You are wise wise wise to try to match your lifestyle with the type of dog you are considering, WOW, wish everyone did that!!
I know nothing of PWD, but, i too, brought home a high energy breed. So i know a lil something about high energy dogs. turns out, even dogs are individuals. My dog suffered such severe malnutrition in his infancy that he is not quite as difficult to tire out as some border collies are, that said, some people might find him too high of energy for their home.
We make our dog run AT FULL SPEED at least once a day, and usually a few times a day, all year round, outside in our own big yard, or, down at the local schoolyard, which is huge and entirely fenced in (most school yards are). Ha, occasionally inside the house, but, inside the house only lasts a few minutes.
We are usually not running alongside, but coaching him to run, stimulating him to run. He understands the chant, "go buddy go!" is time to run about, we get him fired up, (doesn't take much) He loves to run. We egg him on to go faster and faster....and faster.
IN truth, this is not enough running for a dog that is bred to run all day long for hours and hours, but, we make him run FULL SPEED for several minutes a day, usually several times a day.
IF our dog had any social skills, we could also wear him out in doggie daycare, or, agility, but, we just have our own agility set in our yard. A FEW of the items i can bring into the house during wintertime.
We set up play dates for him to play with his dog pals at least once a week, THAT wears him out nicely, too. He only likes a few dogs, so we are limited.
In summer, my dog probably walks about 8 miles a day, i take him for evening walk of 4 miles, and my guy takes hims for about an hour long walk in the morning.
HOWEVER, in the brutal winters we get, we do not walk him nearly that far, not at all, poor dog, he only gets about 30 to 45 minute walks/ twice a day in winter... and if the snow is icecovered, no running,:dognowink: cuz it scrapes up his legs, and yanks on them as they punch in/out of the icecovered snow surface...dang.
soooooooooo, here comes the part i am getting to:
even a high energy breed,---- in the depths of winter----, when our dog is NOT getting enough physical excercize, i mean, only an hour of walk total for entire day, plus the runs, plus making him go up/down stairs a lot, and much playtime/roughhousing, is absolute minimum to keep him sane, and many outings to park walks, about 1x or 2x a week in the winter, etc, if it is tolerable to be outdoors very long, etc,)
-----------can be manageable, evne in winter time, if you are committed to helping your dog find ways to burn off energy without having access to all the physical activity he'd really like. NOt ideal, but, can be done.
BUT i discovered, that---------teaching him tricks WEARS HIM OUT.:dogclosedeyes:
just flat out wears him OUT. like, take a nap pretty soon after, is fully contented, worn out. He settles right down if i wear out his lil mind. ha ha. anyway, good to know, if you do get high energy breed. A few short lessons, scattered throughout the day, helps satisfy him, esp in winter.
Other things we do to keep his energy needs satisfied in winter, is giving him laundry baskets, which he herds inside the house, occasional gnaw things, i make various homemade puzzles with a treat inside--- that he has to work to get the treat out, he gets lots of att'n and play times, goes everywhere we go, trips to Petsmart, or anywhere dogs are allowed to go inside, and Buddy is with one of us almost 24/7, (but he's cool home alone, too)
MY POINT IS, even though IN THE WINTER, Buddy's life is NOT ideal for a high energy breed, we have found ways to help keep him sane on bad weather days, but, not ideal, but, he is kept contented.
It IS a big focus to us,------ that we very much ENJOY doing, (some ppl might not) is, finding places to take our dog, thinking up stuff to wear out our dog, please our dog, stimulate our dog, finding ways to keep him busy as we can in the winter.
We also go to goodwill store, and stock up on cheapo toys, cuz he loves new toys, for really bad bad stormy days, he might get a new toy for his tricks. suddenly a boring day is more fun then.
He also entertains his own self, tossing toys up into air and catching them, all by himself, stoff like that, he loves toys, plays vigorously with some of them. He really does, play a LOT. Is fun to watch, he lets us know IF he wants company, but, he often does amuse his own self for an hour at a pop, with his toys, running around with them, jumping on them, is very physical playtime.
Buddy does get the 'zoomies" on days he is not allowed to run outside (cuz of icecovered snow) well,then, he DOES do laps, at full speed, or as fast as he can, around and around and around INSIDE our big house, up and down the stairs, and then around and around,
we LOVE to watch him do this, he looks so stoked:dogbiggrin: to be running....so even Buddy is participating in finding ways to burn off his energy.
Some ppl might not care for that, indoor zoomies, but, we think it is great, and very much encourage it, very much. We've even re-arranged our furniture to fascilitate this. he also does this when we come home, "victory laps", always has.
(summers are way way easier, WAY easier, he gets plenty of excercise in summer) oh wow, he does. Just outside, running around, in the woods, or swimming, or whatever.
INsummer, we kinda almost make him take a nap now and then, is EASY in summer to wear him out, with really long walks, running sessions, agility in the yard, etc etc.
hopefully, someone who knows about PWD will come along. But, even high energy dogs can be managed, with some effort, in the depth of winter.