# Exercising Puppies



## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

I have read in alot of puppy books that you can over walk your puppy. One book says 5 minutes exercise for each month of the pups age. To me thats a bit too short. I take mine out for about an hour and he is about 4 months old. He comes back full of beans still and runs around like a loony!


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## Esarosa (Jul 13, 2007)

That's odd never heard that before, I used to go off how the dogs were acting, so if they started to sit/lie down more, or run but not full out then i'd call it a day and head home.

that being said used to walk the neighbours yorkshire terrier puppy and he never changed at all, not even a little bit. would keep going and going then just sleep all night bless him lol

sorry i'm not much use


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

I know I was advised not allow my GSD to run full tilt for more than 10-15 minutes at a time whilst she was still growing, due to the bones still being quite soft and damage can be caused by over exercising, especially in breeds that a prone to bone problems anyway.. although I was told by the club we trained at that she could swim as much as she wanted whilst growing, so this was good exercise.. as it was hard to fully exercise my border collie whilst holding her back.


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## kas (Jan 19, 2008)

Andy said:


> I have read in alot of puppy books that you can over walk your puppy. One book says 5 minutes exercise for each month of the pups age. To me thats a bit too short. I take mine out for about an hour and he is about 4 months old. He comes back full of beans still and runs around like a loony!


 
sorry but rubbish, your pup will play all dayso a walk of a hour will not hurt,
i have a 14 week old pup he goes out for a hour and still plays with the others when we get home.


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

There is an excellent amount of information regarding exercise here
Pedigree.com - Exercising your puppy

I personally followed a regime set out by the GSD club of Wales when we were training as it does vary from breed to breed.



> Don't make the mistake of over-exercising your puppy. Until 18 months of age, dogs are very susceptible to bone problems and injuries and their joints are very tender. Why? Puppies’ bodies develop much faster than their bones. The growing weight that results as their body develops combined with the stress of over-exercising can cause bone damage. Overweight puppies, and pups of very large breeds with heavy bones and bodies, are particularly susceptible to joint disorders and can develop health problems if they are over-exercised.


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## Marinam2 (Sep 4, 2007)

kas said:


> sorry but rubbish, your pup will play all dayso a walk of a hour will not hurt,
> i have a 14 week old pup he goes out for a hour and still plays with the others when we get home.


Its not rubbish, it may not affect puppy right away but you wait till he starts cracking on at 6-7 years old and you'll notice it then!!

Marina


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## Schip (Mar 31, 2007)

I'm sorry but pups should not be over exercised it changes the way they grow, more exercise equals more growth hormones which can and does lengthen bones in some breeds.

Now for us show folk yes it matters for the ring ie a puppy allowed to free run will be more leggy than another that has controlled exercise which will ruin any show potential for the pup that's grown on the legs.

I still with the little dogs tell their owns 5 mins for every mth of life as they do pay the price with joint problems later in life. Another point to consider is yes your pup may well come home full of beans etc but thats more likely a sign of over stimulation. More than 1 of my previous puppy buyers has rung me wks later in floods of tears coz they can't handle the wild pup they've now got. For training purposes you need a calm pup and an overstimulated over exercised animal isn't all that receptive to training but may well react in a negative manner to noise or waving arms etc.


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

my 15 wk old goes for a 30 min walk broke down in to 2 walks so 15 mins in morn then 15 mins in eve as i was adviced for her breed its 10 mins per month and thats what i did with my other sibe from puppy and built the walks up as they got older


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## browner93 (Dec 17, 2007)

when i got my puppy gsd i just walk it on a lead in the morning and then in the after noon take it for a walk in the field and let him off and walk around and play when he was tiyerd walk him home and not with my new puppy i dont the same but when i throo a toy for my older dogs he went for it and she chasted him and shes now 10 months and fyn now she bigger and older the both go out for 3 walk a day togethir and they are both gsd (german shepherd dogs)


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## browner93 (Dec 17, 2007)

browner93 said:


> when i got my puppy gsd i just walk it on a lead in the morning and then in the after noon take it for a walk in the field and let him off and walk around and play when he was tiyerd walk him home and not with my new puppy i dont the same but when i throo a toy for my older dogs he went for it and she chasted him and shes now 10 months and fyn now she bigger and older the both go out for 3 walk a day togethir and they are both gsd (german shepherd dogs)


and now my 1st gsd is now almost 3yrs and has no bone defecs or hip probs


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

I have 3 GSD 13 years, 2 years and 4 years. Puppys under a year in this breed should not be lead walked for miles as it really does destroy growth plates and joints. My friend breeds and shows these dogs and I have been to lectures on HD and exercise and as already been said you wont know until your dog is older and crippled with pain. My old girl is quite doddery now and has arthritis in her left hip but when she was hipscored at 10 months her score was 1(excellent score and not many like it.) My younger bitch had a score of 11 and Ive not had my boy done as getting him castrated as he only has 1 desended testicle(shame as his structure is superb) No one wants a dog to suffer severe pain with joint problems when holding back with excessive exercise for 1 year is all it takes


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

Schip said:


> I still with the little dogs tell their owns 5 mins for every mth of life as they do pay the price with joint problems later in life. Another point to consider is yes your pup may well come home full of beans etc but thats more likely a sign of over stimulation. More than 1 of my previous puppy buyers has rung me wks later in floods of tears coz they can't handle the wild pup they've now got. For training purposes you need a calm pup and an overstimulated over exercised animal isn't all that receptive to training but may well react in a negative manner to noise or waving arms etc.


