I 100% agree with you.

When I got a GSD a couple of years ago, I made a commitment to spending at least an hour every morning going for a hike with him and 15 minutes every afternoon either playing, training, or walking on leash.

This was bare minimum; often the morning hikes would be an hour and a half, the afternoon walks would be longer, and I'd add some more play time after dinner. I also dropped him off at a doggie daycare that had a group of active dogs for him to play with a couple of times a week.

One thing I do every morning is let him run off leash during our hikes. He needs that. But different breeds have different personality types.

So if you know you are a couch potato - get a dog that is also low energy and will be happy with shorter walks and more cuddling!