I've read on the board several times that you shouldn't over-exercise a puppy, and that you should build up gradually. But could someone advise roughly how far a puppy should be walked at different ages? How far/often should he be walked at, say, 6 months, 9 months, a year, etc? I am specifically interested in Golden Retrievers.
Thanks,
Sarah

im interested in this at the moment too , i have a ten wk old Newfoundland~whom we by no means walk yet.But we do take her out to "frisk" around in the garden..how much "frisking" is too much? how much playing around is too much?
Its awkward , we want to socialise her etc...but not sure how much

Starting right at the beginning:-
Zoe, A puppy playing in the garden will play for just so long then lay down and go to sleep. It's a self regulating thing and as long as you do not over encourage her she will only play until she's tired.

The next stage it taking them out of the garden. At this point the dog is on the lead and has no choice in the matter. It has to go where you go! So in the early stages keep the distance short. 10 minutes is more than enough.

As they get older Sarah it is necessary to gradually increase the work. To walk a puppy for 10 minutes at a time until a year old then take it out for a 20 mile hike would be no good, it's muscles would not be able to cope with the sudden difference in work. Working up from a baby, at 6 months old I would expect a Golden to be quite happy with half an hour. Continually rising from that to nearer to an hour by nine months to pretty much what you want by a year. Just because you are out with a nine month old puppy for an hour does not mean it is walking for an hour. Off lead it will trot off to something which smells nice, stop for a sniff then trot on to the next smell so it is not such hard work as it sounds.

Hope this gives you both some ideas.

Regards, John

thank's jon,
We are lucky enough that we over look a recreation ground , she's had her first jab's and also is on a homeopathic tablet course ( to protect untill jabs are complete) , so we have been taking her over there once a day ( literally 5 yards away).We dont let her have contact with other dogs , but this way she can hear noise and get socialised with people that pass by.We literaaly just let her frolic for five mins or so , dont encourage her~let her set her own pace , then return home.She loves it!

Hi Zoe,
I have been reading your post and I do not mean to sound rude or affend you, Although your puppy may have been Homeopathicly treated this is only as a protection against other animals ie cats, other dogs that may bring something into your home, I do not feel a recreation field is a safe place for a 10 week old puppy, although you are keeping her away from other dogs, it is what they leave behind, that could cause problems. My sister took her 11 week old puppy out a while back, she also had a area of land near her home and she would take her at night as no other dogs were around, the puppy pick up an infection and unfortunatly the puppy was very ill and had to be put to sleep, the vet told her in no uncertain terms what he thought of her, he letured her for other an hour about why we have our dogs vaccinated and why the vets tells you not to take your dogs out for 1 week after their second injection, she was so upset with herself for not waiting. I am not saying this will happen to you, but that is one of the risks. Sometime in the garden should be enough exercise as said before and once she has had her injections, then you can take her as much as she likes.

What did your vet say about taking her out, when she had her first injection?

Once again I do not mean to be so harsh but we all learnt the hard way, when my sister lost her puppy and I wouldn't like anyone else to go through that, and I know how much she means to you.

Good Luck with you puppy.
Best Wishes
ILOVEDOGS

Hi ILOVEDOGS
No offence taken , however i would like to point out that in this instance it was my vet that suggested it to me , i have had dogs before and was very dubious ( sp!) as i have never done this before~but she said that she strongly recomended doing this
any one else's vets said similar?

There are two schools of thought on taking a very young puppy out.

1/ Dont do it because they might catch something.

2/ Do, because the risks of a poorly socialised dog are greater than illness.

I personally subscribe to the latter. My new puppies go to my dog club as soon as I get them, well before the inoculations. I prime the class before I bring them in so they all keep their dogs away, no rubbing up against or sniffing. The puppy sits on my lap and gets use to the sight and sound of other people and dogs. The thing is, my friends call to see any puppy as soon as I get it and as they all have dogs, they are just as likely to bring anything in anyway. One thing I dont do is too allow my puppies to walk on the ground. I figure that is one stage too far for me. I carry them out to see as much as possible.

Regards, John

Totally agree with what you say John as I do the same, but as far as I am aware all the dogsd at my training classes are vaccinated and I do the same my pups are not allowed on the floor at all.

But in this instance Zoe's pup is open to all sorts of unknown infections from visiting dogs to that area be it grass or pavement and I personally would not put any pup of mine in that sort of danger.

also , she only "frolics" on the pavement pathway , not grass

Sorry Zoe but I have to agree with ILOVEDOGS on this one, there is no way that she should be out where unvaccinated dogs may have been before her second injection.

It is totally OK to socialise her with dogs who have been vaccinated.

The other danger for her at this age is that foxes carry such things as CVH and you have no knowledge as to whether they have been in the vicinity of the area that you take her if it is not fenced.

Cannot agree with your vet on this one at all.

