08/27/2026
If your dog still has energy after a long walk, the answer isn’t always a longer walk.
That’s something I’ve learned living with a high-energy working breed.
Physical exercise matters, but tiring out a dog can also mean giving their brain a job. For Lincoln, that might look like:
🐾 A training session where he has to focus and think
🐾 Scent work or letting him use his nose to search for something
🐾 Food puzzles, frozen enrichment, or making him work a little for his meals
🐾 Practicing obedience somewhere distracting
🐾 Learning a new skill or revisiting one we’re still working on
🐾 Exploring a new environment instead of walking the exact same route
🐾 Structured play that involves impulse control and engagement with me
🐾 And yes, sometimes just practicing how to settle and do absolutely nothing
I used to think “tire out the dog” mostly meant more miles, more running, more physical activity.
But especially with a high-energy dog or working breed, you can accidentally just build a dog who is incredibly fit and still looking at you like, Okay…what are we doing next? 😂
I’m learning that there’s a difference between simply exercising Lincoln and giving him the combination of physical exercise, mental stimulation, training, sniffing, problem-solving, and downtime that actually seems to fulfill him.
And honestly, some of our shortest training or enrichment sessions seem to wear his brain out more than a much longer walk.
Every dog is different, but if you have a dog who seems impossible to tire out, it might be worth thinking beyond just adding another mile.
What wears your dog out the most: walking, training, sniffing, playing, or enrichment?
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