# What is typical day like for your dog?



## Bethl (Apr 30, 2012)

This may seem like a weird question but I seriously would love to know.

I often wonder if I am spending enough time with mine (I have 2), if they are crated too long, if I should play with them longer, if I should walk them more, longer and all kinds of other questions about how I am "raising" them.

Then I wonder are mine sleeping too long, too often, are they bored or is laying around on the couch for a few hrs at a normal?

I understand each breed has different needs and different levels of tolerance to activities and such. However if you would just please give me a general idea of what a typical day is like for your dogs(s) I really would appreciate it 

PS: Also please tell me what type/size/age your dog(s) are.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

A "typical" day is very weather dependent and also depends on the personality and training level of the foster dog.
As background, my own dog is an 80 lbs, 5-6 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback mix and the dogs I foster are generally younger (1-4 years old) pit bulls or pit bull mixes weighing in at 50-70 lbs typically.

But here's a roughly normal day for us:
Wake up 7 am. Breakfast, wait for me to get ready for work, potty break in the yard. Leave home at 7:40 or so- Foster dog goes into either a very large crate (if needed) or the 'dog room' which has tiled floors, old couch, old rug and old table aka nothing valuable to destroy. 
My dog has the run of the living room, dining/kitchen and my bedroom. 

Home at 4:30. Dogs have been sleeping and looking out the window most of the day. I know this because they are just as lazy when I am home for the day and busy doing housework etc (as in, they aren't demanding although they will happily take a walk or playtime if offered). Out to the yard for bathroom purposes, then out for about a 1 hour walk. This part is the weather and training dependent part: if the foster has special needs around other dogs or needs leash training, each dog gets a separate 30 minute walk. If they can be walked together, we try to head to one of the large local parks for 1- 1.5 hours of hiking, daylight being the big time factor for how long we can walk. In summer we might go to the park for 3-4 miles every night but in winter, maybe only 1 day per week.

Then dinner, some playtime in the yard or just hanging around outside and then after dark, they will usually sleep the evening away on the couch or dog bed or rug and then go to bed at the same time I do after they make a last evening trip out to the yard.

Weekends or days off work, I up the activity to about 2 hours normally each day (one long walk or 2, 1 hour walks) or 3-4 hours if we make a special trip to a good hiking destination. 

They get attention whenever I am home even if it is just laying next to me or watching me do chores while I talk to them and give random ear scratches. For the fosters, I mix in about 20 minutes of daily training (using their dinner usually) and for my own dog, one or two times a week we have a little training session as reinforcement.


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## Bethl (Apr 30, 2012)

Shell, Thank you!!! I have already learned several new things from your post & I feel less guilt about the time I give my 2. They get aprox 2 to 3 hrs (each, mostly separate right now) from me a day & I was worried I was lacking in the area of time spent with them  Once I get some A 1 top priority things achieved with them I do NEED to cut back some on my time as I do have to get back to my job full time soon. I work from home which is a HUGE blessing! However it still is a JOB lol and I have changed my schedule to part time for right now but will by mid January need to return to full time. My boss (myself) is such a itch lol


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## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

I think this is a great question! When I was researching breeds, this was one of the questions I used to help decide what dog was right for us.

There haven't been too many typical days for the past few months (I was on extended sick leave for about 6 weeks and now I'm off for winter break), but here's what her days will look like when things get back to normal. Katie is a 19-month-old standard poodle.

We're up between 4 & 5 (sometimes Katie needs to be coaxed out of bed) and first stop is out to the yard for a potty break. Back in, I shower while she rests, then we both have breakfast (Katie gets hers out of a food-dispensing toy). While I get dressed, she goes back to bed and sleeps until my husband gets up (between 7 & 8, I think). He has breakfast and then they go to the park (either the off-leash dog park or the walking trails at one of the local township parks). Back home, he showers and does a little work at home, there's another potty break, and then he leaves for work sometime between 9:30 & 11.

I get home around 3:30, change, and then we play in the yard or go to the park for a walk if the weather is good. After our walk, I have dinner and then we have training time (we do extra training if we can't do anything outside). Whatever kibble hasn't been used for training goes in toy for dinner. Around 8, we get into bed and snuggle while we watch tv or read.

On the weekends, there's usually a trip to the bigger dog park, friend's or family's home, and/or a dog-friendly store or event. We also joined a local dog training club, so we'll be going to class at least one night a week and doing more training.

