Sleepless Dog

[lizbud]

As far as I know he just lays around with my dad, my dad wont walk him or play with him I've gotten into that fight already,

There's the problem. A dog NEEDS walks & exercise several times a day.

Please excuse my bluntness, but why did you get a dog that you don't have
time for? It's not fair to you or the dog.

[Zoeythelsot]

I'm sorry, let me quit my job and become homeless so my dog can have more than 1 walk per day. And to be honest he would still only get one walk per day as its far too hot to walk anywhere during the day, it gets close to 100. The fact that someone is with him 24/7 is more than 80% of dogs get. I do not work long hours, but the simple fact that I do work means a large part of the day I can not give him attention. Should no one that works be allowed to own dogs? Most dogs do not get walks everyday, some remain tied up in backyards, yes I agree they shouldn't have dogs. but point is he gets more attention than most dogs. On weekends we go to the park, we go to petsmart, and the dog park. He is NOT completely ignored while I am home, he doesn't not sleep while I am awake and generally is right next to me or on my lap. It is unreasonable to ask me to devote every waking minute to him or I shouldn't have a dog. I'm kinda insulted you would say I shouldn't have a dog. Hes got a warm home, a huge backyard, good food, vet care, someone who loves him. You know where he would be right now if he wasn't here? A landfill. I got him at 4:30, he had until 5. So tell me again I shouldn't have got him.

[Giselle]

Please don't be offended! MOST dogs are only walked once or twice a day. My girl, Ivy (who is training heavily in agility and so needs a lot of physical strength/endurance training) only gets two walks a day. Granted, the first one is a 2 mile hike, but she only gets one in the morning and a jog in the afternoon. We also do a lot of play, training, and body work at home, which are all equally as important as walks. So you see it is not the quantity but the quality that counts.

I don't believe this is an exercise issue in of itself, but I do agree that more strenuous exercise, like short bursts of top speed, will help. However, I really think you should just draw up a night schedule, stick to it, and begin locking him in the crate at night again. If you really prefer to let him sleep outside, babygate him or put an ex-pen around his crate so that he has room to pace but not roam free. This is an ex-pen: