Hi
I was wondering what everyone’s thoughts were on exercise through pregnancy. My girl was mated a week ago. For the last week I have been lead walking her as she was still bleeding slightly. She has now stopped so was wondering if it’s ok to let her go on walks where she is off the lead as she much prefers this? Thanks

As always, stopping bleeding doesn't necessarily mean out of season.  I would make sure you wait at least 28 days from day 1 of her season - you don't want a dual-sired litter and then having to DNA test them all!!!

No I certainly don’t. So lead walks for another week then. Should she be ok after that?  She does like to have a good run off lead.

After 28 days, there shouldn't be a risk of her mating with any dogs you meet and there isn't a risk in terms of physical exercise - through the first trimester for sure physical exercise can be just the same as before.

But of course there are the usual risks when taking a dog out in terms of meeting other dogs - in terms of another dog having a go at her or attacking her.  It could be very stressful to have a bad experience with another dog... For me, that's the main reason I try to avoid other unknown dogs during pregnancy. 

And then also there is also disease-risk - herpes virus (usually harmless but can cause absorption in early pregnancy); various gastro bugs which may need ABs which she can't have whilst pregnant; etc - but with those things it's your call really as to whether to risk it.  Some of these things she will be exposed to anyway in the environment through faeces or urine if you walk in popular dog-frequented locations.

> exercise through pregnancy

Do you mean through her season or have you mated her & she is pregnant?

Hi Lexy

I have mated her but obviously too early to know if she is actually pregnant

oh yes, after reading your post again it states that..sorry. So yes keep her on lead walks for a bit longer & well away from any potential males that could be out free.

Having had a bitch mated on day 28 - successful pregnancy, I always err on the side of caution.

Also just to add, once you’re exercising her offlead again I would stop taking a ball or anything similar that she’d really sprint after or anything that involves jumping or twisting motion - that is of course if she’s into chasing a ball

As said already, my main consideration would be re her being completely out of season!   If she's not, and infection apart (open when in season) any male could still catch her!    After the season has ended, my girls were all on normal exercise until their increased girth made it uncomfortable to be out for long.   And you must make sure she doesn't become over-tired.   Or knocked!

It really depends on each individual bitch and each pregnancy!!  And using common sense really.

I keep to normal length time wise of exercise and obviously the bitch will slow down towards the end.

Mine will happily do two miles roadwork at a brisk pace right up to whelping.

Currently I have a bitch that ahs less than 3 weeks to go, a maiden at over 3 1/2 and I see no signs of her slowing up yet, and she is carrying at least 5 pups according to a 35 day scan.

Barbara, do you walk in regular locations and allow meetings with strange dogs?  Or do you try to avoid other dogs?  Or walk in locations other dogs haven't toileted? 

I am never sure on this part of things and how careful to be.  I live in a densely dog-populated area - I can mostly avoid other dogs almost always (walking at times of day other people are not out) - but not locations where they have toileted.

I walk every day with a professional dog walker in all the usual dog walking places.

My view is that the more exposed my lot are to all the local disease burden, the better they build up their natural immunity.

After all I am not prepared to stop walking the rest of the dogs. 

Even if I did I could just as easily bring back infection.

Pregnant women do not isolate themselves from society either.

Thanks Barbara, that makes me feel a bit better about what I do!

> My view is that the more exposed my lot are to all the local disease burden, the better they build up their natural immunity.<br />

To some extent, agreed.   BUT don't you think that the entire system of the pregnant bitch is under enough stress without risking exposure to a new bug doing the rounds?   I'd not be in favour of complete isolation throughout a pregnancy, just being sensible.   Re the other dogs walking back infection for her to pick up - of course that's possible and for that reason, when we had a bitch in whelp at home, we curtailed any showing, and tended to try to walk our other hounds where there was little concentration of other dogs.

My difficulty is that there are no areas which are wild open ground for dog exercising, which other dogs are also not walked on - with obviously quite a lot of dog pooping as you leave car parks going on...

So it's not really possible for me to avoid this very easily.

For her last pregnancy, I walked on leash and on roads quite a bit, and then I did walk a short distance on a footpath but kept her by my side and not sniffing the edges where dogs toilet - until we reached a grass field where people don't really walk and I would let her run and train her there.  But it was quite an unstimulating and stagnant existence for her - and definitely didn't keep her in peak physical fitness through pregnancy so it is a hard one to weigh up the pros and cons of. 

This time, I haven't been able to get the herpes jab so that is worrying me.  And I also worry about some bug she picks up which requires antibiotics like metronidazole - which can't be given in pregnancy and that kind of thing...

> I'd not be in favour of complete isolation throughout a pregnancy, just being sensible.

> tended to try to walk our other hounds where there was little concentration of other dogs.

That would be impossible where many of us live, in my case a city suburb.  My belief is that daily exposure to all normal 'bugs' develops the natural immunity, and therefore there is no additional stress on the bitch.