So I hear some people say that they require at least one full hour of walking per day. Some say they require one hour of running. I take Saya to the park every morning and run with her for about 20 minutes until she gets tired or until I get tired. She made a german shepherd friend with whom she plays with from time to time. Now my question is a full grown husky how much exercise does it really require? Is one hour of walking really enough or do they need one hour of running

Each dog is different. the key to exercise is a good husky is a tired husky. If you work them enough to keep the tired, they don't destroy anything. So find that perfect level that you like, Saya likes, and the whole house will be happy.

Saya is so weird. Sometimes I take her for walks and she seems like she is really tired and cant go anymore. But as soon as we get to the house all hell breaks loose. Sh has energy for days

Honestly my 3 huskies only get 30 minutes of exercise a day at the dog park, off leash and free to do whatever while we're there. That's all mine need, they play with each other all day in the house and go outside 5 times a day to potty for 10-15 min.

In the fall/winter, they get an hour of exercise a day at the dog park.

As Kevin said, all huskies are different.
My first husky I would run 2X a day.
I was running marathons then, doing 50-90 miles a week,
Casey ran most of those mikes with me,
He ran strongly until he was 11.

My second husky, Tasha, was never the athlete Casey was.
She would run with me, but nowhere near as much as Casey.
She was slowing down at 4, reluctant after that and stopped at 9.

My current husky, Bodhi is all go-go-go!
I have a feeling he would run like my first if I let him.
But I can't run as much as I used to, so he gets about 30 miles a week, mostly on trails.
He's fine with that, but he gets two walks of the flower sniffing kind as well.

I don't think you need to run your husky for him to get quality exercise.
You can bike with him, using a springer or walky dog.
You can let him tear around the dog park for a hour.
Or you can do a power walk with him.
I do think that huskies need at least an hour a day of sustained aerobic exercise of some sort.
1-3 year olds need this more than older dogs for the safety of your home and possessions!

Thanks for your replies both. I've been listening to peoples advices they tell me that saya shouldn't walk for more than 15 minutes at a time since she is only 3 months old. So I wondered about the running. Since I always run with her at the park where there is grass. Quite honestly I see myself getting a bike in the upcoming months. I don't think I'm in shape to be running more than 2 miles straight. Maybe 1.5 at any given time. But that may or may not be enough for saya once her stamina goes up

I didn't know she was only 3 months.
She shouldn't be running for any sustained period now.
Play on grass is great with the GSD is great, though.
Wait until she's a year to run and build up.

drzcoyotex3 wrote:

Thanks for your replies both. I've been listening to peoples advices they tell me that saya shouldn't walk for more than 15 minutes at a time since she is only 3 months old. So I wondered about the running. Since I always run with her at the park where there is grass. Quite honestly I see myself getting a bike in the upcoming months. I don't think I'm in shape to be running more than 2 miles straight. Maybe 1.5 at any given time. But that may or may not be enough for saya once her stamina goes up

your not going to want to run or bike her til she's around 1 year. You don't want to damage her joints or muscles while she's developing.

keep her entertained with walks, playing with other dogs, daycare?, dog parks, and mental stimulation!

Yes she is only 3 months. Many people have told me to wait till she is at least one year. Do you guys think that running with her at the park on the grass hurts her, or can I keep doing that? The reason why saya doesn't have many friends is because people see her and right away shield their dogs like if she is vicious or something. off course there are a few exceptions, some dogs are generally afraid of her or don't seem interested in playing

Freya is 14 weeks. I take her to the park (We dont have dog parks here), I let the kids play on hte equitment while I run Freya around the park a few times. It's a large park, we stop a few times so I can push the boys on the swing or kiss a scraped knee better, but for the most part she is moving.

After we get home she tares around outside with the boys for a bit then crashes. She is so calm and subdued on the days she goes to the park lol.

She also has a retriever cross friend that comes to stay for a sleep over once in a while. She also goes for sleep overs to her retreivers house.

The others already mentioned every dog is different. So it depends on the individual dog, but it is also important to which amount of exercise they get used to, if you walk your dog 5 hours a day for a long time he wants it of course..
I would say a family Husky that is not used to pull a sled or something like this needs the same amount of exercise like every other dog of that size and energylevel..

Anubis normally gets about 3 hours a day of exercise and he has to work about an hour or two a day.

To me giving them exercise for their brains is mor eimportant than just let them run or pull.

With 14 weeks you shouldn´t give her too much exercise anyway.

Balon is a lazy 5 month old lol. He runs around the yard with Ruby maybe 2 times a day for like 30 minutes each time, and then they play all day in the house. I can't see him making a good running partner, which is good since I don't run lol. He is just really calm so it's fine! They are all different.

This is Asia and she's 9 months. 20 minutes into their walk she's slowing down and looking at up me like saying "really mom? I have to keep going" and then when she gets home it's a full on war with Kody. I'm like "i thought you were tired?! "

drzcoyotex3 wrote:

Saya is so weird. Sometimes I take her for walks and she seems like she is really tired and cant go anymore. But as soon as we get to the house all hell breaks loose. Sh has energy for days

Jennet&Embry wrote:

Honestly my 3 huskies only get 30 minutes of exercise a day at the dog park, off leash and free to do whatever while we're there. That's all mine need, they play with each other all day in the house and go outside 5 times a day to potty for 10-15 min.

