How much should a puppy exercise?

RE: How much should a puppy exercise?

Cat Henstridge — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 08:49:42 GMT

Thanks everyone for your replies!

Pretty much as I thought then, I shall continue to give more relaxed advice to my clients!

RE: How much should a puppy exercise?

Dinu Catilina — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 08:45:03 GMT

[quote user="David Mills"]My view is that if a dog's going to get HD or "elbow dysplasia" it's going to get it, genetically, and there's very little you can do about it apart from frustrating the dog pointlessly.[/quote]

It seems like genetics are only one part of the problem and a high protein diet is the other. There was some study done in Holland on Retrievers (if I remember well) will try to find it later.

RE: How much should a puppy exercise?

David Mills — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 18:17:30 GMT

I remember being taught at college (2006ish) that large and giant breeds should be restricted in exercise. Lectures sponsored by Hills and recommendation that j/d be fed.

It was maybe the prevailing wisdom at the time which people haven't looked at since hence the recommendations. At that time, it was also recommended to rest dogs showing signs of HD. Now it is the exact opposite ref the latter.

My view is that if a dog's going to get HD or "elbow dysplasia" it's going to get it, genetically, and there's very little you can do about it apart from frustrating the dog pointlessly. Sensible exercise is the way forward and deal with issues if they arise. I wouldn't rest a pup regardless of breed, it is tantamount to cruelty.

RE: How much should a puppy exercise?

Iain Richards — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 17:25:47 GMT

I presume this is 5 mins per day of owner led exercise? So 8 weeks a 10 min walk, 6 months half an hour. I'd broadly go along with that plus letting the dog do what it wants in the house/garden.

Keep it skinny, let it play, don't force it to play are good guidelines

RE: How much should a puppy exercise?

Eilidh Corr — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 17:11:53 GMT

Here you go. Not exactly damning evidence against allowing puppies free play!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22620698

RE: How much should a puppy exercise?

Eilidh Corr — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 17:09:22 GMT

I would need to go digging but IIRC there was a study linking HD with puppies who has to negotiate stairs regularly while developing.

I agree with much of the above though - I doubt very much that dysplasia dogs develop it solely because of exercise but also because of all of the other (genetic) factors involved.

RE: How much should a puppy exercise?

Bob Russell — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 16:14:04 GMT

Never particularly thought about it but advice has always been to let it do what it wants but rest when it wants!

I suspect this goes back to the belief that restricting a GSD with genetic tendency to HD to no exercise in the first year, results in better HD scores. Load of bunkum!

RE: How much should a puppy exercise?

Lucy Fleming — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 10:07:39 GMT

When I was at some physio CPD a year or two back, Lowri Davies from SMART vets said much as above - as long as the puppy sets the pace and can rest when they are tired, as much as they like. I figured that was as good an opinion as any!

RE: How much should a puppy exercise?

Kate Richardson — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 08:15:14 GMT

100% agree with David and clare

We have a 7month old Dalmatian who is (not surprisingly) nuts

If she had been limited to 5 minutes per month exercise she would have driven us insane. Free running most of the time, up and down hills, occasionally terrifies me when she turns a corner at speed!

RE: How much should a puppy exercise?

David Mills — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 01:33:19 GMT

These recommendations are silly. And bullshit. It calls to mind 5 a day and weekly units of booze

Letting a pup do what it wants is fine. Mother and I were out today with her elderly but swimming/ball ocd lab and an indeterminate age spaniel (rescue fro, the hospital, props about 7m). There was some clown out with a 5m lab trying to train it on a harness. More harm than good.

RE: How much should a puppy exercise?

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 00:26:27 GMT

[quote user="Clare Tapsfield-Wright"]Big fat puppy of a giant breed bred for showing and maybe it's a different story [/quote]

Exactly. The Kennel Club story.

Is there the slightest evidence that allowing a genetically healthy, properly nourished puppy to take what exercise it feels capable of (nothing forced) will "result in joint problems later"?

RE: How much should a puppy exercise?

Clare Tapsfield-Wright — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 23:07:48 GMT

I think if the dog is what I would term a natural size and shape then it should be given the freedom to move as it wishes and the positives of experiencing new situations and socialisation on a walk , not a hike , outweigh any outlandish considerations of risk of excessive exercise .

I have a Labrador aged a year and we go out two or three times a day and have done since we was about three or four months old She is not a heavy thick set lab and I don't push her to do more than a wild dog might do at this age and she is slim and fit and happy. Would you prevent your pre school child from running round in the play ground ?

Big fat puppy of a giant breed bred for showing and maybe it's a different story

RE: How much should a puppy exercise?

Gillian Mostyn — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 21:34:33 GMT

[quote user="Cat Henstridge"]

I always think if an owner has a reasonably sized 6 month old dog and only exercises it for 30 minutes a day, they are asking for trouble, both behaviourally and probably weight wise as well (which won't do the limbs any favours!).

My usual advice is not to strap a young dog to the back of a bike and go for a 10 mile road race but otherwise a nice, normal, off the lead walk with the pup dictating the pace is fine.

[/quote]

Ditto

RE: How much should a puppy exercise?

janine redman — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 21:04:55 GMT

There is a lot of difference between ambling along for half an hour with the dogs meandering around and a young pup either trying to keep up with a horde of older dogs or an owner using those ubiquitous chuck it's which encourage speed without due care and attention

a young dog which has 20 minutes three times a day is better than than one which goes for a couple of longer walks at the weekend. So it is a matter of gradually acclimatising a dog to exercise without too much "forced" exercise like chasing and turning. Would probably be difficult to over exercise any dog over 6 months if on lead unless you were jogging or cycling

RE: How much should a puppy exercise?

Joyce Whitehead — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 20:53:29 GMT

I tend to quote the 5 minutes per month, more because I don't have any other information to hand! However, i tend to say (for instance) at 6 months, around 30-40 minutes per time. So not necessarily only that per day. And for smaller breeds not to be too prescriptive. I also more stress the no impact stuff till the bones are fully grown.

I also have never stuck to that with my own pups, although I've always had smaller breeds.