Exercise

[Daniela Horth]

Hi all!! Lucy, our 15 week mini Aussiedoodle so far has been amazing. She Sleeps well, is good natured and loves everyone she meets. I am curious about really how much exercise this mini AD will require? Right now she gets two 20-30 minute walks a day (sometimes longer) and 20 minutes (perhaps not consecutive) of yard playtime. I will happily throw her football for 10 minutes or so until she chooses to be done, and on some of our walks she likes to lay down and rest a bit. However, many evenings she has the puppy zoomies. I have heard that this happens because they are under exercised. I am new to dog ownership and would love some of your thoughts and what you have found about how much exercise is too much or too little. It seems to me she's getting plenty. Thanks!!

[Lena Morgan]

Hi Daniela,

I have an 8 mth old AD named TUGGER and he also has the "Zoomies" - I call it WDS(Whirling Dervish Syndrome) before I knew what they're called! For him, his Zoomies are an alert for me that he may need to finish going "potty" is I brought him in too soon. He also "digs virtually" when he buries his raw hides or treats. Does Lucy do that too? It's so funny to see them move invisible dirt to cover their treats or as I call it, dig to China before he lays down to sleep. I play w/ Tugger and walk him multiple times a day but at times, he seems under exercised so a run at the dog park to air it out does wonders. Enjoy your new pal - these AD's are amazing! 

[Daniela Horth]

Hi Lena! Thanks for getting back to me. It's So great to find people with AD's to compare notes with. Lucy's zoomies are mostly outside and sometime happen at the tail end of an exercise session. The dog trainer at puppy class has indicated it could also be over stimulation. Who knows.... She does virtually dig too! But not to hide her treats; she will stick her head into a bucket and dig like crazy!! It's hilarious and my kids say she's trying to get to Narnia LOL! Thanks again for sharing! I am confident she will be a great family pal!