How much exercise?

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sez88
Posts: 49
Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2009 1:44 pm
Location: Plymouth

How much exercise?

Post by sez88 »

Hi ,
Our collie x lab puppy Charlie is 12 weeks now, he has had his injections and is able to go out for walks. But im not sure how much exercise he needs.
We have been taking him out for two 30min walks a day as well as playing fetch etc in the garden. He is often still full of energy when we return from walks so im not sure if he is getting enough.
Today we took him for a walk with a young boy with autism who was almost as excited as Charlie and then to pets at home (so we could buy him a harness) where he got lots of attention, we were out for just over an hour. He was soon asleep after we got back. Was that too much :?

I know he will need alot of exercise, but im just not sure how much he needs right now. Help please.

Thanks
Enjoying life with our pup charlie...he had us at 'woof'!
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Nettle
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Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:40 pm

Re: How much exercise?

Post by Nettle »

It's difficult with high-energy puppies, but against that you have to balance their growing limbs and joints - so ideally two to four outings a day of ten minutes each is plenty.

What I do with my puppies is take then for a short car ride to somewhere they can play safely and learn about the world without actually going far. So we sit and watch traffic, the children in the playground, people shopping, sheep, cattle, horses - but not a lot of walking. This tires puppies out without stressing their limbs, and also teaches them about the world.

As pup gets older, you can have little games with toys or go and smell where the rabbits and squirrels have been.

By six months old, we do half an hour twice a day, but at puppy pace, me dawdling along and pup exploring. This includes lead-walking, but most of my puppy work is done offlead, which I recommend IF you have somewhere safe to do this, because you can work on your recall at an age when puppies love to follow you.
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MaiasMom
Posts: 429
Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 1:02 pm
Location: Everett, Washington

Re: How much exercise?

Post by MaiasMom »

Nettie, thank you for posting about going out to let the dog be comfortable with the world outside. I to do this with my puppies. Just sit or stand where there is much going on to get them comfortable. One of our off leash parks has a small and shy dog fenced area that is wonderful. They can run and play with dogs their own size. Puppy obedience class is a great way to socialize a puppy also, good for the pup, good for the owner even if the owner knows how to train already. I still do this after over 60 years of having dogs. It sharpens your skills and is a great outing also.
The best days are spent with my dogs.
KTC
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:56 pm
Location: New England USA (CT)

Re: How much exercise?

Post by KTC »

I had this same question! I have a 4 month old goldendoodle that is 20 pounds and growing and wonder how much walking she needs. I currently do 3 walks daily, generally 10 - 20 minutes at a time. I also let her have some off leash time in the back yard to walk freely or play fetch.

She is napping well and sleeping all night.

Are we good?
MaiasMom
Posts: 429
Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 1:02 pm
Location: Everett, Washington

Re: How much exercise?

Post by MaiasMom »

At this age your giving the dog a good amount of walking and play time. As she/he gets older the length of time can increase. This is a wonderful breed, you get the best of both breeds.
The best days are spent with my dogs.
mselisabs
Posts: 65
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2009 11:06 pm
Location: Charlotte, NC

Re: How much exercise?

Post by mselisabs »

It can depend on the dog - we have one dog park frequenter that has a boxer puppy and she says sometimes the puppy is so tired she carries her up the front steps into the house. That might be a sign your puppy is getting *too much* exercise! Every pup is different so pick up on the signals they give you :)

KTC - sounds perfect! And don't forget, mental stimulation can be just as tiring for a puppy as a long walk! I have an adult dog but if it's a particularly bad day outside and we can't go for our long run I try to put in some extra training or game time.
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