Understand the exercise requirements essential for a Great Dane’s health and happiness. This article provides tailored advice to keep your gentle giant active and well-balanced.
Great Danes require a moderate amount of exercise to keep them physically fit and mentally stimulated. Appropriate forms of exercise include walking, playing games, trips to the dog park, hiking, swimming, and agility sports.
Great Danes have a lot of energy and love to run and play. You may be looking at how much exercise your Great Dane needs each day to stay fit and healthy.
Great Dane Exercise Guidelines
Yes, Great Danes will need exercise to help keep them both fit and mentally stimulated.
Great Dane puppies have more energy than an adult or senior Great Danes. Your puppy will need more of your time and energy to keep them entertained and not destructive.
Adult and senior Great Danes are content with sleeping on the couch for most of the day and then going for a walk a few times a day. You should look at spending about 30 minutes to 1 hour twice a day exercising your Great Dane as a baseline for activity.
If your Great Dane does not get to go outside a few times a day and exercise, they can become overweight and bored. Neglecting regular exercise can lead to health issues as well as the formation of destructive habits.
These destructive habits are their way of releasing pent-up energy. So take notice if your Great Dane starts exhibiting new “bad” behavior as it could be a sign that they simply need more exercise!
What are the Best types of exercise for my Great Dane?
An Adult Great Dane will not require as much exercise and playtime as a puppy.
A growing puppy will need gentle exercise for about 30 minutes to an hour two to three times a day. Gentle is key here for puppies as their bodies are experiencing massive growth and developmental changes and should not experience undue stress.
The biggest mistake that owners make here is taking their young Great Danes on leashed runs. This type of forced exercise should be avoided until they are 18 months old.
An adult and senior dog will need less by comparison to their spirited younger selves 😉
There are many different forms of exercise that you can engage your Great Dane not all of them involve you walking around your neighborhood all day.
Here are a few great ideas you can do to give your Great Dane plenty of exercise!
1. Taking your Great Dane for a Walk!
Taking your Great Dane for a walk is a great form of exercise for both you and your dog.
Going for a walk each day should not be the only form of exercise your Great Dane receives. Just like people, your Great Dane can get bored very quickly of the same routine each day.
Try to spice up his exercise program every now and then with some variety. Even changing up the route that you take on a walk can help keep your Great Dane from getting bored.
2. Play Games
Playing games such as fetch, Frisbee, hide-and-seek, and tug-of-war with your Great Dane is not only a great way for your dog to get a healthy workout but also a way to have a lot of fun at the same time!
Allowing your Great Dane to play in your backyard gives your Great Dane plenty of exercise while you can rest and watch.
3. Go to a Dog Park
Once your Great Dane is fully vaccinated, you can take them to the dog park. This will allow your Great Dane to meet other dog friends to play with.Â
Many times these parks have places where you can sit and rest while your Great Dane plays with other pets.
4. Go for a hike
Your Great Dane would love to go for a hike on a nature trail. This will really help change their workout routine and switch things up.
Most parks have many different jogging and hiking trails that you can take with your Great Dane. These different trails will add a bit of variety to your dog’s exercise routine as well.
5. Go for a swim
If your Great Dane likes water, you can let them swim in the pool or lake.
Make sure that your Great Dane gets into the pool in the shallow end. You would not want your Great Dane to jump into the deep end and panic, and you have to rescue them!
6. Dog Agility Sports
Great Danes can be active in different dog sports. You can look at different dog sports such as agility or flyball for your Great Dane to be active in.
You can easily set up your own agility courses in your yard for your Great Dane to run through. Dog sports not only give your Great Dane plenty of exercise but also provide a lot of mental stimulation that your dog will need.
Dog sports can also help strengthen the bond between you and your Great Dane and give you a great activity that you both can participate in.
How often do Great Danes need to be walked?
You should walk your Great Dane at least once a day with other forms of exercise throughout the day to keep them entertained and stimulated.
While your walk does not have to be very long, at least once around the block should help keep them fit!
Why do I need to give my Great Dane a lot of exercise?
A Great Dane is a moderately energetic breed, and to keep them in great shape, they will need plenty of exercise!
While there are too many to name, here are just a few reasons why it’s important to see that your Great Dane gets plenty of exercise!
- Prevents obesity
- Decrease behavioral issues
- Promotes cardiovascular health
- Improves mobility
- Helps strengthen muscles and helps prevent injury
- Helps aid in proper digestion
- Provides physical, mental, and social stimulation
Daily exercise can keep your Great Dane healthy and happy for many years and help prevent your dog from developing many health issues.
Can Great Danes go on long walks?
Yes, your Great Dane can go on a long walk. In fact, most Danes love to go for walks!
When taking your Great Dane for a walk, make sure that the pavement is not too hot or too cold for their feet. If it is, you can look at investing in some dog shoes to help protect their feet.
Our boots are here to help keep those paws protected for every adventure. Let’s face it our pups are our family and we want them to join in on the fun and be safe while doing it.
Hot pavement or cold snow can harm the pads of their feet, causing your Great Dane to have a lot of issues.
How much exercise is too much?
While not enough exercise can cause your Great Dane to become overweight and possibly destructive from being bored, too much exercise also has some issues.
These are some signs that your Great Dane may be getting too much exercise.
- They are limping. If your Great Dane has gone for a long walk, bike ride, or hike and they are now limping; they may have gotten too much exercising. For the next few days, it is best to take very short walks or even skip them altogether. This allows your dog to heal so that they will be able to go for long walks again. When returning to exercise, it is best to work up to more strenuous exercises slowly.
- They do not want to go outside. Your Great Dane may just be lazy, but if they do not want to go outside for a walk, do not force them. Some Great Danes are perfectly happy being couch potatoes, and you will have to force them to exercise each day. If your dog suddenly does not want to exercise, they may have gotten too much exercise that day.
- They are sick. If your dog is sick, they will not want to go for a walk. If you notice anything off with your Great Dane, it is best for them to see your vet. Your vet can make sure that your Great Dane does not have anything serious going on, causing them not to want to exercise.
- They are panting. If your Great Dane is panting when you come back from exercising, they may have gotten overheated. A little panting is okay, but if they have a hard time breathing and cooling down, the next time you take them for a walk, decrease the amount of time that they spend outside exercising. Remember, if it is summertime and very hot outside, try going for walks early in the morning or later in the afternoon. This is when it is cooler outside and less likely for them to develop heatstroke.
If you notice any issues with your Great Dane, it is best to decrease the amount and intensity of your exercise routines. If this does not improve after a day, it would be best for your vet to look at your Great Dane to make sure that there is not anything wrong that would be causing them to act strange.
Final Thoughts On Great Dane Exercise
Your Great Dane will need plenty of exercise to stay fit and healthy.
If your Great Dane does not get enough exercise, they will become overweight, bored, and can become destructive.
Giving your Great Dane plenty of exercise and changing up their exercise routine will help keep them healthy and happy!