do dogs ever really get tired? (how much, labs, poodle, golden retriever)

[stan4]

My younger (smooth) collie is a bit of a spaz. She's three. My older one (rough) really started settling down by this time and was quite a doll (I hear that it's more in their temperament to be more calm than the hard-driven smooths).

It's hard to have guests come over unless they already know the younger dog. The people who already know her just ignore her and that seems to calm her down and she sits quietly. The ones who don't know her give her all that reinforcement with the eye contact, the petting, letting her jump, squealing, etc.

They say a tired dog is a good dog. And don't get me wrong - she IS a good dog, but she is tireless. We can play frisbee until she's panting, go for a bike ride, swim, play with the other dog, etc...but if there is something exciting or a new person at the door, she can practically jump 10 feet in the air, as if she's been lounging around all day storing up ATP.

Obviously, the more I exercise her, the better her endurance (our vet was impressed with her sleek musculature), and I am not going to stop exercising her (she is a driving dog and all dogs love play time)...

But it makes me wonder...I have never seen her completely pooped before...do dogs ever really get tired?

[Hopes]

I remember feeling this way with my 16 year old lab when he was younger. Hubby always reassured me that eventually he would be curled up at my feet. They do eventually calm down. When they do, you'll be happy about it for a few years because it's peaceful, normal peaceful. But as they get even older, you'll start to feel bad about it as they have even less energy. You'll look back on these wild days today remembering her spunk with a warm heart.

[tortuga29]

They do as they get older, as Hopes stated above. My pitty Webbs used to have more energy than I knew what to do with. He climbed over everything. Jumped through windows, over fences, even a car. We would go on long runs/jogs and walks daily. But he would rest, of course at night, when I wasn't there to stimulate him. Then little by little, I noticed he couldn't go as far, would stop sooner, and the easy things were being a tad bit more difficult. And I noticed the same for me. LOL

Now he's a good ole man at 10yrs old and he may not be able to run/jump/fly like he used too but his tail still wags a million miles an hour and he still gives those drowning kisses.

[Nite Ryder]

I suspect dogs are a lot like humans when it comes to getting tired. It depends on how much activity they are used to and their age. I have a seven year old Poodle who seems to be tireless, her former owner walked her daily an average of two miles. I walk her everyday, but usually average about a mile, I also take her to a park and throw a ball for her to chase. Both of the Golden Retriever's I used to own were both energetic when they were young, but as the reached about 10 years of age they slowed down noticeably, both died at around age 11 years from a pancreatic tumor. Neither of these two dogs were as active as my Poodle when they were younger, but neither of them had the best food I could buy, like the Poodle does.

[subject2change]

Mine are both about 3 and pretty spazzy, but they do konk out in the evening. When it's time for the bedtime pee run, they both swear they don't need to go, and they'll be fine on the couch thank you very much. Of course I insist and they both go as soon as they get outside.
I hate when visitors encourage dogs that are being pushy. It's so hard to teach them to be polite when someone's rewarding them for being a pest.

[stan4]

Lol! Yes, I remember when my older (rough) collie jumped up on a woman with a broken leg...I was horrified, petrified, and nearly passed out from embarrassment. By the time she was 5, everyone said, "You just have the best, most polite dog!" But she was an effin' terrorist for almost 5 years.
Now that she's 10 and can't jump for the frisbee (but can still trot by the bicycle and bring me tug of war or fetch toys), I do feel kinda sad for all the times I wish she'd just chill out and learn to quietly sit in our company.

[zugor]

Oh, yes they do. Funny story from years back. I had a golden retriever pup about 5 months old and we went on a Sierra Club Canine Hike in on the the East Bay Regional Parks and the 15 or so dogs were all off leash.

Dooner ran from me up to the front of the group to be with the big dogs - labs and other retrievers mostly, then back to the end of the line to make sure I was still around, then back up again, over and over until we stopped for our lunch break before turning around and retracing our steps back to the trail head.

He ate his snacks and drank a lot of water then settled down for a snooze.

When it was time to start back he got up and walked about a hundred yards before laying down again and refusing to go another step. He was too tired and wouldn't budge.

I had to carry him back but fortunately it was a great group of people and he got handed off to different folks every 15 minutes or so since he was already about 35 or 40 pounds.

They say "A tired dog is a happy dog" and it's true even if you have to carry him for miles.

[stan4]

The true puppies definitely tire. They are still growing, though. I remember how my rough (who I had from just weeks old) would run and stomp and play and then suddenly, out of nowhere, just fall over asleep. It was hysterically funny.

[halfabuck]

I think they do get very tired but at a young age they are very excitable and they also want to please you so they stay at it thinking they are making their master happy.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

I walk my dogs about five miles once a week (the rest of the week we go on shorter walks). That's enough to tire my puppy out for a few hours.

When she's a little older, I'm going to get an attachment for my bike so she and I can exercise together...she wants to run but I can't.