I try to make sure Katie gets 1 1/2 to 2 hours of activity a day, but that can be hard. Right now, our back yard is a giant, muddy slip-and-slide, and because of my health, I've been reluctant to take her out alone. She's the way Shell described her (his?) dogs - not demanding, but happy to play when given the chance. I've been trying to step up the training, but I'm a really bad trainer so it's going slowly.


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## Damon'sMom (Aug 2, 2011)

My typical day depends on the weather really but lately goes something like this:

Weekday- Monday to Friday (Sometimes saturday!)

5AM: Wake up. Take Piper, Max, Jasper, Sophie and Damon out to potty and a mile jog.
6AM: Feed dogs. 
7AM: Take dogs out to potty. Jasper and Max are put into their cages in my room. Sophie and Damon are left in the living room. I put Pipers harness on her and load her into the car. 
7:30AM: Drop Piper off at the trainers.
8:15AM- 6:00PM: Work
7PM: Pick Piper put and drive home. (I live at home right now so the dogs are fed by mom at 6pm)
7:30PM: My sister and I take the dogs for a 5 Mile run. I have Piper, and Max. She has Damon, and Sophie. Then I walk/jog Jasper a mile. Once we are back I shower and eat dinner and we just play around the house with them. 
Around 11:30 or Midnight its time for bed and I take the dogs back out and then put them to bed.

Weekends! 

6AM: 5 Mile run with Damon, Piper, and Max.
7AM: Shower then take Jasper outside for a 20 minute Training session and then toss the ball around for a bit.
8AM: Feed the dogs and breakfest for me!
10AM: We got to a local park that no one ever visits. I let the dogs off leash to run and play for about 2 hours.
Noon-3PM: Whatever I need to get done.
Around 3AM I will take Jasper to the pet stores to get him use to riding in the car and other people and animals.
5PM: 5 Mile run with all the dogs except for Jasper. When we get back I will take Jasper for a 1 1/2 mile walk/jog and I will train for another 20 minutes and then some fetch in the yard. 

After that its just kind of up in the air. We will lay around and watch tv or go visit my sister about an hour away. Just depends.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

One key in my opinion is that regardless of how much exercise your dog either needs and/or prefers, you have to build in an "off switch" especially if the dog will ever be a service or working dog. Patience is a virtue as they say, and that includes for dogs.

Sure, my RR would love 3 hours of walking daily. I'd love to be able to give that to him but I have to earn a living also. Sure, he would love to greet every person he sees, but sometimes it isn't appropriate. So I train inside stores where dogs are allowed and teach him to stand by my side until I am done (not just until he is bored), I take him to outdoor dining locations and teach him to lay down at my feet while I eat, we go to festivals where I teach him (and by now, expect him) to let me browse the event slowly and to greet people nicely. If I want to be out in public for several hours with him, he has learnt to move at my pace and to wait when I need him to wait which might be standing around at an adoption event while I show off a foster dog or waiting for me while I go sledding in the snow or anything in between.

At home, he has learned that if I tell him we aren't going anyplace, that it isn't something he can change. Sometimes ice or sleet or lightning storms prevents walking at all- I can't have a dog tearing up my house just because he missed a day of walking. So he earns treats for calm behavior and patience and praise and attention and such when we cannot walk. He mopes a bit and then gets over it.


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## Bethl (Apr 30, 2012)

cookie - is your dog crated while home alone

shell - never ever gave the off switch idea/training a thought. except i do know that a part of my states service dog test is the dog must sit still while a group of 16 people they don't know makes 2 lines/rows on both sides of the dog and then each row walks up, down and around the dog, at times making eye contact or with non verbal attempts to do so, the dog must not move. then the same set up but the people talk and make normal noises but not to the dog directly - just among themselves, again the dog is not allowed to get up or move around. I am allowed to be right beside him/her and he/she will wear a loose leash that I can hold during the test but I am not allowed to give commands or cues other then to have him/her sit and then of course release. I can't recall the time frame for this - I think 3 minutes total. So the off switch would also be very helpful to get ready for this part of the test.

does he know he is being rewarded for not being active on those days? if yes how?

ps. sorry for the poor typing lol i am holding juliet the baby over my shoulder and typing with 1 hand - this is her fav position


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## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

Bethl said:


> cookie - is your dog crated while home alone


Katie was crated (in a large crate) until she was about 15 months. It was more for my peace of mind than any behavioral issues. Until today when she started pulling the baby's breath off the tree, she's never bothered anything that wasn't hers. However, I was terrified she'd eat something while we were out and we'd never know. Since August or so, she's been "free" in the bedroom. I don't want to give her full range of the house because she likes to look out the window and bark at things outside. I'm trying to work to stop that, so I don't want to give her any opportunity to do it while I'm not home.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Bethl said:


> does he know he is being rewarded for not being active on those days? if yes how?


