also being the case?

The first dogs that were ever bred, were because humans needed something that was loyal and could work for them every day. The tasks these dogs were put on could be anything from being guard dogs to tracking or hunting dogs.

But no matter what job they had, there was one thing all the dogs always had in common, they needed a purpose with their lives, and being able to do the tasks they were meant for, gave them a lot of pride and joy every day.

It’s not an understatement to say that a dogs’ life these days is usually a bit different than what they were originally bred for not that long ago.

Most dogs these days are kept as pets and don’t have the tasks that they used to, and the result of this is that the typical working dogs lack stimulation when it comes to their natural behavior and instincts.

And while most dog owners do a pretty good job of stimulating their dogs physically, the mental aspect of training is often overlooked.

A lot of dog owners have the inaccurate idea that as long as their pup just gets their sleep, food, and physical exercise, they will end up having a happy and satisfied dog.

But dogs are intelligent animals. A Goldendoodle is one of the smartest dogs, and they have a need for mental stimulation that is equal to their need for physical exercise.

Mental Stimulation Is Very Important

If you can allocate an adequate amount of mental training, getting a happy and joyful dog is probably never going to happen, and instead you might end up with a pup with some serious behavior issues.

Allow me to give you an example of why a lack of mental stimulation can lead to big problems.

If you frequently go on long walks or hiking with your dog, his physical demands will be met quite easily.

But if you haven’t thought about challenging his mind, your Goldendoodle will certainly end up being bored. And if you’ve ever owned a strong and active dog like a Goldendoodle, I’m sure you can imagine the kind of damage they would be able to do if they’re bored!

All creatures on earth need a certain amount of physical exercise to perform to their best, but we certainly also need to have our minds stimulated. When we need to do that, we can choose to read a book, solve a puzzle, watch a movie, or simply by surrounding ourselves and having conversations with other humans.

But what if you’re feeling a lack of mental stimulation, and somebody suggested that you go for a walk instead of reading a good book? Or going on a hiking adventure instead of having a lovely dinner with some awesome food and wine? I doubt a lot of people would think of those as excellent alternatives.

We require mental stimulation and socialization before we’re able to call ourselves truly happy. And the situation is the same when we’re talking about our dogs.

If you’re looking for some awesome ideas for the mental stimulation of your dog, check out the Brain Training For Dogs program by Adrienne Farricelli.

Her program has some pretty awesome ways of looking at dog training, and a special focus on the mental part.

Goldendoodle exercise needs

How To Train And Stimulate A Goldendoodle

But what is the best way to train your dog both mentally and physically?

Providing the proper training for your dog isn’t really all that difficult, and will most certainly be just as healthy and joyous for both you and your Goldendoodle!

There are quite a few ways where you can combine mental training with physical training. Let’s take a look at some of those options.

Public trips

Try bringing your pup to a busy area such as the local supermarket or something like the parking lot of your nearest mall, and try spending 15 minutes there before going back home.

Just by being in these places for some time, a dog will receive a lot of new impressions from hearing, smelling, and simply seeing numerous new and exciting things.

This is without a doubt an awesome way to train your dogs’ brains.

Perhaps there is also a pet store in your area where you’re allowed to bring your dog, I’m pretty sure that’s like Disneyland to a Goldendoodle!

Vary your pups’ walks

Another good routine is to walk your dog 30 minutes early morning and add another 20 minutes of a more brisk afternoon walk.

Perhaps you can even add some different fetch and hide-and-seek games to the afternoon walk.

By switching around your dogs’ daily walks once in a while, you ensure that your pup receives many new experiences and impressions.

This also adds an element of surprise where the dog isn’t fully aware of where you’re going as it normally would if it was the same old trip every single day.

All of these are things that will help stimulate a Goldendoodle both mentally and physically.

Take your dog with you

Have you ever considered bringing your dog with you if you have to go for a short drive to put gas on your car or going to buy those winning Powerball numbers?

For most of us, a 10-minute drive seems boring and something you have to get over with as soon as possible, but to a dog, this is a fantastic way to discover a whole new world of sounds and smells.

Try bringing your dog out of the car when you arrive at your destination, and allow him to go number one in a bush somewhere in that area.

This will also allow your Goldendoodle to leave a few of his own interesting smells for the next dog that might feel like dropping by.

How Often Should You Walk a Goldendoodle?

So even though a Goldendoodle has quite high exercise needs, if you follow the guidelines given above you should have some tips on how you can best handle any pup.

If you walk your Goldendoodle 2-3 times a day, at around 20-30 minutes each time, you will end up with a happy and satisfied dog.

And on top of that, I can almost guarantee that you will personally also end up as a much healthier and happier person.

Just as your Goldendoodle will.

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