Outdoor Exercise

Gracie loves to play fetch with a tennis ball. And she loves to push and pull a basketball around the backyard.

I try to give my dog at least 30 minutes of exercise each day to keep her happy and healthy. I have a large, fenced yard so playtime is convenient. I always bring a bowl of fresh water outside for her when she plays, in summer and in winter.

I sometimes skip Gracie’s playtime in the summer if outdoor temperatures are very high. Even when she was younger, Gracie made it clear she doesn’t like playing outside for long in very hot weather. After about 15 minutes of playtime in very hot weather she’ll walk slowly to me, and then to the door. She’ll stand there, watching me and waiting until I let her inside.

Occasionally, in the winter, I’ll give Gracie less than a 30-minute playtime if the outdoor temperature seems too cold for safety. Yet even then I try to give her about 10 minutes, as she loves playing in the snow and never wants playtime to end when there's snow on the ground.
On cold and cool weather days, Gracie will gladly play outside, non-stop, for 50 minutes or longer.