German Shepherd in apartment: Is a yard needed or are walks enough?

Although every pet is different and has different energy requirements, this sounds like a good schedule for any dog. Plenty of exercise will help to keep this likely active mixed breed happy and healthy. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I don't think you need to worry about psychological damage to Bruno. However, German Shepherds are very intelligent dogs that require a great deal of mental stimulation to be good companions. As a result, the more exercise they receive or jobs they have to perform, the happier they usually are. If you do not think you will have time to walk him enough during the day, you should try to get him somewhere to run at least a few times a week, either in a park or a field. There are also daycares where dogs can go to interact with other dogs. The most common negative side effects I see in my practice with dogs that are understimulated include destruction of property, eating things they aren't supposed to, or self-inflicted injuries.

German Shepherds are high energy dogs, especially as puppies. Ellie may need more vigorous exercise than just walking - although walking is great - such as 30 minutes of fetch in the backyard or secure (fenced) park area. With respect to walking, I would consider 3 walks of 30 - 40 minutes each to be sufficient. You might also investigate doggy day care in your area, to help her get some additional exercise and play time.

King is gorgeous! Thank you for including a picture! I think the answer to your question really depends on your lifestyle and King's personality. If you are an active person who can take King for regular walks/runs and King will have the opportunity for regular play daily, then living in an apartment may not be a problem at all. However, if you will not be able to offer King enough opportunity to run and play while living in the apartment, he certainly might develop some bad habits from being bored and not getting enough activity. Does King like to go to the dog park or doggie day care? There are plenty of large dogs that live in apartments and get more activity than those that live in a house with a yard, so I wouldn't use that as my deciding factor, but you may need to make some lifestyle changes to make sure that King gets the exercise that he needs. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

As a GSD, Bruno really needs exercise twice a day at least 30-45 minutes at a time. That's because they are very high energy dogs that need lots of exercise to keep them healthy and their mind stimulated. If you have no time to play or walk Bruno, I would see about hiring a dog walked to give him that exercise. If you don't have time to play or exercise him, it may be best that you find him a home where he can get the play and daily exercise he needs, and you can get a breed of dog that's much more low maintenance in terms of exercise.

I'm very sorry that you may have to give Max away. As a GSD, he will need a lot of daily exercise. As a breed, they are very high energy dogs who require at least 45 minutes twice a day when fully grown, so he will need more exercise as he gets old. At his age, 30 minutes of exercise is fine, but he should get that twice a day. I would make an effort to get him more exercise in order to meet his needs.

That amount of walking is WONDERFUL for mental health and maintain good muscle mass. Many German Shepards are under worked, bored, and start having behavioral problems are Bruno's age because of it. However, dogs don't suffer the same types of heart diseases that humans do (no heart attacks), so the walking isn't going to help with that specifically. Thanks for using Pet Coach and keep up those great walks!