How much exercise does a Hovawart need?
Daily exercise minutes, the activities a Hovawart enjoys and signs of too much or too little.
Adult Hovawarts need around 90 minutes of exercise a day, ideally including off-lead time in safe areas, hiking and a training session. They enjoy tracking, obedience, search and rescue work, and swimming. Many are superb hiking partners in cool weather and will happily cover 15 km (9 miles) once fully mature.
A bored Hovawart may become overly watchful, barking at every sound or patrolling fences obsessively. Hot weather, on the other hand, quickly exhausts the breed; exercise during cooler parts of the day and provide shade and water. Heavy panting or lagging behind are signals to slow down and rest.
Hovawart exercise in numbers
Activity ranges are editorial planning estimates. The five-minutes-per-month puppy rule lacks scientific evidence. Adapt activity to the individual and seek advice for pain or exercise difficulty. PDSA puppy exercise guidance.
Editorial activity estimate
90 to 120 min
Puppy activity
Individual plan
adapt to age, health and development
Senior activity
Individual plan
adapt to comfort and ability
Size
large
25 to 40 kg
Energy level
Playfulness
Handles heat
Handles cold