new puppy walks

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msue.shrimp
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:51 am

new puppy walks

Post by msue.shrimp »

Hi!
My name is Melissa and I have a new long coat chihuahua named Shrimp. ( I like to call her Shrimp-Lulu) I've had her since she was 7 weeks and she is now 11 weeks. She's a great little pup and very active and very energetic. Even though she is a chihuahua, she is already about 4 lbs and the vet expects her to get around 12-14 lbs. Currently she is spending around 6-9 hours home alone about 4 days a week. She never left home for more than about 5 hours consecutively since I come home on my lunch breaks to take her out and play with her for a little bit. What I am wondering is how much should I be walking her. Since she got her second set of shots and the vet okayed her being walked in my neighborhood, I walk her usually once in the morning for anywhere between 25-45 minutes and I take her out for about 15 minutes my lunch when I come home and then again at night for another 25-45 minutes, sometimes even an hour. She doesn't usually seem tired during the walks and alot of time will be full of energy when we get back into the house, but I just wanted to make sure she is getting enough activity and in the same notion, not too much activity. Any advice would be great, thanks!

Melissa & Shrimp
josie1918
Posts: 435
Joined: Tue Aug 18, 2009 10:57 am
Location: nebraska, United States
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Re: new puppy walks

Post by josie1918 »

Well Melissa, I realize this is not an exact answer for you, because there really isn't one. Each of our pets are unique, just as we are, some people are very energetic and can't sit still, others prefer to sit and read a book. My 80lb. GSD does very well with 45 minutes in the am and 45 minutes in the pm. The dachshunds however prefer 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening. That is what they are comfortable with. If your little dog is happy to walk this far then by all means I would allow her to. The key I think is moderation, not hurrying her too fast or allowing her to run on concrete sidewalks (little joints are still developing ) :D
Wicket
Posts: 739
Joined: Mon May 03, 2010 11:36 pm

Re: new puppy walks

Post by Wicket »

Another way to tire her out is to by learning new cues--sit, stay, down, etc, as well as mental exercise, like playing with a Kong.
msue.shrimp
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:51 am

Re: new puppy walks

Post by msue.shrimp »

Oh, I she is in the process of perfecting sit down up and stand, but she's only 12 weeks so her attention span is short and half oF her daily food is fed through a monster ball or canine genius. She's well stimulated she a ball of energy :) maybe its me too I'm constantly trying to get her to play when I'm home cause I Don't want her not to have enough attention.
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