If he's being annoying, he gets ignored. If he lays down and chills out, he gets praise and back scratches (he loves back scratches) and maybe a chewy. I'll take him outside on a regular basis for potty breaks but if I know that he's been outside recently and he's just bugging me to go outside to play, then no attention. Of course if I have time I will take him out and play or go for a walk, this is for situations where I cannot. Like say if I am cooking dinner and have something on the stove, then he just has to wait. Usually he tries a few play bows and I say "Ain't gonna happen" (its the tone of voice that he knows, not really the words) and then he'll sigh and go lay down. If he's quiet till I am done, then I give him a treat for waiting.


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## Kobismom (Dec 17, 2012)

Typical day for us:

I'll start with my BF works from home, so we have a lot of freedom at the moment.

4:30am - I wake up for work & get ready. My boyfriend wakes up about 15 mins later and takes Kobi out of his crate and walks him for a potty relief (he's been sleeping in the crate for about 7 hours).
5:30am - I leave for work. BF and Kobi walk me down to the car and Kobi goes on another walk.
6:30am - Boyfriend feeds him. Somewhere during all of this, I get a text saying Kobi has gone into frap mode.
7:00am - 3:00pm - BF plays with him, will crate him if he needs to go out for an hour or 2. Walks him, gives him treats. Works on training with him.
3:00pm - I come home from work. Play with Kobi, take him on a long off-property walk.
4:00pm - Feed Kobi dinner
4:30pm - 10 pm - Play, walk, play, walk... lol
10pm - we go to bed, Kobi goes into his crate and goes to sleep.

My BF is expecting to start working outside the home in the near future, so Kobi will have to be crated through the day until I get home. We will be hiring a dog walker to come in during the day for a mid-day walk/potty break, and then I'll come home and give him a super walk/play time.


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## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

We have a lot less routine than we did when I was working. Since I got laid off, it's changed. It's also changed since it's gotten cold, since Hamilton hates the cold and will pretty much refuse to play outside or walk outside. :| 

These days, we roll out of bed around 9 am and go out to potty, which he does as fast as humanly possible to get back into the house. Then he has breakfast and likes to sit and look out the window a while, occasionally barking at passerbys. Throughout the day we'll play, and train, and go out to potty about every 4 hrs. These days I try to take him out back to play and I'll throw a ball, he'll run, grab it, and run back to the door to go back in the house. If we go to the park, he'll usually just try to get back to the car. He goes to play group on Monday nights (indoors now, fortunately, or he wouldn't play). 

Before I got laid off, and before the weather was cold, our routine was more like...
7 am get up, go out, play, eat breakfast, etc...
8:45 ish in the crate
12 ish husband comes home for lunch, potty, playtime, re-crate
4:30ish I get home, go out to potty, go to the park for 1-2 hrs, walk, play with friends
7:00-10:00 dinner, training, cuddles
10:00-11:00 last potty break before bed

He also would go to 1-2 playgroups a week, and had class once a week for an hour. We cut the second playgroup cause it's not free and with me not working we've been cutting expenses. We also went through all the training courses our trainer offered so that's why that ended.


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## Bethl (Apr 30, 2012)

These are all very helpful to me. I thank each of you!


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

Kabota's typical day (45 lb mixed breed, 4-6 years old):

5:45 wake up, go for walk.
6:15 eat breakfast, hang out 
7:30-7:50 I wake up early to spend this time cuddling him before I go to work.
daytime: my husband works from home and my MIL works nights, so during the day, he sleeps, begs treats off my MIL, gets some training and play and pets. he gets a short walk around noon
5:30 I come home, long walk
6:15 (or so) dinner
training, pets, play, just hanging out
9:00 walk, then groom, then bed

Kabota doesn't require crating. He's not destructive and he's perfectly housetrained, so don't feel bad about crating or expenning. If Kabota couldn't be trusted unsupervised, he would be put away somehow when we can't watch him.


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## bonesygirl (Mar 2, 2012)

Me and Bonesy's day starts between 6 and 630. She eats breakfast in her crate while I get ready for work. I work on a horse farm, so she comes with me.

We get to work between 7 and 730. She has a quick play with her friends, a rottweiler and an australian terrier, then into her crate while we muck stalls. Depending on how busy our day is and how safe it is for her (she loves the horses a bit too much and still tries to jump on them sometimes), she's in and out of her crate. At lunch time we either go for a hike around the property for an hour, or she has a run in the arena with one of her friends. Afternoon is similar to the morning, in and out depending on our schedule. Work finishes between 4 and 5, the drive home takes roughly an hour. 