Regards

Jayne

Hi Zoe,
I am really surprised that any vet would suggest that, but as John says there are different oppions on this, but at a time when Kennel Cough is ripe and as Jayne said Foxes are carriers of all sorts, such as Mainge (sp), in my oppion it is not worth the risk for the sake of a couple of weeks. Zoe you have children and other animals and I am sure you have friends and family popping in to see the puppy, so for those few weeks until the vaccination, are covered. Once the puppy has had its Vaccinations then puppy classes are great for socializing. I have taken a puppy to the lakes with my big dogs before, but it was not allowed on the floor and was quite happy sitting in the cage at the back of the car watching the other dogs and getting use to the madness of a Newfie water trail, like John said he takes his puppies out but does not allow them to go on the floor.
You have to do what you feel is right, all I can do is give you my oppion and my reasons for these, thats what is great about these kind of boards, you get alot of oppions :) ;)
By the way who is she out of (sire & dam).
Best Wishes
ILOVEDOGS

I'm wandering how best to 'transport' Lucy whilst her vaccs take effect. She's nine and a half weeks and had her first set this morning, so she'll be twelve and a half before she can go on the ground. Already holding her for longer than five minutes makes my arms ache!! Does anyone have any suggestions-a bag of some sort perhaps??!
Thanks,
Nic :)

I put up with the aching arms!!! There is a seat about a hundred yards from my house outside some shops. I carry the puppy there then have a few minutes sitting to get my breath back before staggering back.

They get heavy fast, don't they! :)

Regards, John

Hi Nic,
Personally I have carried them mostly on my shoulders, ie: front paws and head ajscent (sp) to my ears. But that is mainly to the car from the vets door, it is very difficult to do when they weigh 2 stone plus as people with the larger breeds will appricate. Also their are alot of pet taxis about now if you haven't a car and they are alot cheaper now due to competition.
Good Luck
What breed is your puppy?
Best Wishes
ILOVEDOGS.

Hi,
She's a lab. It is'nt transportation in the car that's the problem, I realise the importance of early socialisation, and want to take her into town (off the ground) so she can get used to all the lovely sights and smells :D
Nic :)

Ella is almost 2 stone allready !

i guess as she had Vacc 1 at 6 weeks , then vacc 2 at 9 the vet thought she'd be ok to "frolic" a little before week 11,not sure really.
As for the fox problems,we have a den right at the back of our garden ( recently discovered) so im trying to avoid the back garden and have been letting her on our front where the fox's visit less!
Thank you all for your comments though
Zoe x

Hi zoe, the Homeopathic things, you have given your pup to cover her, are you giving homeopathic nosodes? (alternative vaccines?) If that is the case then you should be doing either/or not both together. If you are homeopathically vaccinating, then your pup can go out more or less straight away. My own vet and I had a discussion on when to take out a pup when I got Cookie, as he was 12 weeks when I got him and totally unvaccinated, I personally was more worried about socialisation and he was a large pup to carry around (GSD/Collie). I carried him around town etc to meet and greet people, and to get him used to sights and sounds of traffic etc. also at my obedience club you can take pups there at 8 weeks to socialise with other dogs and people. My vet was also of the opinion that socialisation was really important for Cookie and I did take him out before his second jab at 15 weeks, because everything was late for him. Although I avoided the park and stuck to the beach when the tide had just gone out, and mixed him with friends dogs, whom I new were vaccinated (either way) A good place to socialise a pup, is the out of town supermarket (Sainsburys etc). There are never any dogs there, there are benches outside to sit on with the pup, and people cannot resist coming over to say hello. The pups get to see all sorts of people, hustle and bustle and cars etc. I thought that Guide Dogs for the Blind took their pups out before the vaccination course was complete also. though I may be wrong? Julie:)

hi muddydogs.
She has been having "homoeopathic complete canine vacc.+ KC nosode 30c " and is due her last pill this coming Wednesday.
However , we were advised to give jabs as added precaution,and as i knew little about the Homeopathic stuff i did just that.Can you tell me any more ?
Apparantly they suggest to Vacc with the vets because the homeopathic isnt recognised in kennels etc if you go away,and is used mainly in big dogs so that as you say we can start to socialise them asap.
No way i could carry her around much longer! she's almost 2 stone allready!

i certainly WOULD NOT have been letting her on the ground if she was not covered.And i was told that as she's been on this course of alternative Homeopathic Vacc's that she WOULD be covered straight away.The jabs are as i say,mainly so that she has a "recognised" form of vaccination.Allthough my vet was given all documents relating to Ella's treatment,she confirmed that whilst this HAS innoculated the dog to full effect , her surgery were unable to "recognise" and indeed document such treatment.
So basically , Ella's going to be vaccinated twice !~once for her health and social needs...and again for "paperwork"!??!?!?! dont you just love this country !

the Homoeopathic Nosodes Ella has been taking are a complete vaccine.The only reason she is ALSO having jabs is that the Nosodes are not recognised by vets

Hi Sarah

Our Golden, Sonny is five months old and he goes out for a couple of walks a day of about fifteen minutes each. I was concerned about overexercising him but he's so full of energy that he seems to need to go out for a 'romp around'!
It'd be good to hear more about your Golden puppy.

Ruth

Thanks for everyone's replies.

Ruth,
Unfortunately, I don't have a puppy yet. :( I've found a breeder and I'm on the waiting list. I'm hoping to hear any day now that the bitch has been mated. Should have happened in early December, but she's not ready yet..... :(
In the meantime, I'm reading all the posts and asking questions on Champdogs and reading books.
Rest assured, as soon as I have him, there will be plenty of photos (and lots more questions!!!) :D

Sarah