In the fall/winter, they get an hour of exercise a day at the dog park.

Yep, same here. Mya gets a 25-30min run ( or walk depending on my mood) and then Kody and Asia get the same, but a walk since little Ms. Asia can't run yet. Then they play non stop at home. Plus the dog park (for Kody/Asia) once or twice a week depending on how hot it is these days. When it's cooler they go on 20 minute bike rides too. Sometimes I feel like I don't give them enough exercise, but they seem happy.

Heat is a big factor too.
When its hot, they don't need or want as much exercise.

I met a sled dog racer last summer who said she did not exercise her dogs at all when the temps were over 70 degrees. I don't know how old those dogs were.

Bodhi needs some exercise every day. When I am out of town, my wife takes him to doggy daycare for half a day. They say he gets the other dogs to run laps!

I guess I missed alot in the time I wasn´t here, Melissa so you got a third one, let´s see how long it takes to the fourth

At 9 months and a bit, I take mine out for an hour in the morning and an hour in the late afternoon. Followed by a short 10-15minute walk before bedtime! He is so active and thats what he needs to be chilled out at home.

Now that its just started heating up here though, we can get away with doing less exercise, he has the energy, but its just too hot for him so he isn't that bothered!!

A tired Husky means you can relax at home, Luka just sleeps, occasionally wakes up to play, wrestle, chew on his toys but thats about it.

If I were to miss a walk, my house wouldn't even have 4 walls left.

jalepeno wrote:

When I am out of town, my wife takes him to doggy daycare for half a day. They say he gets the other dogs to run laps!

That's Kody at the dog park!

SiberianAnubis wrote:

I guess I missed alot in the time I wasn´t here, Melissa so you got a third one, let´s see how long it takes to the fourth

Yep, got a 3rd. Not planned, but it happened! Here's the story if you're interested. Oh, and NO FOURTH!!!!

https://www.itsahuskything.com/t4466-the-diva-mya-and-kody-introduce-asia-updated-5-6

Balonsmom wrote:

Balon is a lazy 5 month old lol. He runs around the yard with Ruby maybe 2 times a day for like 30 minutes each time, and then they play all day in the house. I can't see him making a good running partner, which is good since I don't run lol. He is just really calm so it's fine! They are all different.

Remember you made this post in about 5 months lol. I thought exactly the same thing about Keeonah. They hit that adolescent stage and it's all downhill from there lol. In the next 6 months, the weather will cool off, Balon will be older, and the true levels of energy your pup possesses will manifest itself, pretty much guaranteed lol

I know maggie is a malamute. Anyway, some days she is so lazy I can do like a mile of exercise and she is done. Some days she drives me insane, like today. I had to do like 6 miles and she was out. I also have friends that say their husky will be the same way.

I grew up with border collies which are hyper hyper hyper. Omg you can walk them 5 miles and they still will run circles around the house until they are like 6-7 years old.

MyKeeonah wrote:

Balonsmom wrote:

Balon is a lazy 5 month old lol. He runs around the yard with Ruby maybe 2 times a day for like 30 minutes each time, and then they play all day in the house. I can't see him making a good running partner, which is good since I don't run lol. He is just really calm so it's fine! They are all different.

Remember you made this post in about 5 months lol. I thought exactly the same thing about Keeonah. They hit that adolescent stage and it's all downhill from there lol. In the next 6 months, the weather will cool off, Balon will be older, and the true levels of energy your pup possesses will manifest itself, pretty much guaranteed lol

this is so true its scary - I am terrified for what happens when the winter comes. Even at 7 months Cato is starting to go crazy. Thank God we have Delilah to keep him occupied


To the OP, mine don't require too much. We visit the dog park regularly and play indoors, but in the winter, life will go back to spending two hours 5x a week bundled up while they play outside.

I found this doing a search online. Just wondering what Balonsmom says a year later about balon now? Is Balon still calm? Did things change as he got older or it got colder? Just trying to see what I can expect from my 4 month old lazy dog.

My Yuki has always been lazy as a pup. We can go without regular walks and she doesnt care. My male is super energetic and NEEDS daily walks in order to thrive and not go crazy. Yuki is 11 months, Link is 17 months.

All of my dogs NEED three walks a day. If we miss even one, they are all going bonkers. Every walk varies from 30 minutes to an hour or more. Mine are all over a year old.

Nanook is 6 months old and up to about a week ago we we would go on a half hearted jog...only half hearted because I am so not a jogger..maybe 20 minutes and he was good for the day. My husband will all out run with him for about 10 minute (which he prefers) if I could not walk. Now that it is getting hot out he runs crazy laps in the house for about 10 minutes a few times a day... Then turns into a couch potato.

kingsley is 8 months old and is an extremely lazy dog. if he doesn't get 1 walk a day, he gets hyper for about 30 minutes, then falls back to sleep. it's tolerable on rainy days, but too many in a row (when he was on no-exercise instructions post surgery) was absolutely awful.