We eat dinner, sometimes play, sometimes train. More often than not we're both too exhausted to do anything. I lay around watching tv, reading or knitting, while she sleeps the evening away. 

I consider myself incredibly lucky to have such a dog friendly job. I love having my girl with me everyday!


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## bonesygirl (Mar 2, 2012)

bonesygirl said:


> Me and Bonesy's day starts between 6 and 630. She eats breakfast in her crate while I get ready for work. I work on a horse farm, so she comes with me.
> 
> We get to work between 7 and 730. She has a quick play with her friends, a rottweiler and an australian terrier, then into her crate while we muck stalls. Depending on how busy our day is and how safe it is for her (she loves the horses a bit too much and still tries to jump on them sometimes), she's in and out of her crate. At lunch time we either go for a hike around the property for an hour, or she has a run in the arena with one of her friends. Afternoon is similar to the morning, in and out depending on our schedule. Work finishes between 4 and 5, the drive home takes roughly an hour.
> 
> ...


I forgot to say she's a 56 lb, 15 month old yellow lab.


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## zhaor (Jul 2, 2009)

walk
sleep
beg
sleep
beg
sleep
beg
sleep
eat
sleep
walk
sleep


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## GrinningDog (Mar 26, 2010)

It's tough for me to pin down Gypsy's schedule because it varies so much from day to day. I'm a college student with a part-time job. My work schedule is different every week. 

The only constants are:

*6:15 AM - 6:30 *- Breakfast, potty 
*6:30 AM - 8:00* - Solicit bellyrubs and toy tosses from various family members as they get ready for the day
Sometime during the day - Training session x2, Outdoor ball play, Walk
Sometime during the week - Trips to the park 1-4x, Hike 2x
*5 PM*- Potty break, dinner
*11 PM- midnight* - Bed


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## Avie (Jul 10, 2011)

Mike (3 years old, white swiss shepherd, 28'' tall, 75 lbs) 

6:15 - wake up
6:30 - walk
7:00 - sleep
8:30 - wake up 
9:00 - play
10:00 - walk 
10:20 - sleep
12:00 - wake up
13:15 - big walk 
15:00 - return and sleep
16:30 - play
17:00 - sleep
18:30 - eat 
18:45 - sleep 
21:45 - walk 
22:30 - play 
23:00 - sleep 

Basically lots of sleeping with walking and playing in between, and once a day he gets his meal.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

I have a five month old welsh springer spaniel puppy. 

On weekdays we get up around 6 and DH feeds him (and the bunnies) while I get ready for work, then takes him for a short walk up and down our street (only 15-20min usually). I hang out with him and do some play or training while DH gets ready, then we leave by 8 for work. Watson is crated when we're not home. One of us comes home at noon to feed him and let him outside. Generally we do another training session at this time too. 

I get home from work around 4:30 and usually do stuff with the pup until 6. I would take him for an hour long walk, but he gets nervous when it's really dark, so for now it's usually a half hour walk and then training and play (the basement is big enough for some good games of fetch). The rest of the evening is less structured for him, but we'll do more play sessions in the basement if he's got a lot of energy. A couple days a week I try to take him to dog friendly stores and he has obedience classes one evening a week. 

The main difference on weekends is that we take an hour+ walk every day while it's light out. Generally Watson sleeps most of the day, since that's his schedule during the week. He's a total velcro dog, so he's sleeping with his head on my lap if he can. 

I'm excited for him to get older and the weather to get better so we can do some hiking or jogging in the evening instead of a quick cold walk.


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## KBLover (Sep 9, 2008)

10 AM - 10:30 AM: Shaping
10:30 - 11:00 AM: Walk/Play/Explore outside and Breakfast
11:00 - 1:00 PM: Nap (I'm working)
1:00 PM - Medicine
1:00 PM - 1:30 PM: Walk/Play/Explore outside, Lunch
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM: Listen to him barking at Dora while working 
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM: Lunch Nap (working)
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM: Walk/Play/Explore outside (checking mail)
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Nap (working)
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Shaping/Review
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM: Independent Work (Usually I give him stuff to find and have him go find it, get it out of the kong, etc - Finish up work for me)
7:30 PM - 8:00 PM: Whine about being hungry while finishing work
8:00 PM Dinner (usually, otherwise more whining and diva sighing)
8:00 PM - 10:00 PM: Dinner Nap (or whining/diva sighing because I'm late with dinner)
10:00 PM - 11:00 PM: Shaping/Review
11:00 PM - 1:00 AM: You-worked-my-brain-hard Nap
1:00 AM - 1:15 AM: Medicine, then walk.
1:15 AM Bedtime for him. Last check on work for me and some unwinding time.