Could explain why my Jack Russell is quite leggy as he used to come running with me when he was quite young.

So you recommend 5 mins per month but is this for the whole daily amount of exercise or per walk? My 4 month old Stafford is coming with me for about half an hour on a morning and then about an hour on an evening. Nothing to fast or running just gentle walking. He is in the house all day or comes with me to work so doesn't get much exercise during the day. I was thinking if he is still full of energy then he needs more walking.


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

The exercise thing is really only a large breed problem. The smaller breeds dont have the problems with their joints that bigger breeds do.Dont think staffies or Jacks etc need to have their exercise limited in the same way.Sometimes dogs need to use their brains to tire them out. Use puzzle balls or hide treats so they have to think what they are doing
Maybe your Jack is a parsons as they have longer legs


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## Schip (Mar 31, 2007)

My breed now is only 13 inches to the shoulder and they do suffer the same problems with over exercising as the larger dogs. Before Schips I bred and worked obedience GSD's and now also have a pom so have experience of varying sizes of dogs.

Once a dog hits four mths half hr each end of the day really is a maximum as that equals 60mins. Smaller breeds can suffer with legg perthes disease which is a bone disease that doesn't show until they're about 6-8mths old. If a dog is a suffere of Legg Perthes they will start to limp anytime from 6mths onwards as the bones lose the calcium for a short while (cause unknown) so any and all exercise during that danger time will destroy the bones of the hip joint. The normal mode of treatment is to remove the femoral head and allow the muscles to compensate but it is a very long slow recovery.

Unfortunately the mode of inheritance is unknown in both humans and dogs as well as no test available other than repeated x-rays of family members of those who have a sufferer. So in the canine world we advise gentle restrained exercise as a precaution for the smaller breeds too because we as breeders have no way of knowing if the disease is present as it can appear at anytime in a family line.

My friend was a sufferer female back in the 70's when it was thought to be a male only disease so she was labelled attention seeker for her growing pains. By 32 she had her first hip replacement by 35 she had her other hip done, bones removed from her big toes to allow her to walk more normally, all her children were x-rayed every yr until 21 to catch it early if they were affected, she is the first in her family to be a sufferer.


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## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

It really only makes a diff 2 bigger breeds iv neva had a big breed fae a pup had a couple o gsd n dog sat a bullmastiff 4 few mnths!But hav had ma terriers n staff x fae pups n theyv always had as much exercise as they want n neva had ny probs!They dnt naturally limit their own exercise so iv neva limited em they play 2 getha till theyr tired sleep they play n their fine!


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## Tina (Apr 9, 2007)

Following advice from my CKCS breeder and the trainer I used I only walked mine for short periods of time as a puppy and built the time up very gradually over the months. I researched this at the time and found it was indeed the right thing to do. I don't think the size of dog makes any difference to this advice, mine is only 13" to the shoulder now at the age of four.


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Thats so very true

It dosnt matter what size your breed of dog is you have to start with short walks and gradually build them up thats what i have done with all of mine 

Think of them as a child you wouldnt expect a toddler thats just started walking to walk for miles and it not affect them puppies are just the same as children in one respect


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## bugdude (Dec 5, 2007)

sorry to say that yes it does say about 20 mins walk for puppy's as it's to do with the growth rate of there bone's and to much can do more damage when their older.


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## linda.t (Sep 28, 2007)

Marinam2 said:


> Its not rubbish, it may not affect puppy right away but you wait till he starts cracking on at 6-7 years old and you'll notice it then!!
> 
> Marina


my breeder also told my not to do to much when my lab was still young i think it is mainly in bigger breeds but not sure,was also told not to let pups under 12 months to jump in / out of the car as it can hurt there hips in later life and sometimes gives some dogs a higher hip score but not sure if true or not.


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## daisyleo (Nov 23, 2006)

This 5 minute rule thing s new to me and I have owned dogs since I was 4, obviously I didn't know much aged 4 :Na_Na_Na_Na:
But what I have always done it start small anyway, as someone else said you wouldn't make a toddler walk round the block the first day it took steps.
As they get bigger then extend the walk slightly, my staffies are knackered from a walk round the block or a run over the park so I think that is enough and they are 4 & 5 now.
Mom's jack russells would walk to scotland and back they never seem to tire, but we still do the same with them round the block or over the park


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## Faith (May 17, 2007)

Andy 

With stafford because they are breed from hunting stoc they will out walk you until they are old and grey, we could take our stafford for a 4 mile run and it would still want more. 
As the stafford is only 4 months old gentle walks wont do any harm for about an hour split over the day if you have a garden let it out in there and when its had enough it will come back in as well as its daily walks. 
Staffords need to be walked to help with their social skills towards other dogs


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