Over exercising dog?

[Pigeonshooter22]

Hi all,

 

I have just red a online post that states 5 minutes exercise for every month of age for a puppy, thats 20 mins a day for my cocker pup that is 16 weeks now! He gets 30 mins before work, 20 mins at lunch and 30 mins after work in fields/different locations having a lovely time and a odd bit a training during the walks.

He seems fine in himself and looks a spit of health, nice chunky pup. He comes to work with me but is crated in between walks, he lives indoors with us and is with us all evening until we go to bed and then he goes into his crate for the night in the kitchen.

 

Am I over doing it? If he gets any less hes crazy but after reading this now paranoid hes going to get early arthritis.

 

Thanks!

[Benthejockey]

I've got a lurcher puppy who's the same age. If she only got 20minutes a day two things would have happened. 1 she would have destroyed the house, garden, burnt the neighbours house down, eaten the other neighbours children and drunk all my whiskey. And 2 my wife would have killed me! You can see when they've done enough, it's easier at the minute with the stubbles because she can go out across the fields for a walk and race round and that's enough but when I first got her the crops were still up and my leg was ******** so we'd more often than not go for a hobble about for an hour. Not far and not fast but mooching about. I'm now just getting her used to the bike so I can get her out in a morning before I go to work when I start back working so I can give her a good walk and she doesn't spend the morning destroying her bed. Each dog is different but I've always with pups done enough to knock the edge off so they go home and go to sleep and never had any problems with over exercising them.

[Hendrix's rifle]

I've got a lurcher puppy who's the same age. If she only got 20minutes a day two things would have happened. 1 she would have destroyed the house, garden, burnt the neighbours house down, eaten the other neighbours children and drunk all my whiskey. And 2 my wife would have killed me! You can see when they've done enough, it's easier at the minute with the stubbles because she can go out across the fields for a walk and race round and that's enough but when I first got her the crops were still up and my leg was ******** so we'd more often than not go for a hobble about for an hour. Not far and not fast but mooching about. I'm now just getting her used to the bike so I can get her out in a morning before I go to work when I start back working so I can give her a good walk and she doesn't spend the morning destroying her bed. Each dog is different but I've always with pups done enough to knock the edge off so they go home and go to sleep and never had any problems with over exercising them.

+1 just don't over do it. Someone questioned me.a few years ago whilst walking with my gsd. 'You should only take him out for 5 minutes at that age) jog on you don't know what he does to the house I can understand if they get tired and you push them so once there tired you go home and enjoy the peace!

[Pigeonshooter22]

+1 just don't over do it. Someone questioned me.a few years ago whilst walking with my gsd. 'You should only take him out for 5 minutes at that age) jog on you don't know what he does to the house I can understand if they get tired and you push them so once there tired you go home and enjoy the peace!

 

Totally agree. Hes a live wire, go for a walk and hes instantly asleep afterwards. A friend has a sprocker which gets 10 mins twice a day, its a absolute live wire. He can't get it back, control it whatsoever. Where as mine is brilliant with recall etc.

Edited September 12, 2017 by Pigeonshooter22

[figgy]

You don't want to damage the joints of developing growing bones in dogs. So moderate excersise, in a cocker its mad to say don't give them too much walking. Unless there asleep they never stop.

[ips]

I read that the more exercise you give the more they want and you are just training stamina.

[Benthejockey]

Definitely increases their fitness. But I'd rather have that than her destroying the place being wild. Imagine Taz of Tamania and he looks docile compared to this whirlwind.

[ips]

Mine has calmed down quite significantly over the last year (3 and a bit now) I find that she won't tire physically but get her thinking and she dose.

[Stonepark]

Puppies excercise for periods and then sleep, ideally you should be mimicing this.

 

The old 5min per month age rule is for any one exercise period, not per day which is what people misunderstand it to be. Pups should have at least 4 exercise periods each day.

[scotslad]

Any pups of mine get very little walks at that age. They get plenty of free running/play with other dogs but not a lot of formal walking.

When formal walking he pups have no choice but go at ur speed when playing it can rest when it needs

 

I'm always careful as remember being in digs years ago and the owner had gave her collie arthritis?sp bought on by over exercise when young.

 

I'm also very careful of letting dogs jump esp down from the back of my pick up till about a year old and usually lift them up/down

[Pigeonshooter22]

Any pups of mine get very little walks at that age. They get plenty of free running/play with other dogs but not a lot of formal walking.

When formal walking he pups have no choice but go at ur speed when playing it can rest when it needs

 

I'm always careful as remember being in digs years ago and the owner had gave her collie arthritis?sp bought on by over exercise when young.

