Dutch Shepherd Forum

I'm curious - what does a typical day look like for your dog? Say, a day you work and a day off? Bonus points for pictures!

How much time do you spend outside? How much time training? What kind of fun stuff do you and your dog do together?

On workdays, I spend an hour at the park with him in the early morning, playing fetch or letting him play with other dogs. Then we have breakfast, I get ready while Zane entertains himself with his toys in the recycling bin and we go for a quick walk right before I leave for work. I get some kind of food game set up for him (find the cookie, a kong wobbler) and then he's alone for the day (he used to have a dog walker for a lunchtime walk until recently, but we had some problems with her - so, no more dog walker). My husband gets home before I do and takes Zane for a long walk and feeds him his dinner. They usually do some training and then hang out on the couch until I get home. We usually do two more quick training sessions during the evening and play some in the house fetch or tug. Then, Zane hangs out in his crate with a toy until his last walk of the day. At bedtime, he gets on the sofa to sleep.

Weekends aren't too different except that we're home most of the time and take Zane on a major afternoon outing to go to a bigger park, for a long walk somewhere new or to go swimming (yes, there is an indoor dog pool in New York!) at least once each weekend and do a few more training sessions.

(there is an indoor dog pool in New York!)

Marco is already packing his mask & snorkel and wants to travel to the Big Apple to check out the dog pool.

Weekdays before and after work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TCgzX2D ... re=channel

Weekends.

the stuffed animal your Mal has in the video would not last in my house - it would be gutted in 2 secs

love all that snow!!

Yes, stuffed toys don't last long around here. For some reason, that particular toy got more respect than the others. She also has a little stuffed toy today that has lasted more than a month.

For training, we train outside every evening for a few minutes during play time, if the weather is nice. Not in the winter. Boaz is taking a lot of classes, and my Laekenois also was in a lot of classes until recently. Then there is always the weekend dog shows. I've cut back on those a lot nice Balto finished his AKC RAE (Rally Advanced Execellent).

Our routine varies depending on the season.

In the winter, we get up, go out for a quick take-care-of-business walk and run, return, feed the cats and then do some kind of training (nosework, obedience, freestyle, tricks, whatever we're working on).

I do my own workout after that, then we head on out for more training, exercise and hiking. Generally, something agility related (we're working on weaves a lot right now), and I'm someone who believes all the time you spend with your dog is basically training; when hiking, we do different nosework things, various recalls, work on distance-from-me cues (with me- within 6 feet; stay close- within 25 feet or so; free-stay in sight), and take advantage of anything we find in the environment for some kind of work.

Alternatively, we'll do an outing of some kind, going down to the pedestrian mall to walk around and practice stuff with other people and dogs and all sorts of things going on.

Then she gets her first meal of the day, and then it's rest time for both of us . Also, errands and such.

In the afternoon, we repeat the morning outing/training/exercise session. In the summer, this usually includes swimming.

Dinner (humans and animals).

Evening...play sessions and another training session of some kind. Often, we're taking a class one evening a week.

She's with me 24/7 (we're both lucky there!), and we've worked on her being able to stay home alone, too (who needs separation anxiety?). At 20 months, she's now able to be left home, free in the house, with both cats, if they happen to be inside. Generally speaking tho, whatever I'm doing and wherever I"m going, she's with me.

Before work (I go in at noon most days) - we either go to the close dog park or the bigger, more fun Pt. Isabel.





We fit in some training at the park - really trying to drive home stays with me out of sight.

She gets a full kong in her crate while I'm at work then dinner and a walk when Tom or I get home. When she's lucky her friend Tiger will come over and they'll ruin the apartment.



Then she tries to stay awake...but it doesn't always work out.



On the weekends...we have class. She's hard to see in the video cause she's closest to the camera at first. Circus class!
http://youtu.be/sJuExiSSks8

Our day starts at 6:00am when the siamese alarm clock goes off.