Times are approximate, especially in the morning - depends on how lazy we are and when we get up, etc. I don't have a "real job", so to speak - mostly projects come in and I (and others) work on them and submit them.

I try to keep his day full - sometimes I slip, and sometimes other stuff gets in the way (like the holidays and all that) but this is the template for Wally and me.


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## mzink (Dec 9, 2012)

I have a 5 year old 55 lb Springer Spaniel.

Most of his days are pretty active though he doesn't mind a lazy day now and then. Usually in the morning we go out and play ball for a while, then he comes in and lays down for a good few hours while I do chores and get some work done. Then in the afternoon he pretty much goes wherever I go, whether its going to hang out with my friends, going for a long walk or hike, playing more ball, going roller blading, practicing basic obedience or some other new command, or going to the dog park. All my friends love him so he's always happy to come along with us on our adventures lol. 

If I need to leave him home I may or may not crate him depending on the circumstances. If I'm going to be gone for a while I will crate him, if not I just close him in my bedroom and he's fine. He does tend to get into things if I leave him for too long, which is why I crate him usually if I'm going to be gone a while. As long as he still gets playtime and exercise he doesn't mind being crated at all. 

I am a pretty active outdoorsy person most of the time, so I always have a dog that I know will be able to keep up with strenuous exercise. The only downside is sometimes it takes them a little while to adjust to a lazy day when I decide not to go out. They stand there looking at me like "What?? No 10 mile hike? No swimming? No rollerblading? No adventures? What are you doing?? You are just sitting there! Whaddya mean go lay down??"


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## Bethl (Apr 30, 2012)

This thread is being SUPER helpful to me!!! I really want to say "Thank You" to all of you 

I thought I was being a horrible dog owner as I "only" spend a few hrs a day playing, working with them - not counting the hrs a day I spend (off & on) petting them as they walk by me, taking to them about what I should cook for dinner and general chit chat that someone else who over heard me would think i was talking to a human 

PLUS I am getting great ideas on activities to do with them !!


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## Chief502 (Dec 3, 2012)

Chief - English Bull Terrier/Pit Mix - approx. 70 lbs

I don't have a set schedule with him as it depends if I'm working or if the plant shuts down (as it is now for 10 days for Christmas/New Years). His schedule tends to change from day to day if I also have to take my brother to work.

Whenever I wake up he gets his meal for the day.
Potty Break.
Come back inside for treats for going potty outside. (I'm 100% convinced since only having him a short while that he is potty trained, but I still like to give him praise and treats for going potty outside.)
I either go back to bed and sleep for a few more hours before picking my brother up from work and hang out and watch TV/play on the computer. Chief will usually just sleep near me/on me.
I wake back up to go get my brother from work. I let Chief out to go potty again and take him for the ride to get my brother.
I come back home and get ready for work myself then go to work. 
My brother then takes care of Chief for me until I get back home from work which is between 10-11 hours. During that time he plays with him and lets him out and takes him for a walk around the apartment complex then plays with him more.
If the plant is shut down and I am home with him then we go out several times a day and go on several walks. I would take him to the nearby park, but it's just too cold and yucky outside.
I also sometimes split his meals in two. Once in the morning when I get up and once at night time for dinner.

He's a pretty laid back dog for what he's mixed with. I don't rough house with him because it really gets him going and the neighbors below probably don't appreciate him bouncing around like he does. Then again their Shepherd mix likes to howl and bark in the middle of the night.... (-_-")


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## dutchgal (Jan 26, 2012)

I just graduated and don't have a steady job yet. So it varies.
On a workday: I get up at 6.30. Oscar sleeps in his crate and stays there until my BF gets up at 7. He gets a 30 min walk, and his food. 

He is crated from 8.30 - 2.30pm. He has his chew toys and a frozen Kong to keep him company. 

We go for a 30-45 minute walk as soon as I get home. 

He just hangs out until dinner time, which is 5.30. During that time, we cuddle, train some tricks, or I hide some treats around the house and he has to go look for them. He also enjoys tug-of-war, but gets bored by all the activities mentioned above in about 5-10 minutes. He is hard to please, lol. Most of the time he is just lazing around.

He gets his last 30 min walk at 11pm and goes to bed at around 12, when we do.


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