 

I'm also very careful of letting dogs jump esp down from the back of my pick up till about a year old and usually lift them up/down

 

I say walking, hes out for that time playing with other dogs etc not officially 'walking', he lies down when he wants etc. I don't walk for miles so maybe i worded it wrong, we go through a couple of open fields and they play for that time in the fields. He doesn't jump down as we live in a cottage which doesn't have any stairs luckily!

 

Puppies excercise for periods and then sleep, ideally you should be mimicing this.

 

The old 5min per month age rule is for any one exercise period, not per day which is what people misunderstand it to be. Pups should have at least 4 exercise periods each day.

 

That is exactly what he does. Exercise then sleeps. He gets let out about that for around 20/30 mins time, so sounds about right!

Edited September 12, 2017 by Pigeonshooter22

[SimpleSimon]

Somebody once told me something which made a great deal more sense to me than the 5mins/month idea:

Imagine a child the same age in years as your pup is in months. Don't expect the pup to do more exercise in intensity or duration than the child would be able to.

[washerboy]

Seen several Lurcher's over exercised that were still growing, legs bones turn out .

[scotslad]

It's the more formal walking that can be the problem as pup has no choice wot speed or distance or a chance to rest.

I'm possibly overly sensitive on allowing young dogs to jump and walk,

Basically at a young age the only walking mine do is enough to teach them heel and some retrieves possibly even swimming if weather is hot, but most of the exercise is free play with the other dogs

[washerboy]

My lurcher bitch is a great compulsive jumper but she was 15 months old before I taught her jumping or even allowed her to jump

[Albert 888]

Dogs are dogs mearly a tool for the owner,got my two a 6_9 month old 12 mile walkies 3 times every 8 days roughly, beating and wildfowling, slowed down as they got older,one has gone to heaven at 11 the other is still as strong as a 12 month old,now 12,he lives outside as dogs should do. No destroying or anything similar.

[wj939]

I find mental stimulation in a puppy more important than physical. Moderate exercise is required but I avoid lots of free running with the older dogs.

[Twistedsanity]

Growth plates gradually thin as hormonal changes approaching puberty signal the growth plates to close. In puppies, this closure is normally completed by approximately 18 months old.

Until the growth plates close, they’re soft and vulnerable to injury. After sexual maturity, the growth plates calcify and the rapid cell division ends. The growth plate becomes a stable, inactive, part of the bone, now known as an epiphyseal line.

.. Injury to a growth plate can result in a misshapen or shortened limb which, in turn, can create an incorrect angle to a joint which can make the puppy more prone to yet more injuries when he grows up. In addition to having soft growth plates at the end of long bones, a puppy’s bones in general are “softer.”
... you may find yourself clutching your puppy, afraid to let him move lest he breaks a limb. Relax! Not only is appropriate exercise not dangerous for your puppy, exercise has been shown to increase bone density in children.

Jumping off of beds and couches are major causes of spiral fractures in puppies - we are constantly on guard until our puppies reach two years old and keep them off furniture and beds unless we’re there to help them off. We also use heavy carpet pads and carpets around all furniture and beds to cushion impact, should a young (or old) dog slip by and get up on a high piece of furniture.

Probably the biggest cause of growth plate and soft tissue injury is repetitive exercise with a young puppy. So, until he’s about 18 months old, long hikes and walks are out and lots of free-play sessions are in.

Speaking of hikes, if you’re an outdoorsy type of person, you should bring your puppy along on hikes - its great socialization for puppies under 12 weeks old, and great enrichment for older puppies. But just like when you take a small child on a walk, be prepared to carry your puppy a good portion of the way. If you’re jogging or walking on a manicured trail or paved park road, consider investing a puppy stroller to put your tyke in for most of the time

 

 

taken from here with x-rays as well https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/27341/are-the-bones-of-puppies-not-joined-at-2-weeks-old

 

if you are afraid of your puppy eating the house you really need to use some mental stimulation and games, its an interesting read that explains a lot of the questions and myths in this thread, I currently have a 6 month old working line GSD who is very intense and driven and a real handful but mental stimulation really wears her out, physical exercise and ball chasing merely makes her fitter, increases her stamina and also raises her cortisol levels and makes her more hyper .

Edited September 13, 2017 by Twistedsanity

[WGD]

I find mental stimulation in a puppy more important than physical. Moderate exercise is required but I avoid lots of free running with the older dogs.

 

 

+1, exercise the brain not the body at that age.

[al4x]

Be careful and keep them off stairs and also as said don't let them jump into cars till 12 months or so