Put dogs out, feed cats, feed dogs, bring coffee to the lucky other half who will have to get up and do this tomorrow (every other day coffee in bed! you can't beat it), wake children for school. Hubby takes kids to school while Xena and I take a long walk. We train along the way and I have a tug or frisbee to play with too.

if we are working downtown, Xena goes with me and down stays in the gardens while i weed and remove trash. She is learning to heel through people, and at crosswalks and is even learning to push the crosswalk button with her nose (but she rolls her eyes while doing it ) Yesterday she started carrying a watering can for me!!!!
She is adorable!!! If we are going to pet friendly yards she also comes with us. BUT if we are going somewhere with other dogs or not a safe spot, she stays home in the crate with a stuffed Kong. (3-4 hours MAX)

We come home to let her out and play and then she can usually either come finish the day with us, or she waits until the kids get home at 4:00 to go back out and play. More fetch in the yard or if she is lucky and I am patient, I let her help "herd" chickens into their coop at night. (Yes, chickens will do that by themselves, but she loves it!!! Dinner is at 6:00. Then hang with the family until her night walk. After that she snuggles in bed with me until Hubby puts them out for "last out" (10:30pm) and into the crates for the night!

Weekends we usually go and do some hiking or training in the park, romping in the river, digging in the garden, or even better HERDING clinic! We also take bi-weekly herding lessons and are going to start our CGC class soon!

how fun!! I love, love, love that video and music!! Your dog and all the dogs look like they are having so much fun - awesome!

Looks like a lot of fun dogs and people working together

That circus class looks like such a blast! And your girl is so good!

(I am so jealous about how CA has so much fun dog stuff going on; tons of nosework out there, for example, and no ORT or trials around here on the event horizon at all )

Schlussdibusti wrote:Marco is already packing his mask & snorkel and wants to travel to the Big Apple to check out the dog pool.

I'm sure Zane would love a visit to the dog pool with Marco, but it's pretty sad compared to the beaches you've got!

alexis wrote:

Schlussdibusti wrote:Marco is already packing his mask & snorkel and wants to travel to the Big Apple to check out the dog pool.

I'm sure Zane would love a visit to the dog pool with Marco, but it's pretty sad compared to the beaches you've got!

But more audience to show off his swim and diving skills

Our work days start at 4:15. 3 of the 4 go out while I shower then me and the 4th go out. Then everyone back in for breakfast and I prepare my work day items. Then back out for a quick potty and everyone gets a kong with cheerios and peanut butter in their crate for the day. My son is home during the day and lets the dogs out and feeds Ice his lunch. I am back home about 4 and I change my clothes and out we all go to play. I have nosework class on Mondays and Thursdays and Schutzhund class on Wed and Sat. I do nosework with only one dog and Schutzhund with two but lucky Ice pup gets to go to all classes even though he only participates in Schutzhund. . Sundays are more relaxing with no alarm in the morning and playing either inside our out depending on the weather.

Patty

Patty...you have fortunate dogs!!!

Someone should tell them that!!!

Patty

What does a typical day look like for us?

On school/work days we wake up and I feed Sugar (coconut oil added to her food) then let her out for her pee/poop. After we all eat breakfast and shower, Sugar goes for a ride with the boys to take them to school. On non school/work days when we sleep in, Sugar will wake up around 8 and we let her come up on the bed with us until we decide to get up. Then she is fed and goes out to do her business. If only I get up, she will go back to bed with Daddy after going to the bathroom until he gets up.

Once Daddy is up, she follows him around or sits and stares at him until he has his morning banana that he shares with her. His routine is to put a piece of banana in his mouth and tells her “gentle” and she gently takes it out of his mouth. I told him, one day she is going to be really excited about getting her banana and bite his lip off, but he trusts her and doesn’t want to listen to me. What can I do? Its “their” thing. It is cute and they both love it, so...



I will take her for a walk later on in the morning for an hour.

We usually do some 5 min training sessions though out the day (how many depends on work schedule or what I am working on with her).

When its time to get the boys from school, she goes for another car ride to get them. She LOVES her boys!!



At 4 pm, a bunch of people in the neighbourhood take their dogs up to the field to play, and if I am not watching the time, Sugar will stare at me until I also realize its 4 pm. She loves to play with her friends.

I take her up for a play for maybe 45 min, sometimes more, sometimes less depending on which dogs are there and how much playing she does with them. If no one else shows up, we go for a walk around the neigbourhood.



After we get back home, she will play with the boys or lay on the couch with them if they are watching TV or playing video games until dinner time.



She has her dinner, with Omega 3 and coconut oil added to her food.

After dinner she play with the boys or curl up with us in front of the TV or in her bed if we are doing homework, etc.

Once boys are in bed, she is curled up with us in front of TV until bedtime, then out for a last pee and then she follows us to our room and goes to her bed on the floor beside our bed.

I love the shot of her lying sound asleep on her back and the one with her head on the pillow.

lol love the pics

She is so darn cute! love the banana eating shot, and also, in the car picking up the boys looking out the winder...she's got a darn nice life!