What does a Dutch Shepherd ask of a household, from morning to evening? In our read of the AKC's pages, time, every day, for the body and for the brain. The AKC's breed page scores the breed 5 of 5 on both Energy Level and Mental Stimulation Needs. Below is a sample day, built only from AKC guidance, so you can test it against your own calendar. We breed Dutch Shepherds, and our honest read is that a home that cannot give that time is usually not the easy fit. Our line is that these dogs are not for everyone.

Azul, one of Alpha Kennels' adult Dutch Shepherds, seen as a dark silhouette sitting on wet sand at the edge of the surf, a rope leash looped on the sand beside her front paws, with rays of sun breaking through heavy clouds behind her and her reflection in the sand
Azul on the beach.

What the AKC's scores say

These are the AKC breed page's scores, out of 5, as the AKC shows them.

The breed page gives no number of minutes or hours. Its Exercise section says the Dutch Shepherd "has been bred for hard work, and plenty of it." So we give no breed number either. Every number below comes from a general AKC article about dogs, and we label it that way. Our exercise guide has more on what the AKC says about exercise.

A sample day, built from the sources

This is an example we built from the AKC's guidance. It is not an AKC schedule, and it is not the routine of our dogs or of any one dog. There are no clock times: morning, midday and evening are only places to put the pieces.

Morning: a walk that does more than provide a potty break, and a meal that doubles as a game. The AKC's bored-dogs article says daily walks "should do more than provide a potty break." It also says "A 10-minute stroll around the block is unlikely to tire any dog," and suggests adding more vigorous exercise "like chasing a ball or flying disc or giving them a safe place to run free." That is general advice for dogs, not a Dutch Shepherd number. The same article says a food-releasing toy turns mealtime from "a two-minute gobble-fest to a half-hour game."

Before you leave: a short brain game. The bored-dogs article suggests interactive games to challenge your dog's mind before you head to work, such as hide and seek. In a separate article, Dr. Vint Virga, quoted by the AKC, recommends activity puzzles before you head out the door, which the AKC says can help keep a dog occupied for up to a few hours while you are gone.

Midday: someone breaks up the day, and the dog rests. The AKC's alone-time article quotes Dr. Virga: "For a dog to spend all of their day alone is too much. Dogs are very social animals." As a maximum, the AKC says, he recommends dogs spend no more than six to eight hours alone without a chance to relieve themselves. That is a general guideline for dogs, not a Dutch Shepherd rule, and this page is about adult dogs. The AKC ties a puppy's limit to age, and our guide to leaving a Dutch Shepherd home alone goes through it. The breed page has its own line here: "This breed does not want to be a pet left at home; they want to be your partner in life." For dogs alone for more than six to eight hours, Dr. Virga, quoted by the AKC, recommends doggy daycare, a dog walker, or a neighbor, friend or loved one who drops by. We put rest in the middle of our example day: Dr. Virga, quoted by the AKC, describes a dog's normal activities as a pie chart in which a huge portion is sleeping and resting.

Evening: a short training session and a scent game. The breed page says the Dutch Shepherd "does better with shorter training sessions (with little repetitions)," and that without training the breed "will become very independent and will start to make its own decisions, so obedience training is highly recommended." The AKC's exercise article says practicing recall, retrieving and basic commands "offers mental stimulation, as well as exercise." For a brain game indoors, the AKC's scent games article says some can be played "in small indoor spaces like a living room," and lists a muffin tin puzzle and a box search. Our Brain Work guide has more.

Across the day: social time. The alone-time article gives a general guideline of a minimum of two hours a day of dedicated social time with humans or other dogs, which can be broken up into chunks over the course of the day. It adds that, Dr. Virga explains, how much a dog needs varies by the individual pet and cannot be generalized by breed, age or overall health. So treat the two hours as a general guideline for dogs.

What a day like this is not

It is not all work. The breed page says the Dutch Shepherd "will differentiate between work, play, and chill time, adjusting its energy level accordingly." Our off-switch guide is about the calm side.

It is not body alone. The bored-dogs article says "Giving your dog's brain a workout is as important as exercising their body." The AKC's exercise article adds that mental stimulation "is not a replacement for physical exercise, but it is an important complement." So the sample day has a slot for each.

Test it against your own week

These questions are ours, not the AKC's. Answer them for an ordinary week, not your best one.

When it can work

The breed page sets its own condition: "Provided with proper mental and physical exercise, this dog makes a great pet for an active family familiar with dogs." If your answers came out as yes, the Dutch Shepherd may be a good fit. Our ten honest questions are the next step.

When another breed may be easier

The AKC's exercise article says "It is not a good idea to buy an active dog breed unless you already lead an active lifestyle." That is general advice about active breeds, and in our read the Dutch Shepherd's Energy Level score puts it among them. The same article says a walk around the block "might be enough for breeds with lower exercise requirements." If an honest look at your week finds room for about that much, a breed with lower exercise requirements may be the easier fit, and we would rather you found that out here. Our guide to a quieter, lower-energy home looks at the same question from the other side.

The short version: the AKC breed page scores the Dutch Shepherd 5 of 5 on both Energy Level and Mental Stimulation Needs, and gives no minute count. Our sample day is built from general AKC guidance for dogs. The AKC says that, provided with proper mental and physical exercise, the dog "makes a great pet for an active family familiar with dogs." In our read, a home that cannot give that time is usually not the easy fit.

The honest answer

In our read of the AKC's scores, a Dutch Shepherd asks for time every day, for the body and for the brain, and a home that cannot give it is usually not the easy fit. That is why we say these dogs are not for everyone. If the sample day looks like a week you can keep, it may work. If not, we would rather you knew now.

Sources